EUROPE TO-DAY

Hokitika Guardian, 22 November 1928, Page 6

EUROPE TO-DAY

Bit I'TAIX’S IXDUSTKfjAL

RECOVERY

A!P 0. J. B. NORWOOD'S JAli* PUSS lONS.

WELLINGTON, Nov. 20

*• We have had a most wonderful time every day of our trio, hut it is good to he hack tit 7cw /ealaitt. again.” sail' Mr C. J. i>. Norwood, cx-Ma.vor of Wellington, who returned to-tiav from a world tour. “Of all tlm trios visited.” stt'd Mr X’orweal. -‘Great Britain was the most uniformlv heautifid irottt end to end. Probably (lie brightest star on the horizon in Britani to-day is lb*improved spirit between capital utio. labour. I am satisfied that the masfors of industry in B"'tain are willing to go to any length <om ts-fent with prudent nati'uial ecouomits ie bdng about peace ls'tweui falvntr and capital, if such he po.-si m 1 her-- lm\e been several iimlances where mhour unions after exhaustive iuvesf : '-;af ions have agreed to a reduet i- • : u wr"- io save their particular imP • v Item serious consequences, and I hrlieyc there are eminent men under L"h our banner to-day who believe tin" the Unions must function to pi dec the industry upon which their me’”kers depend, in addition to what lias been in the pa-sl almost their sole mm. Unit is shorter horn's and higher wages. ‘•'rite deGi-e for ■ efficiency and anto-inat-ic machinery is just as marked in ’Pritain as it is in the 'Pnited Stales. Generally speaking, the industrial chiefs are sanguine as to the future, and ! believe from mv own observa - lions that Ifogland is in better shane to-dav lhan any other nation in Ifui-i.-pe l<> compei/ 1 on the world s inaiTe|.s for .its manufactured products. The i!ucmjilovment que-tion is "Mrit.aiu : s «|j|| a very serious matter. Shiphnihliiig is picking ur> very nicely, hut the nature cf the German rop , i'"iI ions gives vitv little chance for tincoal and iron industries. Belgeim is able to quote commercial steel in Ttngland lower than Iheir cost of production. and when out l considers that if lakes several tons of coal to make a ton of commercial sieel it can he S(V " how ibis reflects noon England's own ••o"S".mnti<>n of coal. ’

Air Norwood explained in regard to the reparations terms that a (Treat onamity of-German coal was being de livered to Belgium and with the advantage of cheap fuel the Belgian industrialists were in a position to quote far below normal figures. Similarly. Ttalv wa.s reaping the heueiP of Gorman “reparation coal.” hut was not iii the same position to compete in prices, ns Italy lacks ores and must imnort them.

Because Germany had to give away most of her best coal, said ' T r Norwood .they bad been thrown hack on t.heir 'brown coal .resources, /-mused since ,the war. With the Germans necessity never failed to be the mother of invention and they were extracting 12-wt. of petrol from each ton o coal and there was 20 per cent, mot (ure in the coal. They were timing to find a suitable use for the residue. The process seemed simple, hut it was a secret. Air Norwood visited big chemical works employing 800 chemists, 200 engineers and 25,000 workmen making fertilisers (sulphate of ammonia) from the nitrogen in the air. Thev were o’ l taining a substitute for sulphuric acid from the same chalky subsoil, and weie turning out huge quantities of fertiliser at a price winch the manager tn formed him was lower than it could he done anywhere else in the world. The fertiliser wa.s also sent put of Germany, largely in reparation.

“Berlin was found to he a brilliant city, more prosperous than the remainder of Germany, largely because of the thousands of foreign visitors,” continued Mr Norwood. “At the same time Germany’s position to-day, considering everything, is simply marvellous. But nearly all the old rich families have lost their money and are back at some occupation. Germany extends the greatest- courtesy to travellers. In fact the people of Germany were more uniformly courteous than anywhere else in (lie world outside of England.”

Air Norwood said that conditions iiItaly impressed themselves upon him very strongly. He had visited that country in ID2O when conditions were of the worst. The people had lost heart and were sorely in need of leadership. They had little hope of Ixdng able to pay the interest upon their accumulated national debt, and with their inflated currency they could not afford to import coal and iron upon winch they depended largely to manufacture their industrial exports, Tn fact, the people had stopped working and could he seen walking around the streets aimlessly. “ I’o-dav all this is changed.’’ said Mr Norwood. “None could go through Italy as we have done without noting the remarkable changes. Mussolini has raised Italy up and prevented grave trouble. He appears to have risen as an inspired leader and has changed the whole outlook of Italian 'he. The smallest hoys in Ttaly now like to wear their black shirts, and the people, from the menial workers to tho highest business man. have their tickets of membership in the Fascist organisation, the only passport worth while. I he streets are being cleaned and there is an air of progress. The farmers are quite happy under the new regime.” Mr Norwood said that he had spoken to many people of all classes and they were all satisfied that their leader was the man to raise Ttaly and to spread her influence in the world. The military side had not lieen neglected and there were ominous signs that Ttaly had aspirations which pointed outside its present boundaries.