A GLOOMY PICTURE

Hokitika Guardian, 20 November 1930, Page 5

A GLOOMY PICTURE

AUSTRALIA DRIFTING HOPELESSLY.

AUCKLAND, November 17

“Australia as a country seems to be drifting hopelessly, and the principal point of discussion among people who are awake to the position concerns the methods by which they can keep the country and themselves off the rocks,” said Mr J. W. Tattersfield, of Auckland who returned by the Niagara after a business trip to Australia.

"On© hears a lot of talk about the meeting of obligations but no serious attempts are being made to economise especially in the direction of reductions in civil .servants’ wages. It is an astouiiding fact that many people in Australia refuse to believe that there is a shortage of money. They; say that there is just as much money in the country as ever there was and regard the discussions over' shortages a.s a capitalist ruse aimed against the workers. Many of them made scandalous attacks on Sir Otto Niemeyer for no other reason than that he had the courage to tell the Australians where they were heading. The new tariff from which much was expected, is not an unmixed blessing. The wholesale distributing houses have been hit very badly because the local manufacturer does all his own distributing. One ial-ge manufacturer in Melbourne confessed to me that Australia had gone ‘protecion mad,’ The tariff protecting his particular industry had been increased from 33 1-3 per cent, to 55 per cent, without any request from anyone concerned with the trade. He said that a tariff of 15 per cent, would provide ample protection *for the industry. A number of business men had come out from England to establish industries in Australia in an endeavour to overcome the high tariffs, Mr Tattersfield continued. In the main they did not seem pleased with the prospects. The local manufacturer, who was already established, resented their presence as competitors, especially as many of the new firms had long years of experience behind them and possessed valuable trade secrets. On the other hand, the English business men were used to large turnovers and could not see enough work to keep their factories busy. Moreover, they had to contend with transport difficulties. It was easy enough and cheap enough to sent a parcel of boots from London to Brighton, but to send the same parcel of boots from Melbourne to Danvm was a different proposition. Abuses' of the State system of providing rations to people out of work were glaringly frequent, proceeded Mr Tattersfield. The rations wore so generous that the amount of meat allow* ed daily to the receipient would be really unhealthy if all of it wei'e toil* sumod. A typical case of abuse of the system Was that of a mah who drew liis full supply of bread during the absence, of his wife and family and sold most of it to a neighbour, Similar deals were carried out in rations of coal and firewood.

“In South Australia some of tlie farmers hare discarded tractors and are going back to farm’ horses.” Mr Tattesfield said. “They hold that the idea of speed at any price is far too costly, and certainly their action will keep money in the country to he spent on feed, harness and the like.”