NEW ZEALANDER IN ITALY

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22109, 3 June 1937, Page 12

NEW ZEALANDER IN ITALY

“MASSES HEALTHY AND HAPPY” SIR CLUTHA MACKENZIE’S VIEW efforts to revive tourist trade (TM.OU OVM OWir CORRE9PO KDBKT.) LONDON, May 8, Sir Clutha Mackenzie, director of the Jubilee Institute for the Blind, Auckland, returned recently from a visit to Italy, With few exceptions, he found the people charming, while the historical associations, the quaint old towns and villages, the galleries, and museums, and modern economic life were a source of unending interest. Some complained that the great burden of taxation sat heavily on propertied people, but the Government was, he understood, careful to see that industrial enterprise was not discouraged by undue or unwise taxation, nor handicapped by unsound or humbugging labour laws. Many in the tourist trade—an important trade to Italyregretted bitterly recent misunderstandings with England, their best customer, and the Government had taken vigorous steps to revive it rail ( fares at 50 to 75 per cent, reduction, hotel tariffs classified and reduced, petrol to tourists at a low figure —and tourist lire issued at 103 to the £, instead of the current rate of 93. In Italy, as, of course, in almost every civilised country, the people can get their meals and their wines at whatever time they like. Through the long, light, cool evenings they may play their tennis or their golf. row. pathe, motor, or fish, and come m when the spirit moves to a leisurely dinner and a bottle of Chianti. Already the knowledge was spreading widely in England, partly through the newspapers. that in New Zealand the visitor could get neither meals, drinks, nor attention after 6.30 or To clock in the evening. The feeling that it was a barbarous, not a hospitable country* would soon wreck the tourist prospects of the Dominion. The steady traveller, accustomed to freedom in the matter of meals, drinks, and a courteous response to the bell push, decides that New Zealand is free to determine its own domestic laws, but that it is no country for him. . , In spite of all that is heard about trade difficulties and taxation, the mass of the Italian people appeared to be happy, healthy, well clothed, and well housed. An economic crisis might lie not very far ahead—that Sir Clutha had insufficient knowledge to estimate —but he believed that both Italy and Germany were feeling severely the loss of foreign trade, and their inability to create credits with which to purchase essential raw materials, and much even of the existing credits was being applied to acquiring materials for am aments. It was felt in some circles that this deadlock in their trade and inability to secure raw materials from abroad under their present policy might before long bring about a more amenable attitude in their foreign policy, Britain and her associates being prepared to make concessions in exchange for ' permanent guarantees and moderation in armaments. . No Soul-Destroying Idleness Within Italy one was impressed with Fascist achievement in orderliness, oublic works, and agriculture. Sir Clutha understood that the unemployed were not given money for nothing—some constructive return was asked 'or. Millions unon rtrll’ons of pounds had not been thrown away as In Great Britain and New Zealand on maintaining thousands of men in soul-de-stroying idleness or on petty pretences of work, but had created magnificent roads, railways, hydro-electric works, buildings, snorts grounds, and land settlements. Nor was there that absurd fear possessed by the AngloSaxon, that, if private effort was subsidised in order to promote development and employment, some private citizen might gain some financial benefit. The Government took x the view that to help the individual to create something of permanent value, the planting of forests, the draining of swamps, the establishment of a new industry—was of lasting value to the state as a whole, providing permanent employment, future sources of taxation, and added independence of outside countries. He understood that on sound schemes the State would provide up to 75 per cent, of the cost. II Duce’s draining and settlement ot 60,000 people on the former malarial Pontine marshes was indeed an achievement. The farmers had been provided with houses of a type superior to small farm settlement houses in any other country, two most attractive towns had been built, and 60-bushel crops were now being grown. In all this material development New Zealand should note that the intrinsic beauty of Italy had been maintained—all is tasteful and substantial, and trees have precedence over telegraph and hydro-electric poles Sir Clutha found it difficult to obtain any definite opinion as to the future economic value to Italy of Abyssinia. All seem to have great hopes, but these seemed to be speculative At ail events, from what he learned of the arduous and painstaking labour with which the Italians had developed every square foot of their country, often under very difficult circumstances, he believed that they, if anyone could, would exploit to the best advantages such resources as Abyssinia possessed. Sir Clutha remarked that he was no advocate of Fascism, and that these comments arose merely from Italy as ,ie found it.