BRITISH OUTLOOK

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 15, 19 January 1932, Page 8

BRITISH OUTLOOK

SPIRIT OF OPTIMISM

MANUFACTURER'S VIEW

THE LIVING STANDARD

Comment upon conditions in England, with particular reference to the question of tariffs, was made by Mr. L. 'B. Partridge, Wellington, who returned 36-day by the UHmaroa ■ from a trip abroad. Mr. Partridge was formerly a member of the Technical College Board fof-Governors, and is a prominent member of the Wellington Manufacturers'

Association.

During his short visit to San Frandisco, Mr, Partridge said he was astounded with the enormous number of houses and .flats to let. "In fact, my first landing in San Francisco gave jne. the impression that the depression •there was greater than it was in New •Zealand when I left," he said in ail interview with a "Post" reporter. •'.'Talking with one or two financial men while crossing the .American Continent, I gathered that they seemed to think that Britain was not the country that -was the worst off. In spite, of the amount, of gold in the United States, -the same .difficulties were- being experienced there as were being experienced in other parts of the world. "In England, in spite of all the financial difficulties, one could not help 'being impressed with the standard -of Jiving of. the people. My observations over, the whole world, Australia included, is that money, is being spent just as freely as ever; the people have just as high a standard of living; are .well dressed and well fed. One cannot help . noticing the general tendency of modern conditions to be much superior to conditions .as we knew them in our .young ■■: days. In, spite of all .financial difficulties and trouble's the .people appear happier, and are better Clothed. : . : ■ ~

"NOTTHE WOBST." • ."One cannot say yet what effect the change ■of Government will have on the English financial position. But •there seems to. be a.spirit of optimism, •and there is not the slightest doubt that -the same spirit is in Britain to-day that -has carried her .through her difficulties On times gone by. Thevpeople are, overcoming their • difficulties. How long it ■will take, one could not say, but cer--tainly ; England, ia ; not in the worst , position of the countries of the world.'' „.- Mr-. Partridge said that one was often likely to be : misled by overseas: cable -messages. VToo much' is made in.the .cable messages of the difficulties that ;countries are-experiencing," he said. r-^'For instance, one would believe, in London, from overseas news, that Australia and New Zealand were on their 'last legs,' and that we were practically }n .bankruptcy.; That is a very wide .impression abroad. The same . thing applies to our idea of England. That state of f affairs is not the case, nor is ..there^ any evidence of it outside of ...What one reads in the financial news.

TRADING METHODS.

' "The world at the present time seems .-1;6 Have more i'owl, more luxuries, more '.motor-cars, and more clothing than , ever it has had in its history. In fact, .the surplus of grain in Canada to-day •is marked, with, the ' result that it is '•difficultto get a. price for it at all. 'The ieal problem seems to. be not the .lack of commodities, but the lack of In other words, something is radically wrong with our methods of "■ trading. Whether it is financial or "economic, one cannot tell. General j opinion as regards the financial' position, does not affect to any great extent the general standard of living. In __fact, those oh the dole; still have a standard of living very much higher :?than'what we knew the poorer paid to have had in our early lives. '.',.. "In.'England they are Watching the • financial position of New Zealand very carefully, and, although they know we are up against great difficulties, New Zealand still stands as high as any "overseas country. The opinion is that is only a nfatter of time when New •Zealand will emerge triumphant from jJter difficulties."

. ; - ' Mr. Partridge said that unemployment in England did not strike one very 'forcibly; There were processions, and "meetings in Hyde Park, but he saw no 'evidence of attempted violence, nor ; Sid he see a great amount of general .discontent. Also, in passing through : Sydney, he: was impressed with, the general look of prosperity. Picture places :were packed to the doors, and one .ivould have to seek to find unemployment and poverty. Unemployment and "poverty were certainly not in evidence in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, or Sydney. \:.. V-V \'-.,-■■" ■■ I' ,"...-■.

OPINIONS ALTERED.

Speaking, iai reference to tariffs, Mr. Partridge said that, while in England he came into contact, with a number of .manufacturers^,and,1 strange to1 say, a number of men who previously held strong Free Trade views had altered "their opinions. Everywhere one.went one met with the argument in favour •of some form, of protective tariff. The victory of the Coalition . Government was fought and won on the question of protecting British industries. In very, few instances had he, to combat the Free. Trader. Even in Manchester, the Cobden-Bright' policy had been ..partly thrown, put. The policy of Free ..Trade had held since Cobden's great ~victory <>f 1846. "But," said Mr. .Partridge, "seeing how his prophecies .after that victory were falsified, England has begun to think. The first .Prophecy was that England, as a result ,of the Free Trade victory, would "give such a lead, to the world that dis- ' armament would take place in five _ years. The next prophecy was that all other countries would have to follow England's example inside of five years. The third prophecy was that agriculture would receive such a fillip that the towns.would have to be called on >ior surplus labour. ... "Have prophecies ever been so falKified? At the outbreak of war the -world was 'armed to the teeth;' tariff .-walls were higher than ever they had been before; and English agriculture . was just about as bad as it could be. ..' "England's policy of a protective -tariff (or call it what you like) vitally ..affects New Zealand at the present ;„time because of the large shipments of Eussian butter that were being landed in tho Thames when.l left. I do riot rknow how much truth is in it, but it •/was a common report that the butter was being bought, strange to say, by 'the British co-operative societies. Generally, British sentiment was opposed to the introduction of the butter, and it was ■ a common thing to see, even • in some of the small shops, notices. 'No ".Russian butter stocked here.' ' ; -~ "An opinion I heard," he said, "was -that New Zealand cheese had • gone oft' and that retailers preferred tto stock Canadian cheese. Whether this is the result of methods of manufacture, I am not in a position to say but my uncle, who is in the provision trade, said that New Zealand cheese could not be handled so well as othor cheese."