AUCKLAND NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 11 January 1932, Page 3

AUCKLAND NOTES

(From our correspondent)

The holiday season has closed, and those who are fortunate enough to have jobs to cro to, are back a,t work. To tile casual observer it would not appear that during the holidays there was much indication of poverty or distress. The railway traffic was aonormally great, thousands of people coming into the city, and other thousands leaving for holiday resorts. The streets were crowded as usual, and the shopkeepers reported ! for wie most part a brisk ’Xmas and New Year trade, though not up to the level of previous years, the demand on the whole being for lower priced articles. Excursion steamers and launcnes were crowded and apparently a large number spent their holidays in “baches,” or with tents at. the various bays—a cheaper and possibly more healthful recreation than the usual holiday tours. Some thirty per cent, less was spent at the races however, and I hear the leading and more expensive hotels were not crowded and had ample accommodation for all their patrons. In nfany ca,se» the ‘tariffs had been reduced. Speaking generally the people here appear to have kept up the holiday and Christmas spirit, but with an eye to economy. Bellow the sujrfaee however there is much privation. The social workers had to make almost frantic appeals to the generosity of the public to prevent acute dkstress amongst the unemii/loyed. The Hospital Board' had an almost impossible task to relieve those whom the Unemployment Board could not arrange work for, and there were one or two regrettable incidents where police protection had to be invoked to present disorderly elements taking charge. On the whole however there was very little disorder. Possibly the result of the elections had a sobering effect on the Communists and the disorderly and law breaking

sections of the community. The voice of Demos may be at times incoherent ’but it etand-s always emphatically for the maintenance of law and order. A dangerous criminal is just now at

large under conditions which have caused uneasiness and indignation. A prisoner named Wilson was removed from the gaol to the public hospital. No provision was made to guard him, and he had apparently little difficulty in leaving the institution and making his escape. There is a very general feeling that something is wrong wrtft the system that can permit such laxness. This is the second time within the past few months that a prisoner hag escaped from the hospital. On the first occasion a recapture was effected, but up to the present no trace has been discovered of Wilson.

/ It would appear that some lunatro with criminal tendencies is also at large just now. His first exploit was apparently an attempt to wreck a. train on a suburban line hv placing a piece of timber between the points of the rails, and he has been celebrating the holidays by two attempts at fire-raising. The extraordinary feat-

ure is that on. each occasion the police were warned over the ’phone by someone calling himself “Old Black-. Joe—the railways foe,” who reported the mischief done in time to avert serious consequences. The mentality of such an individual would be an interesting study for the psychologist, but in the meantime the public would feel safer if they knew he was safely stowed away

either in a gaol or a lunatic asylum. The terrible and generally prevalent depression which has overtaken all classes of the community is the general topic of conversation just now. Everyone wants to know whether bedrock has yet been reached, and when some tangible signs of improvement may be expected. It was fully ex-

pected that the departure from the gold standard in Great Britain would have had an immediate effect in increasing the prices of our exports.

The low prices offering at the first wool -sales had therefore a very depressing effect, and the only tangible result so far appears to have been to increase the cost of imports from America and other countries. That good results will later follow by the development of trade within the British Empire is confidently anticipated. But it is recognised now that we will have to await the result of the Economic Conference in Canada. If this effects as far as practicable the stabilisation of exchange as between the various Empire units it will be no doubt the first step l towards putting trade and industry on a healthy footing once more In the meantime we are all looking forward to a revival of the too long neglected gold mining industry. The present high price of gold directs attention to the prospects of a mining revival. We require to guard against any “wild-cat” booms which liavo

brought gold mining ventures into disrepute in the past. But when it has been demonstrated, as with the Rimu dredge as one example, that thorough and systematic prospecting, followed by the wise expenditure of adequate capital to develop tTie prospects obtained, will lead to steady and consistent returns extending over a. period of years, gold mining can he regarded as a stable industry and a legitimate investment, instead of a merely gambling speculation. There appears quite a reasonable prospect of a mining revival ori these lines. Of course the element of chance must enter largely into prospecting operations. Hut if only n small |)ercci|tago of flie-e operations result in the finding of payable gold it, will be well worth llie expenditure incurred. Tf one or more large and payable goldfields were discovered, and at the same time land settlenient were encouraged and pushed ahead the trophies of Neyy Zealand .

would ■Pfi{)i(Uy disappear. Anyhow (ho developments down south ;ito being closely walelied up here, ami probably bad as tilings fire, capital wjll still bo lortlieoming for any thoroughly proved and tested gold mining proposition. Speaking of ( lie Iwo great sources to wliieli .Yew Zealand must look for revival of prosperity, a friend of mine, a student of economic..: put tile position len.selv. He said that land speculation and consequent inflation of I<ind values bad been the groatesi) curse and pitfall for Ihe farmer and collier; and stock exchange gambling jn mining shares bad been the most effective bar to legitimate gold milling development.