EIGHT MONTHS’ TOUR.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 January 1921, Page 6

EIGHT MONTHS’ TOUR.

GLIMPSES OF OTHER LANDS. MR. C. E. BELLRINGER’S TRIP. INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS. After an eight months’ tour extending through Canada, the United States, England and France, Mr. C. E. Bellringer, of New Plymouth, recently returned home. Business and pleasure were combined in the trip, Mr. Bellringer’s aim in the former connection being to secure information regarding the hardware trade at Home. Speaking to a Daily News reporter, he made interesting observations on the various countries visited. _ ; CANADA’S PROSPERITY. “When we landed in Canada,” said Mr. Bellringer, “we found that a very hard winter had been experienced, the season being late.” It was then the end of May, and the farmers had not begun their ploughing, but in spite of this it had been reported from Canada that a very good harvest was met with, and the growth, when once started, seemed to be phenomenal. The Canadian farmer, the speaker said, seemed to be quite contented, and the country was undergoing a tremendous development. Its proximity to Great Britain secured a big share of the emigrants from Home and the Dominion had & wide area for settlement. There was a “go-ahead” spirit about the country, and the schools endeavored to instil a national spirit into the minds of the scbblars. The school buildings were of a higher standard than in New Zealand, being splendidly equipped with fine classrooms, assembly halls, up-to-date heating appliances and other features. Many of the pupils were of foreign extraction, but good results were obtained. In Toronto Mr. Bellringer found that among many there was a great deal of interest about New Zealand, and our legislation is talked of a good deal there. Throughout it seemed that New Zealanders had gained a high place in the opinion of the people. IN THE STATES. Chicago was visited just at the time that the Republican Convention had assembled for the nomination of their candidate, and the whole proceedings were characterised by a display and regard for publicity tnat made the scene extremely interesting to an outsider. Candidates took the finest hotels, and the methods of keeping their name before the people ranged from the distribution of souvenir buttons to the display of pamphlets containing eulogies of the* candidate, written by prominent people. In this city is Michigan Avenue, over which there is. a marvellous amount of motor traffic, probably unequalled in the world. The avenue is ten miles long and the stream of motors never seems to stop, save when a policeman holds up the line to allow pedestrians to cross. They boost their city, and big signs are hung in various places with such mottoes as “Be proud of your city.” A very noisy place is Chicago, however, the overhead railway contributing to this, and the rush and roar never seem to cease.

Detroit’s feature is the Ford motor car works. Operations never stop there, three 8-hour shifts being worked, except on Sunday. Mr. Bellringer said that it appeared as if every effort was made to get the bfist out of the men and to make the foreigners Americans. The works had its own theatres, auditorium, and the employees were appealed to through art, literature and music, and in fact every side of life. In the Canadian and also American parks special provision is made for the children, who are allowed a great deal of freedom, and this never seems to be abused. The people are also given easy ans cheap access to the park, rates of locomotion being very easy. IN NEW YORK.

A remarkable fact about New York is the large assemblage of peoples of all nations, and the foreign element forms about sixty per cent of the population. At the time of his visit, Mr. Bellringer states that it was almost impossible to do business, as exchange rate was so much against New Zealand operators. Also, affairs were uncertain, as there had been a lot of trouble with the railwaymen and no one would quote prices. A big slump had taken place in woollens, and this was the beginning of the general depression which came later. Most commodities are controlled by trusts, and practically all articles of consumption and dress are under their influence. Agriculture in the Eastern States seemed to be the least flourishing of the industries, and it appeared that the action of the trusts had really driven many men off their farms. As regards agriculture, however, the Eastern States could not be taken as a criterion of the position in other parts of the country. Other industries seemed to be moving along briskly, and the iron and steel trades were particularly busy, while the building trade was working at full pressure. THE PROHIBITION MOVEMENT.

Referring to prohibition and ita working, Mr. Bellringer stated that with one exception, the States had made the law more stringent when a poll was taken not long ago. He remarked that no man going through tlie country can possibly investigate the results of the change, but from what he had seen the people were in favor of it, and had accepted prohibition as something which had come to stay. He was satisfied that in no part would the open bar ever come back, whatever other modifications of tlie law might be made. It was reported in England that the British Government intend obtaining reports regarding the working of prohibition in America, and when these were made som<j official account of the movement would be available to the public. CONDITIONS IN ENGLAND. Arriving in England in August, Mr. Bellringer found that it was the holiday month. There were many thousands of visitors to the seaside resorts and accommodation was at a premium. After visiting many parts of rural England and Scotland? Mr. Bellringer returned to London, where he found that conditions had somewhat changed, and the beginning of the troubles, of which reports have been heard, was just showing itself. Prices in many lines were falling. The increase in the price of coal, however, had kept hardware costs up. Later there was more disposition shown on the part of firms to do business. In regard to hardware, in which he was particularly interested, Mr. Bellringer said he visited a number of

Sheffield and Birmingham firms; and reports were that, the works were occupied to the full, and in some cases firms were only finishing off 1919 orders. Towards the end of October the fear of a miners’ strike was hampering general business, and the trouble had a more or less paralysing effect. There was a lack of employment, which was beginning to show itself, and was particularly affecting unskilled workers. The general feeling was that the next few months in England were going to be rather hard. Despite these conditions there seemed to be many pleasureseekers. There was a hopeful spirit in England that the times were only the aftermath of the reaction that came from the war, and that in the end matters would right themselves. The extreme revolutionary party did not seem to have many standing behind them, and the majority of the people would support constitutional methods of the Government. ON THE BATTLEFIELDS During his tour Mr. Bellringer made a visit to the old battlefront in Frances The graves and cemeteries, he said, were well cared for. The peasants in the areas which had been devastated seemed to be working hard to restorfe their homes, and Nature was helping to cover up the old, shell-scarred land very quickly. In some instances the populations were using temporary buildings. At ope place an old tank, which had got bogged, was doing duty as a fowlhouse. | Tbe population in some cases was very ! thin; and Armentieres, which before the I war had 00,000 inhabitants, had now only 10,000. Women, he found, did a lot of the outdoor work in France, such as tilling the fields. “NO OTHER COUNTRY” The return trip was made via Australia. In Sydney there seemed to be ' a fair amount of unemployment, and the trouble in chipping circles was interfering with business. “After all ■ there is no country like New Zealand,” I said Mr. Bellringer in conclusion, and he expressed the opinion that in environment and general conditions we were most favored in this Dominion—an opinion formed after an eight months’ tour of other lands.