CONDITIONS IN ENGLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 31 August 1928, Page 4

CONDITIONS IN ENGLAND

VIEWS OF SIR WILLIAM HALL-JONES. WELLINGTON, Aug. 28. Although not adopting a pessimistic view of things, Sir William Hall-Jones who returned to Wellington to-day by the Corinthic from England, said that he could not regard tho position at Home with any great degree of optimism. In the iron, steel, and in some cases the cotton industries things were not altogether what they might be. It

seemed to him that the fault lay partly in tho proverbial conservatism of tlie Englishman. He was afraid to strike out in new lines to meet changed conditions, being content rather to follow in the lines laid down by his father, and his father’s father. In these days of modern competition ami an altered industrial world such a policy did not lead altogether to industrial success.

Tho -position of the railways in England, Sir William went on to say, could hardly lie called bright. For years the ordinary shareholder had received few, if any, dividends. This to many was disastrous, since their investments in railways was perhaps the main, or even the sole, source of revenue. The competition with motor vehicles was, of course, largely responsible for this lamentable state of affairs. Statutory powers for the railways to run their own motor services was not enough to remedy matters. The only solution, so it seemed to him, was for the railways drastically to write down their capital and to lower their fares. They must, and could do tho hitter, it being n far I letter paying proposition to run a full carriage at reduced fares than ono half empty at higher fares. One thing which very forcibly struck Sir William Hall-Jones was the evolution since his last visit to London of the one-way traffic. London’s traffic problems were being solved in a most wonderful manner, although there was still room for improvement in one or two aspects. Since he was in London last, that being in 1921, much of tho city has been rebuilt, and this process is still going on, but Sir William Hall-Jones is not too well pleased with the result. Much of Regent street, he instanced as an illustration of what he meant, was Crown property. Hence th® buildings had to lie in accordance with the wishes of tho Crown agents. Fine, big buildings were certainly erected, but it was pitiful to see the number of upper stories to let.

Discussing the unemployed problem in England, Sir William Hall-Jones remarked that however prosperous a country there were always some unemployed, .because there were always men unemployable. Too many, he was

afraid, wanted as much money as possible for a minimum of work, and quite a number of the unemployed wore incompetent. For all that, the problem was a very big one, and a very difficult question for which to find a solution.