ENGLAND HOPEFUL

Evening Star, Issue 19697, 26 October 1927, Page 6

ENGLAND HOPEFUL

REORGANISATION FOR RECOVERY TRADE PROSPERITY ID AMERICA “English industrialists arc hopeful, coal mining shows signs of an improvement, and an air of prosperity pervades tho United States.” That is a summing np of the observations made of trade indications by Mr W._ A. Flavcil, general manager of the Westport Coal Company, during a seven months tour of England and America. With Mrs Elavol! lie returned to Dunedin last night, and this morning he gave a ‘ Star ’ reporter an outline of his trip. Mr and Mrs Eiavcll travelled to England via Australia and the Suez Canal, and had a most enjoyable time at tho various places, the weather being good. While they were in Sydney tire Duke and Duchess of York arrived on the Renown, and they had the pleasure of going out in the Government steamer to meet the gigantic battle ship. They were impressed by the enthusiasm of the crowds and tho loyalty generally displayed. At Cairo they made the inevitable trip to the Pyramids, and also spent a pleasant time in the Cairo Museum, inspecting the wonders excavated from the tomb at Luxor of Tutankenham. _ Arriving in England in the spring, Mr and Mrs Eiavcll were struck with the greenness of everything. There seemed to be a wonderful acreage of parks and open spaces in all the big centres. “It was particularly noticeable that if you turned off all the narrow passages leading to such busy places as the Strand and Elect street in London you came upon green trees and quiet, open spaces where the bustle of tho adjoining streets was almost unheard, and where people sat on the seats reading books and basking in the sun,” said Mr Eiavcll. The summer in England was very wet, and a young Dunedin lady with originality illustrated the English weather at the fancy dress hall on the ship returning to New Zealand. She appeared wearing a sou’-wester, an oil coat, and long gum boots!

“ Although there was a great deal of unemployment in England I found that the coal mining industry, which has been in the doldrums for a long time, was showing signs of improvement, and the colliery owners seemed hopeful that this improvement would continue,” said Mr Flavell. “Oh,yes, the New Zealand miners are paid higher wages than the Englislnuiners. It was generally recognised in England that the miners are now receiving a wage as low as could ho expected. The growth of electrification and the great consumption of oil fuels arc responsible for the depression in the coal trade.” After the war, with so many exsoldiers unemployed, the dole was inevitable, but tlie general impression now seemed to be that it was being taken advantage of by numbers of men who should not he on the dole. But having initialed the dole, the Government would find difficulty in abolishing it until employment was available for at least the majority of men now seeking work. Of trade and industry, said • Mr Flavell, there appeared to be a hopeful air among those people he mot that tilings would improve. When trade was dull the natural effect was to malic employers overhaul their businesses with a view of finding what economics could be effected and what new machinery could be put in, to cheapen the production costs. Instead ol being satisfied with things as they were, the English industrialists were themselves searching for solutions to iho questions. “ Why are other countries doing this; and have oilier countries more up-to-date, methods? If so* wo must find out what they arc, and adapt them to our own country.” In those directions, said Mr Flavell, English industry would derive considerable benefit.

Returning fo New Zealand via America, Mr Flavell found an air of prosperity in the States. “There was no evidento of drinking, though .1 was told that drink could bo obtained if one knew bow to go about procuring it,” be staled; “but I. think it may lie said that iho majority of the people are satisfied with Frol libit ion and con ditions as they are, and are content to do without liquor if they have to re.sori to some underground meihod of obtaining it.”

The excitement of the DempseyTunney fight was on America during Mr FlavelTs visii, who was astounded to find that even I huso who could not malic it convenient to go to Chicago were able to follow ihe light blow by blow at practically all the picture show’s and theatres by means of the radio loud speakers. They were, kept fully posted with the boxers’ movements by the announcer at the ringside. Those who stayed away from the fight were able to get probably more thrill than those who paid high prices for seats at the. stadium, and were so far away from' the ring that they were probably in the next county. “ Duly a section of the American public; is boxing mad, the interest being largely confined to the sporting clement, which is numerous,” Mr Flavell replied fo a question. “Despite the great interest in iho fight, we found in Chicago that nearly every modern hotel was crowded with men attending conferences of various natures mainly with a view of trying to improve and uplift the people. At the Stephen’s Hotel in Chicago—the largest in the, world, having 3,000 rooms—hundreds of men representing various industries throughout the States had gathered for the purpose of discussing means of reducing the accidents in their particular industries to a minimum. Safety first flags were flown in the vestibule, and in a small way there appeared to be almost as much enthusiasm as one would expect at a Presidential election.”