WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 19 May 1930, Page 7

WELLINGTON NEWS

(Special; Cor respondent. 1

FORECASTS

'will'periods'of "slump quite an'iifmy of fore.dalsis-spring up and.- to a certain, extent -they.,are welcome .for a cheerful noth,/pervades their, .tijany’'state-. nients.' * It is .pleased to have for /int stance , siich a generalisation •' as “things will, improve,”, no [letter :tfiat there js ‘ no/indication of the time

' when this, "'improvement ,will set - in. It is doribtfql whether we ’ really want to know . ‘when improvement. 'will .'begin, 'it-is sufficient to be . cheered -.by the slogan, “Things will improve;'” in. past few days we have had some, forecasts of.’ the optimistic, cheering character, -and the trouble is'‘/to know what credence can be /'attached to these - forecasts. ■ ■ ■■ '■ • Sir ' hfari-k.- -Sheldon, -a ‘ Well known financier and’business-'man *in Sydney, told an that Although the prices ./for, wool, butter •'and t ether ex-ports,-'have ' fallen, .this fact -is, .cans! ng no. alarm on the otheij side, its it is recognised ' that prices for.,.these raw products mpst rise again. This is an indefinite statement. When, will the prices of products , ,-rise and to., what -point will they rise ? Butter receded /to 122 s and ..'then recovered to 180 s, but it .has ..since gone back. " Wool is about 10/per cent, higher ut the current sal^Sj?. ;^l f fit "what guaiit|\jsce bhftve . We th?.^.there \v [l 1 be a further advance' or' overt that presept 'prices will Obe ,maintained in view offtiie 1 ' Labour, troubles:-.in, the 1 textile trade. Then: again, for the named to improve, in value power Off.cpnsuiuers ..must expand and there ifyifio/ immediate .prospect of that. Tjiei’e is,'however, a long term prospect'. assuming (that T butter reooveys/tb 140 s of whichftthpre; appears o ,be little prospect, .'‘Wl.anedium crossbred -wool fetches 2d:,..-’more will that y'pay the producers with the present .’level of operating ,£ost&? The slogan. -/.Pi’ices will rise 'again,-*-; though pleasantly ’-.cheering is - caldnlaied to lull l the||ijb;him,unity/ij(to ififateliil- 'negt .'is just prices "aran/ to ri&f wijA:t' ~is'' tke i; n§e(l ( . of '• Ivorrj’lngToyer costs’/'' and adjustment.-; and /reh§jhß<inients, : >- ; Dr.. If flclshaw. Brofp, ,'at AucklaifO Uhivefsi% *s&ysf:' ‘ ‘We} ' a ( - g3Smftjg| - yo?y; inde|nj|fi^''ahd/one': : the . nfitijre/of the -‘ : ; ions, ”/ find-, Wlfttt 1 period'ff^pftr.ecliby: the P expression “for a Cue would '; - ’• the •' P;fbfes?or’s remarks' that &we l.hayc •; i#)th'in^||q ? }do/ butpto. hit |Bb|&ri-|jsi<3' wait ifiiiffi'cu|i|' • The’ > aksoeiateSc with', the 16w' ofy;. ".pro-' ducts, and: the'- rise' in.ijj^is&^is. 'to come because money is chjpt^:Jp‘Eur-: Dr. :-;Beisha\v;;3ays that:, of the’ : Engjish' bank rat^%w /; ' : very probably mean a transformation in there, and will result in bettei prices for our products, particularly

food. It/appears likely that it will he some x considerable time before the C/icap money transforms trade in Britain because in the United Kingdom Britain, is losing trade in competitive markets because her costs of productionl are too high. These pleasant forecasts do more' harm than good, and it would he novel and refreshing to have some competent and authoritative person to giro a. true and fearless analysis of the position and indicate \v hat steps should be taken to improve tiie position rapidly. Prices will rise again without a donht within/the next ten years, but surely it is up to us to do something to help move those prices upwards and to leave the entire job -to the United Kingdom and the Continent, -figuratively speaking the country wants a haircut, but there is no one willing to call- in the barber. There are pit-nay of people willing to admit privately, and only privately, that values generally are too high, hut. these same people when they come out into the open use language calculated to make the average man in the street believe that all is well, or will he so very soon and that a haircut is hot needed.

A doctor is. never satisfied until he knows tho full extent of the patient’s aiiu.erum apart form their causes, and when .hoi knows this lie. can apply all the remedies known to the piiuession. Australia, and N.Z. tire sick and the self appointed doctors tell u-s not to WOi'ry about it. wo will continue sick for a while 'but we will again ha well. Tibi present time calls for men with backbone, who will call a spade a spade' and not an agriqulural implement, Unfortunately those who have Spoken on present conditions cany wishbone's 1 where their backbones ought to be.