NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 35, 4 November 1933, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY

Lieut.-Colonel Cowles, president of the Wellington Returned Soldiers’ Association, has again made the proposal that the existing multitude of street collections for charity should be merged mto two big annual appeals. His suggestion will he approved by the gi eat majority of people, but the organisations directly interested do not seem able to come together and agree upon a scheme. As it is the frequency of street collections creates a nuisance out of proportion with their financial result. What is more, the same people to contribute again and again when, as Colonel Cowles puts it, “goodness only knows what calls are made on the slender purses of 80 per cent, of them. Ou the other hand those whose occupation or business does not bring them on to the city pavements may go untapped, two or three, or even four, annual community appeals, organised so that they will be universal, should yield a better financial result, thus affording more help to many worthy causes, and would end the frequent nag of the independent collections. * * * *

In the decade from 1920 to 1930 a settled gloom and feeling of hopelessness as to the future seemed to settle over Great Britain. That may have been because the enterpnsing, adventurous and brave spirits of the nation s youth had been extinguished on the battlefields. It may also have been due to the effort to resume the gold standard before 19—5 and the struggle to carry it thereafter until 1931. Perhaps also Britain was almost prostrate with exhaustion after her tremendous fighting assertion in arms, inonev and material. Other countlies prospered mote or less, but in Britain the depression was practically unbroken. Maybe it was a period of recuperation and renewal. At any rate Britain has latterly resumed her former trade leadership and financially stands at the head of a large and influential group. It is now agreed that Britain has turned that elusive corner and some authorities are looking back to discover just when she did so. September of last year is the chosen date of some, but the chief thing is that, as the Midland Bank Review says, “it is recognised by almost everyone that a sustained recovery in the general economic conditions of this country has been taking place for some time.’’