A TRIP ABROAD

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 178, 16 April 1923, Page 9

A TRIP ABROAD

CONDITIONS IN BRITAIN AMERICA UNDER PROHIBITION Recently returned from a twelvemonths’ visit to America and Great Britain, Mr. Robert Hogg, Johnsonville, has much of interest to say regarding things seen, and his impressions whilst away. He was surprised, ho told a Dominion representative, at the amount of unemployment observable in the seaport towns of America, and considered it due directly to the aftermath of the war. Even ex-sol-diers were asking for money in the streets. Speaking of the enforcement of the prohibition law in the United States, he said that in every city visited, with the exception of Salt Lake City, he was asked if he would like a drink. It might be done unknown to the proprietor of the hotel, but no one need have any difficulty in getting as much liquor as he liked. He saw more drunkenness in San Francisco in one week than in New Zealand during the whole 23 years he had lived here, or the six months he stayed in Glasgow. Evidence was to be had on all sides of the increase in drug-taking, the soft drink shops particularly doing a big trade in the sale of drugs. 'lbis was especially noticeable in Chicago. The drug evil was spreading also in England. ‘ There was a great deal of unemployment in Britain, continued Mr. Hogg, and the position was very acute in London, Liverpool, what is known as the Black District, and Glasgow. He did not think that poverty was so gaunt as it used to be. because of the system of doles. The system, however, was not a good one. It had a certain demoralising effect, and was good neither to tho individual nor tho StateThe flooding of the English markets with cheap goods from Germany was rrfeitred to, Mr. tflogg mentioning that safetj - razor blades, made in Germany, 'and equally as v>od as tho American ones, could be bought,at a penny each, while safety razors with a dozen blades were procurable at 6}d. each, and for the best make Is. 3|d. was paid. The English, he found, were all opposed to the French invasion of the Ruhr. Mr. Hogg was in tho House of Commons when Mr. Bdnar, Law made his speech on that question, and the general opinion was that, left to himself, the Prjme Minister would break the Entente. However, other influences were brought to bear. -Although the French invasion was condemned as unwarranted, and not likely to. secure the desired ends, at the. same time the working classes of Britain felt that the German workers of the Ruhr were as much to be blamed as the French, in that they struck and refused to work. As workers their objection should have been to being exploited and not as to who was exploiting them. It seemed to be generally considered amongst all sections that the, French policy deserved to fail, would fail, and must fail. Affairs in Ireland, said Mr- Hogg, were much worse than he had been led to believe. The state of the country was awful. Glasgow was being inundated with people flying from Ireland. Tho present Government in Britain was popularly considered, but a stopgap one for a future Labour Government. Tho Labour Party would have' considerably increased its members in the House had it had more financial assistance and more candidates. There was a lr»:k of both.

Things in England were improving, and shipbuilding yards and iron factories were again beginning to get busy. Tho cost of living Was dearer than in New Zealand. Ham was 3s. 4d. per lb., butter 2s. 4d. to 2s. 6d-, while milk wars unprocurable in some parts. House rents had increased opt of all proportion. The rent of the house in which he had lived 23 years ago was now exactly three times what it was then.

Touching upon international questions, Mr. Hogg said he was convinced that tho United States could not remain outside of European affairs, and the economic stabilisation of Germany was necessary to the creation of employment throughout the whole of Europe and in America. The American bankers and business men were in sympathy with England. The antipathy camp from those who were not pure Americans. In his opinion it was not England who was paying to America the interest on her debt to that country, but the American working people through the creation of an adverse rate of exchange.