CONDITIONS AT HOME

Southland Times, Issue 20081, 19 January 1927, Page 6

CONDITIONS AT HOME

OLD COUNTRY LN BAD WAY

A public welcome was accorded the Mayor of Petone, Mr J. W. McEwan, who last week returned to New Zealand after an extended tour of Great Britain. On behalf of the citizens the Deputy-Mayor (Mr C. P. Brockelbank) and Councillors Cook, Jacobson and Sharpe, and the chairman of the Ci vic Association (Mr J. R. Carey) welcomed Mr McEwan back to Petone. In returning thanks for the heartiness of the reception, Mr McEwan stated that he had taken a keen interest in municipal work during his visit abroad and he hoped at. a later date to outline to the council what he had learnt. “On the whole,” he said, “the Dominion has not much to learn, many of the English cities even being behind in such matters as roading. In many of the cities and larger towns of Yorkshire, and in parts of Glasgow, the streets and even some of the footpaths, were still paved with cobblestones. I was present at a meeting of the Glasgow City Council on which there are 113 members and was surprised to see, in spite of the large membership, the large amount of business transacted. The members seemed very much alive, and indeed. on occasions, four members were speaking at one time, and the chairman had considerable difficulty in keeping control. The formalism of the meetings of municipal bodies was very striking to visitors from these newer lands. Members did not take their seats in haphazard fashion, but the Mayor or Lord Mayor, preceded by the mace-bearer, was followed into the chamber by the aidermen and councillors.” Mr McEwan said that the Old Country appeared to be in a bad way, more than half the industries being closed in most towns, while a large proportion of the others were on half-time. Bradford was one of the best towns visited in regard to keeping the wheels of industry moving, and here they were paying £3 per ton for imported coal. At Port Glasgow the builder of one of the few ships on the stocks said he was waiting for the arrival of German steel. The strike was one of the severest blows sustained by England for many a year, and it was a tragedy that in these days of the stress of German and American competition such a blow should have fallen on British industries.

The strides made by motor bus enterprise impressed Mr McEwan. In London, he said, large double-decked buses, running on solid tyres, travelled along the Strand at 25 miles per hour. In Glasgow, however, the trams were more than holding their own. Owing to efficient management and the establishment of the zone system, the trains were made to pay in spite of the fact that the fare for a 20 mile trip is only 2d. Referring to electrical development Mr McEwan considered that in this matter New Zealand was well in the forefront, though in detail matters a good deal could be learnt. Wellington was well ahead of ports of similar size in regard to efficiency. Adelaide, he thought, was one of the most inefficient he visited. The congestion at the Tilbury docks was enormous, and the arrangements to cope with it did not appear to be the most efficient possible. It took seen hours for passengers to get clear of the boat on arrival. “Living is as dear in England as in the Dominion,” added Mr McEwan, “although by exercising economies such as the use of margarine instead of butter, living could be made cheaper.”

In regard to farming the only thing England needed was New Zealand’s sun. New Zealand produce was receiving a good hearing at Home and was receiving publicity.