THE CLOUDS LIFTING

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 410, 20 December 1932, Page 2

THE CLOUDS LIFTING

AUSTRALIA EARNEST CHRISTCHURCH BUSINESS MAN THINKS COUNTfRY BETTER. " ECONOMIST NOT POPULAR. "Australia is ahead of New Zealand by some months in getting over the depfessio'n, and though thay pa'obably lean toward the optimistic view, there is no doubt that the Australians are getting down to business in real earnest " stated Mr. H. M. Chrystall, conculting engineer, of Christchurch, to a reporter recently, on his return from an extended business trip to the other side. "One hears few complaints ahout business trouhles, though that is not to say that they are not just at present there as they are in New Zealand." Mr. Chrystall said that in a chat with a prominent Sydney business man, he was surprised to learn that New Zealand was regarded there as being more solid and keener about new business than they were in Australia, and in particular the way in which New Zealand advertised and marketed her goods was very much admired. There was no doubt that Australia was handicapped by her own selling methods, and suifered considerahly in this respect in competition with New Zealand. "I think it is a great testimony to those in New Zealand who are responsible," remarked Mr. Chrystall. Unemployment in Australia was still just as serious a problem as it v/as in New Zealand, he continued, though there was little doubt that it was far better tackled here than in Australia, which had committed itself to the dole system. This was condemned everywhere, and even those jn receipt of it recognised the weakness of it, in that they were Josing their self-respect, and feeling themselves deprived of any initiative to seek a job. "And. there are still jobs to he found, if one likes to look for them. As an instance of this, a young Englishman, with a eapital of £100, recently arrived and finding no work made for the hackblocks, away up on the border of New South Wales and Queensland. I met him whsn he came into Sydney for a holiday, and he/was quite satisfied with his job. He considered Australia was one of the best countries in the world for a man who cared to seek out work. This actual experience helps to demolish the statements made by people who have never been in the hackblocks that there are no opportunities for work there." Attitude Towards Economists. Economists were regarded with mixed feelings by the business community in Australia. Mr. Chrystall gathered from opinions of.. business inen, including the head of ohe of the largest wool businesses in Australia, that they carry little weight. "They look on economists as simply theorists who have done little, if anything, to solve the present trouble and restore business conditions. Economists will probably have sometbing to say about that, but another business man from Melbourne claimed that they diversified public opinion and put it into a fog with their generalisations. Eeonomics is no doubt an excellent academic study, but it is not looked upon as practical business." Mr. Chrystall had a good opportunity of study ing the state of the wool industry while there. "In my opinion," he said, "it shows a definite turn for the better. There is a good demand for the finer class of wool, for which Australia is the main market. At one sale I attended there was something like 26,000 bales offered, but in addition to that some 50,000 hales were sold by private treaty, the prices offered being considered by owners to be sufficiently good to close with. I attended several other saies, and could not help noting the very keen competition. Japan was a very strong competitior, and made consid'erable purchases."

Mr. Chrystall's impressions of Melbourne were that this city was going ahead by leaps and bounds. New businesses were starting almost every day. "It has become the centre of the textile trade in Australia, for the reason that the recent political convlusions in New South Wales have driven eapital and solid business men away from that State." He had some critical comment to make on the way in which the Australian authorities required particulars about a visitor's income before he left the country. "The restrictions are most harassing," he said. "Men and women are cross-examined in a public place without any semblance of privacy whatever. I believe this branch of the Income Tax Department costs about £4000 to £5000 a year to run, and considerahly less than this is derived from overseas travellers. This sort of thing is not conducive to the establishment of good trade relations which between New Zealand and Australia are probably the most urgent need to-day."