OVERSEAS CONDITIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 30 January 1931, Page 8

OVERSEAS CONDITIONS

I )OM IN IQ.VS D I'd’BN 1) EX CIS. Alter an extensive tour of Groat Britain and the Continent of Europe, Mr J. B. Johnson, who returned to Auckland recently by the Alaunganui, is convinced that the Dominion will have to rely absolutely on the London' markets for the disposal of its produce. “ Our prosperity is absolutely wrapped up with conditions in London,” he said. Mr Johnston, who was accompanied l,v Mrs Johnston, left New Zealand <>n AI ay Gth, and. travelling via Canada and the United States of America, r< , ached London at the end ol June. Following a six weeks’ motor tour of England and Scotland, and a visit to Ireland, lie went to Belgium, Germany, Czocho-Slovakia, Austria. Switzerland, Italy and France. He took the opportunity of witnessing the Passion Play at Oberainmergau, and was greatly impressed by it. WORLD-WIDE DEPRESSION. “ Taken all round, conditions as T saw them in the course of my tour were not very encouraging,” explained Air Johnston. “ There up doubt that a world-wide depression exists, and all the countries I visited exhibited evidence of it. Switzerland seemed to he better off than any other country. All the other places seemed to be poor, and the standard of living was lower than we know it. Although they say there are few unemployed on the Continent, one found five or sixmen doing the work of one man. This applies particularly to France, which did not appear to he prosperous. While in England. I visited the cotton and wool centres, and they were in a most depressed state. T stayed with a cotton miller just outside Manchester, and he owned three mills. It was costing him ££>ooo a year to keep one mill closed, and the other two were working half-time. In London one does not notice tli edepression. With its millions of tourists, money seems to

1 circulate freely, but the shopkeepers I were complaining of hard times. There is, however, a healthy feeling that England will win through, and overcome her difficulties.” PRIME MINISTER IMPRESSES. Air Johnston travelled on the same ship as the Prime Minister, the Right Hon. G. W. Forbes, from England to Australia, and was able to give some details, of the latter’s impressions of the Imperial Conference. “Mr Forbes told me that lie did not think that the efforts of the conference were entirely fruitless,” he said. “ While the delegates did not get as far as it was hoped they would, lie intimated that there was a good deal of spadework done that emphasised the relationships between the Alotheriand and the Dominions, and the needs of New Zealand in particular. “The Prime Min-j ister,” added Mr Johnston, “created a very good impression in Great Britain j and there was quite a lot of favourable | comment about liis straightforward and sane attitude on Imperial questions.”

Discussing the political situation ot the Old Country, Air Johnston said that lie gained the impression that, if there was nil election to-day. the Labour Party would slip from power, ft certainly seemed that Afr Philio Snowden’s attitude towards the Imperial Conference and internal questions was doing a tremendous amount of harm,