BETTER TIMES

Hokitika Guardian, 1 February 1928, Page 4

BETTER TIMES

1)11 EIGHT’S OBSERVATIONS ABROAD AUCKLAND, Jan. 30. “Conditions in England are not .so bad as people are led to believe. They are improving, and the improvement is a solid and steady one.” This opinion was expressed by Dr J. Eight, Rector of Canterbury College and leading economist, last evening on his return by the Aorangi from a visit to England, America, and Continental countries. Comparing the positions of the two English-speaking countries, Dr Eight said the great dilFerenee was that the English were prone to overshadow the dark part of the picture, while Americans exaggerated the light side. Dr Eight said that from the very beginning of his visit to England lie had been struck with the fact that the country seemed prosperous. To the casual observer there was very little evidence of bad times. The retail trades seemed to be very busy, places of amusement were in full s"ing, and holiday traffic had shown considerable increase. Economists who had analysed the position carefully. Dr Eight said, were agreed that most of the people were better off than they were previously, in that they were getting a larger share of the national wealth than previously. Responsible officers* who were in charge o! tiie social service side of education "ore all emphatically of opinion that the conditions of the poorer people in London had improved, due largely to the immense amount of social betterment work and to a better tyjie of education.

There were only a lev industries Dr Might remarked, which had not. improved in respect of employment in the last four years. The distributing trades, motor trades, the cotton and artificial silk business had all improved. On the other hand the industries adversely affected were coalmining, iron and steel trades, jfhiphuildiug, and the woollen trade. The average English business man Dr flight described as being too slow to change in a world of swift main they were Ultra-Conservative, although there were signs of improvement.

01 the United States, Dr Eight said that in spite of the superficial wellbeing there was a. large amount of unemployment, the motor-car. steel, and oil industries being particularly affected. Tn North and South Dakota particularly banks were failing, and farmers were giving up their holdings. Employment and pay-rolls were lower in Ociibe.r than at any time since the autumn of 1021, when the depression throughout the country was undoubted and acknowledged. The tide of prosperity had commenced to ebb in the summer of last year. The Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Commerce had issued reports predicting continued prosperity, and business magnates had also stated that 1028 would lie a better year fer the United States, but economists did not take such a “rosy” view ot nilatrs.

Visitors to Germany were impressed by the great strides made by tlint country in re-establishing its trade. France also was endeavouring to regain its former position. Dr Eight filmed the conclusion that New Zealand was a fnrtvnalo citintry. Tt was cc’tainlv suffering from a period of dull limes, but tliis was aupairml everywhere, and was mere marked in other countries.

A condition which "as apparent in New Zealand as elsewhere was the inferior position now occupied by the fanner. This had been < lie of ilia main paints discussed a.t the recent World Economic Conference in Geneva. The farmer found himself in (he posit inn ihal In* "«is forced to sell his goods in unsheltered markets, whereas his costs and the goods he, had to buy were dearer relatively than the goods be bad to sell. This bad been brought about largely by the •system of high protective tariffs obtaining in mnnv countries.