AUCKLAND NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 12 November 1932, Page 6

AUCKLAND NOTES

(From our own Correspondent). The erratic movements of exchange to which sterling will now be more or less liable since Britain went off the gold standard is causing considerable trouble to importers of foreign- goods. In July last a New Zealand pound was worth 13s '23 "in New York—a shilling more tiiian- it is worth to-day. Also, strange to say, while the New Zealand ppund was worth, in July, 15s in ■Montreal it is now only worth 13s 4|d. Naturally mercha’nts are afraid to incur commitments overseas when it is impossible to estimate what ‘amount in New Zealand currency will be required to meet theae obligations a month or so—or even a week Or so ahead. The fact that £1 in this country is worth only l&s in London, 13s 4-1-d iin Canada and 22s 2d in Sydney shows the necessity for - some method of 'stabilising exchange within the British Empire at least. This wag one of the most urgent matters brought before the Ottawa Conference, ffiufr so far there is 110 ( ndication of what steps are to be taken to deal .with it, though the establishment of a Central Bank controlling note issue will be presumably -the first step to b e taken at this end. ** * # This month everyone will be called on again to make contribution to the -TJlneipiployment levy, except of course those “monied men” —if there are any left now in New Zealand—who to save themselves being worried about quarterly payments had paid up in advance for the full year. ‘However, as probably the number of these' i s so small ' as to be negligible we may take it that everyone' will have this month t-o send their little cheque to the Commissioner of Taxes —whose address of course everybody knows—and also pay in their modest five bob over the post office counter. • 'A reminder appeared in the local press somewhat as follows : Christmas is coming, iUnemployment’s getting hot So fork out the shilling In the pound y ou haven’t got.

It i® said' to be characteristic of the British race .to react to adversity, danger, and depression by developing a sense of humour. With-our boys at the front this undoubtedly often saved their reason, and sometimes their lives. It ’is always noticeable amongst soldiers and sailors, hospital nurses, missioners etc. If it were not, they could not meet ‘cheerfully ‘and ‘ confidently the terrible ordeals with which they are occasionally faced. It is no doubt the hesalthy reaction of the indomitable spirit <>f our race-. It is very noticeable amongst all classes of the community just now. I am brought closely in contact with business men, many of whom had either retired, or had, having nearly reached the allotted span of: “three score and ten,” delegated to younger men the detail work' of their businesses. The terrific (Jump or “economic cyclone” as it 'has been called which has played havoc' not only in- this country, but apparently in nearly all countries of the world, has so changed conditions that many who though' they were free at la»t' from the worry and stress of business have had to lino up and face positions gometimes, almost desperate. And the cheerful manner in which they ai’e' doing it is a revelatioiv Sometimes at a moment’s notice they have been called on to swing the weight of their past knowledge and experience into the scale to endeavour to prevent final disaster overtaking the organisations they had in the past controlled, and the businesses they- had built up. When thdy meet «gain in the hurly-burly of the city they laugh and chaff one another about having been “prized °ut of their shells,” or having “all g°t i n the soup together.” Of course for till© older men, and those whose health is failing the position is tragic as they are no longer either’mentally or physically capable of sustaining the strain. But many of the old warriors .are determined . they -are going to help to pull things through—or to go down fighting. More power to their elbow! There are some very, very sad cases, particularly .widows and really old and feeble men whose little income is dwindling away with no prospect of relief. It takes a very stout or a very hard heart -just now to keep a “stiff upper lip.” One fine fellow told me <sho Cay that what ’hurt h l m most was hTs'"lnabilitv to give assistance and help to others as he had done in the past. And" I know he was speaking the truth.

An advertisement in a local paper: ■“Workers and others interested i'n forming Marxian Study Circle, write X.T.L.” I was rather surprised at the “and others,” as if memory serves me organised “workers" only have any place in the weird and wonderful scheme of Karl Marx. Anyhow Mr ex-Wisehead should know that Marxian economies were exploded as fallacies many years ago. Possibly he wouldn’t take fly word for that. But the (Soviet c’ictutor 'Stalin stated in a recent spew'i that. "a system of payment according to the workers’ needs cannot be allowed. Workers must ‘be paid strictly according to the amount and quality of the work they perform.” As this is exactly what ‘economists and industrialists have .been preachh g for years it is evident that if t e Involution keeps revolving a little longer it will lead to the same—and sane — conclusions as have for ages past been held in “capitalist” countries, i.«. thtf Socialism in industry will not Uork. ** * 9 The Dallimore mission controversy is still being carried on. The C'ty Council decided the Town Hall could n« longer be hired ' to Mr Dallimore on Sunday nights, «o 'the missioner hired onfc'of the the?.tree. His meetings'are.

crowded and he has apparently a large following of enthusiastic believers. The ■latest claim is that a girl of 15, suffering from severe toothache went to sleep and next morning the offending tooth was found by her on her pillow and the cavity in the R nm from which the tooth had beon miraculously extracted had completely healed. But there js much scepticism, strengthened by the refusal of .Mr Dal I ini ore to countenance full investigation, and assist in full inquiry. Ifis opponents, however, concede he 'has wonderful hypnotic, power, and also that some small percentage of the alleged cure:: appear t r> be genuine.