CHEERY OUTLOOK

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 225, 17 May 1932, Page 7

CHEERY OUTLOOK

british peqpjje OPTIMISTIC ATTITUDE IN CONFRONTING TROUBLES. NEW ZEALANDER'S VIEWS. A warm admiration for the spirit with which the people of England a'nd Scotland have faced adversity during the nafiori's darkest days is one of the ehief impressions brought horne by Mr. F. F. Laurenson, a retired Civil servant, who has returned to New Zealand after eight months in Great Britain. Mr. Laurenson, who was for twenty years in the Land and Income Tax Department, intends to make his home in Christchurch. "From the time I landed at Southampton, I was impressed with the cheerfulness of the people," said Mr. Laurenson in the course of an interview in Christchurch. "I had many interviews with business people, and they all said they were not doing so badly and that things might be much worse." Speedy Recovery. Mr. Laurenson said he was convinced that this cheery outlook had much to do with Britain's speedy recovery. Long faces were," in his opinion, infectious, and had a great influence on the state of the nation itself. The British faced everything with a smile. Even when the country went off the gold standard the outlook of the people was unaltered and the general attitude was "Business as usual." "That was last AugusL when the man of the hour was Philip Snowden," Mr. Laurenson continued . "Any Httle speech he made was quoted like Holy Writ. One of his utterances was prominently displayed in all the London tube stations — 'Spend carefully and wisely, but spend. No need for panic. England is as safe to-day as ever she was." Another feature which greatly impressed Mr. Laurenson was the solidarity of the British people. Before the General Election, the country was £270,000,000 on the wrong side of the ledger, but, in spite of the forebodings of the Gonservative press, the people had stood together for sound ! government. Sharing Sacrifices. From the King downwards the people stood together to share the sacrifices which had to he made. Even the newsboy in the street gave hispenny to charity. Mr. Laurenson mentioned that all the splendid and extensive organisation of the British hospital system was maintained by the six pences and shillings of the people. "Here we are too self-conscious and too parochial," he commented. He referred briefly to the dole. Then men who drew it were not getting something for nothing as so many people thought. The dole system — or unemployed insurance as it should be called — had been in existence for a long time, and tbe men had all be'en paying into the fund. Even on the Shetland Islands, Mr. Laurenson'--birthplace, the crofters and fishermen had paid their share, and some of them were now receiving the benefit. The British manufacturers were out after business. They had too much to do to sit and worry about the slump. The two biggest motor firms in the country had, had increases in business last year amounting to 28. per cent. and 27£ per cent. "The trouble is that we have been pampered for forty years and the slump has sent us whining with out tails between our legs," Mr. Laurenson said. New Zealand's Organisation. New Zealand was far ahead of England in co-operative dairying and general organisation of farmers. The many years of free trade and intense Continen'tal competition had resulted in the English farmer just muddling along without much system. The leaders of the Government had been afraid that protection would send up the cost of living, but, contrary to expectations , the cost of living had fallen with the imposition of tariffs. Mr. Laurenson paid a visit to his early home, the Shetland Islands, which he found very littl'e changed by the onward march of civilisation. The fine old crofters and fishermen — solid, dependable people — were unchanged; and their land, where it.was still light at midnight in the summer, remained unchanged with them. There were, of course, steam trawlers and improved houses. "Tbe whole piace is as sound as a bell," he said.