LIFE IN EUROPE

Hokitika Guardian, 5 November 1930, Page 7

LIFE IN EUROPE

A. CHANGING SCENE

MR ARTHUR BOSE’S OBSERVATIONS.

On a nine months’ tour of Groat Britain and Europe, Mr Arthur Bose, of Christchurch, had many opportunities to study at first-hand the life and conditions of the many countries which- lie visited. The way of living and broad outlook of the Continental peoples were an education, lie said on his return to- Christchurch. The most prosperous country was France, and the cleanest. Holland. “In Germany I saw botli sides—the bright lights of the city, and the senpiy side of poverty,” said Mr Bose. “While in the. chief cities there are most luxurious buildings, conditions generally are appalling. The mass of the' 'people are. virtually starving. They are keeping a stiff upper-lip, and making a bold struggle to get to the top, hut wages are low and unemployment is increasing. Germany at the present day wants to he friendly with England and with everybody.

“Italy is prospering fairly well. About half the population seem to he soldiers and police, but they arc nlways. very civil aind courteous to strangers. But they seem to have a horror of foreign literature. If they think you have any journals they’ll hunt all through vour baggage and try to confiscate them.”

PEELING IN CZECHO-SLOV AKIA

“Prague,” said Mr Rose, “was a beautiful old-world city with a gay night life. The people seemed frightened to express any opinion whether they, liked better the new regime or the old. It appeared to him, however, that they would rather be under the Austrian rule. They seemed to suffer the wrench of the change from the old to the new. Czecho-Slovakia was an industrious country. The workers were getting more money now, but| its purchasing power was not great. They looked very much to tlie tourist, and did a fair business with him. Euglish was spoken in most of the leading which set themselves out particularly for the American trade. Goods in the shopwindows, for instance, were marked no in dollars, hut never in mounds, shillings and pence. One of the central railway stations was called “Wilson Station” and stood opposite a monument of President "Wilson.

OLEANINLESS OF HOLLAND. “Holland is an amazingly clean country,” continued Mr Rose. “It is fine to fee© the women scrubbing their doorsteps arid a geyad part of tho path. The farmers are using up every scrap if land; in fact you see hardly a square foot uncultivated The women work in the fields, and the rates

of wages compare favourably with those in any other part,of the world. We visited the Antwerp exhibition—a mass of glass and lights. It seemed rather an unfinished exhibition to me, and I was told that it had not been the success that was hoped.”

Vienna itself was a wonderful city —beautiful,, clean and gay—hut there was a deep sadness about it. The people were very favourably disposed toward the English. “Returning to London after 25 years, I can say that there is no difference there,” he ended. “The streets have been widened and a few great buildings have sprung up, but it is stilt the same old London with its wonderful Houses of Parliament and St. Paul’s Cathedral. The rebuilding of Regent‘Street has seriously harmed many of the business firms in it. They wore made to put up buildings in excess of their requirements; and although great business is done there, the enormous cost of rebuilding has not been warranted.”