IN SWITZERLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 9 August 1929, Page 7

IN SWITZERLAND

THE PEOPLE AND THEIR LIFE. Certain views about Switzerland and its tourist traffic which have lately been circulating through the New Zealand Press, have induced Dr Leon Bossard, of the University of Zurich, Switzerland, to point out a few facts about Switzerland. “Switzerland,” he states, “is essentially an industrial and agricultural country, and the number of Swiss directly dependent on the tourist traffic does not exceed five per cent, of its copulation olf five million L'lie wealthy Swiss people are mostly to be found in industrial circles and amongst exporters of dairy produce, and are not the few photographers, guides or taxi-drivers partly dependant ■in the tourist traffic. I think it should be well known that Switzerland’s inlustrial prosperity depends on its various machine-building, watchmaking, embroidery, silk-manufacturing and footwear manufacturing centres, on its famous chocolate as well as dairy produce. Further, Switzerland to-day bolds a leading position in the manuacture.of electric implements and machinery, electric installations and production of electric power, which is bought by the surrounding countries, t may be of interest to know that tho entire Swiss railway system is electrified, and that the modern Swiss building “without chimney” is a further inlication of the Swiss spirit of progress. "Further, it should be genially known that the Swiss educaional an<T lingual institutes and its iniversities attract students from all jarts of the world.

“ I think that Switzerland .is a good example, illustrating the fact that a country can welcome and be courteous ho tourists without losing independence or national characteristics, and that •ontact with other nations broadens the views, helps to stimulate enterprise tnd to introduce progressive ideas in a country. The times are over Where nations can shut themselves off and thrive, and the sooner New Zealand realises that, the sooner it will grow to he the prosperous and generally important country every true New Zea'ander sincerely wishes it to become.”