ENGLISH POLICY

Hokitika Guardian, 17 June 1931, Page 2

ENGLISH POLICY

CHRISTCHURCH SOLICITOR’S IMPRESSIONS. AUCKLAND, June 15. A general election was imminent in Great Britain and some had even fixed the date as early in <July or August, said Mr A. 1\ Wright, a Christchurch solicitor, who has returned from a visit to- England by the Ruahine, accompanied by his wife. Though the visitor could express only a different opinion, it seemed likely, lie said, that the. Conservative Party would be returned with a large majority. “The day of free trade seems to be closing,’' he said. “When such weli-lcnown free traders as Sir John Simon, Sir Josiah Stamp and Proiessor J. M. Keynes now support the policy of a tariff, even if only for revenue purposes, it will be seen that the policy of free trade is definitely passing. The dumping of wheat on the British market by Russia is another factor which will have an important effect.

TRADE. WITH JAVA. “The Dominion might with advantage cultivate trade with Java (through which country he passed in the course of his journey). There is a big field waiting to be exploited there in dairy produce and meat. . A pure milk supply and infant food are real needs in Juva. At present they are supplied from Holland and Denmark and a little from Australia. There is no reason why, they should not come from New Zealand. The various Cham hers of Commerce throughout the Dominion should push the matter.” Unemployment insurance in England had fallen from a state of being a

scheme at once self-supporting and beneficial, said Mr Wright, and had become a failure exploited almost as

well by an alarming number of persons annually. Mr Wright cited one authority as saying that one could hardly exaggerate the economic and social ills of a paid army of unemployed, whose numbers for number of years had not fallen below 1,000,000.

OUT OF HAND. It had been suggested by the National Confederation of Employers that unemployment insurance should be made a true insurance scheme. The newspapers in England had daily been publishing cases of, exploitation under the existing system and even those who knew something of the truth were amazed at the extent to which it had got out of hand. Some men had been receiving relief of from 500 to 600 weeks.