The Sun TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1928. BETTER TIMES IN BRITAIN

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 266, 31 January 1928, Page 8

The Sun TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1928. BETTER TIMES IN BRITAIN

THE best news from Home these days takes the form of something like a serial story about better times and tmovant optimism for Great Britain. This appreciable change in British conditions is the theme of statesmen, bankers, economists and representative There is almost a full chorus of jubilation about the improvement in British trade and industry. Then, fittingly to cap them all, the Prince of Wales, in what has been described rather exuberantly as the best speech of his career, has expressed glowing confidence in the national outlook. To paraphrase his eloquent testimony, the long sombre night and the false dawn have passed; the horizon of the new trade year is bright with the promise of prosperity. The prospect is heartening for the whole Empire. If and when the Empire’s heart is sound there will be more vigour in its sprawling limbs overseas. Of course, the hardened cynic, remembering past disillusionment, will be prone to discount a great deal of the story, and will write it down as a part of shrewd political propaganda for the coming general election in Great Britain. There may be a streak of truth in that cynical view, but the average man, who is without guile, will note that the assertive evidence as to the better times at Home is too widespread to be merely a political lullaby. As an independent'witness, who is above suspicion as being a propagandist, Dr. James Hight, Rector of Canterbury, who has just returned from an observant trip to the Old World and the United States of America, may be taken as a reliable guide in the field of economies. He has come hack with a lively pride in ' the British things that matter, and also with a clear-headed enthusiasm for British life and progress. “Economic conditions ill England are much better than we are led to believe,” he declared to a representative of The Sun yesterday. “The English are apt to exaggerate the darker side of the situation, but on the other hand the Americans are prone to over-exaggerate the bright side.” In all probability Dr. Hight’s observation goes much nearer the truth than much of the somewhat contradictory evidence that has been given loosely in recent months about conditions in Breat Britain. It may be noted, however, that “The Times,” which never “writes at the top of its voice” (as Wilde said of Hall Caine) has taken a moderate view of the improvement in British trade and industry. It admits the difficulty of gauging with accuracy the state of British trade. In the statistics of unemployment there is little to encourage the belief that there has been marked improvement yet, though it observes that the figures are subject to so many qualifications as to make their meaning doubtful. Agriculture is depressed and the state of the cotton industry is depressing. And the coal industry is in anything but a satisfactory condition. But against these must be set the indisputable facts that all the new industries are flourishing, that the retail drapery establishments continue to pay excellent dividends, and that good profits are being made by those who cater for the ' pleasures of the public. All things considered, and making full allowance for the lamentable expenditure of £80,000,000 a year on unemployment benefits and poor relief, the broad deduction seems to be justified that Britain is on the up grade again and is assured of better times. What is to be done in this country about improving conditions? There can be no real prosperity until the blight of unemployment has been removed. It is the duty of the Government to tackle the problem before the approach of winter. A national conference should be convened without delay, so that representative industrialists may be given an opportunity to help the baffled Administration. Better times at Home should be supported by better times in all the Dominions.