“FROM BAD TO WORSE”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 13 January 1931, Page 6

“FROM BAD TO WORSE”

TRADE BALANCES » . AUSTRALIA AND AMERICA ' y: Amongst the through passengers to Sidney by the Mono'wai, which arrived in Wellington yesterday from San Francisco, was Mr Herbert Brookes, who for the past eighteen riionths has been the Commissioner-General for Australia in the United States. Mr Brookes is accompanied by his wife and son, and Miss Saunders, a friend of the family. Mr Brookes, who is a resident of .Melbourne, .is a civil engineer by profession, and was president of the Chamber of. Manufacturers of the Commonwealth, attd was for six years chairman of the Federal (tariff Commission. Mrs Brookes is a' daughter of the late Hou. Alfred Deakih, who was three times Prime Minister of Australia.

Mr Brookes, who was appointed Com-missioner-General in July, 1929, told a “Post” reporter yesterday, that some months ago, in view of the increasing depression,in Australia, the question naturally arose in his mind as to whether, or’hot the office he held could be regarded as an indispensable service to the '.Commonwealth during such a time, as the present. “I came io the conclusion,” he said, “that although theoffice .was .of 'great service to Australia and to' the Empire in ordinary times, yet seeing that a crisis had developed in the Commonwealth, it was desirable to give the Prime Minister the opportunity of accepting my resignation in the event of the Government desiring tb economise wherever possible. I had been appointed for a period of two years so that really I resigned when about half of my time had expired.

INDUSTRIAL SITUATION 1 “t reached America at a time or unexampled prosperity, and left it at a time tfhen it also was suffering very seriously from the world depression. It is, difficult to know with any degree of accuracy the seriousness of the Situation in America, seeing that no accurate records are kept of unemployment. However, it did seem, from all the evidences, that the situation in America was more critical from this _ point of view thah had been experienced at least during the immediate past. “The Press in America does not make a point of featuring the darker side of industrial depression; the newspapers seem, with one accord, to paint the brightest picture possible, so that one cannot loolt to' the Press for an accuiate reflection of the industrial situation. Consequently, the position is a matter more or less of guesswork, based on one’s own private observation. In British cbirffhunities it is different. We are inclined to take the gloomier view, if there is one. It is a matter of national psychology which is the more desirable attitude to entertain. The Press and people in America are exceptionally friendly and well disposed, as you know, to the Dominions, including Australia and;. New Zealand; and, judging from what I have seen in the Press, up to the time I left. the. attitude to mv own country, though critical, was still very fnendly. of tlie Commonwealth with America has been going from bad to worse as far as the balance is concerned. America has become commit, ted ip a policy of self-containment, and the .products that we were in the habit of supplying to America in fairly large quantities have been decreasing in volume from year to year. As you are awkre, our own Commonwealth has found it necessary-to impose higher and highei tariffs in order to adjust these unfavourable trade balances.”