CHEERY BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 21092, 3 May 1932, Page 11

CHEERY BRITAIN

SHARING SACRIFICES SOLIDARITY OF PEOPLE A warm admiration for the spirit with which tho people of England and Scotland have faced adversity during tho nation’s darkest days is one of tho chief impressions brought home by Air F. F. Lanrenson, a retired Civil servant, who has returned to New Zealand after eight months in Groat Britain. Air Lanrenson, who was lor twenty years in the Land and Income Tax Department, intends to make his home m Christchurch. “ From the time 1 landed at Southampton, 1 was impressed with tho cheerfulness of the people,” said Air Laurenson to a Christchurch ‘ Times' reporter. “ I had many interviews with business people, and they all said they were not doing so badly and that things might be much worse.” A SPEEDY RECOVERY. Mr Laurenson said he was convinced that this cheery outlook had much to do with Britain’s speedy recovery. Long faces were, in his opinion, infectious, and had a great influence on the state of tho nation itself. The British faced everything with a smile. Even when the country went off the gold standard the outlook of the people was unaltered and the general attitude was “ Business as usual.” “ That was last August, when the man of the hour was Philip Snowden,' Air Laurenson continued. “ Any little speech he made was quoted like Holy Writ. One of his utterances was prominently displayed in all the London tube stations—‘ Spend carefully ami wisely, but spend. No need for panic. England is as safe to-day as ever she was.’ ” Another feature which greatly pressed Air Laurenson was the solidarity of the British people. Before the General Election, the country was £270,000,000 on the wrong side of the ledger, but, in spite of the forebodings of tho Conservative press, the people had stood together for sound government. SHARING SACRIFICES. From tho King downwards the people stood together to share tho sacrifices which had to be made. Even the newsboy in the street gave his penny to charity. Air Laurenson mentioned that all" the splendid and extensive organisation of the British hospital system was maintained by the sixpences and shillings of the people. “ Here we are too self-conscious and too parochial,” he commented. He referred briefly to the dole. The men who drew it were not getting something for nothing as so many people thought. The dole system—or unemployed insurance as it should be called—had been in existence for a long time, and the men had all been paying into the fund. Even on the Shetland Islands, Mr Laurenson’s birthplace, the crofters and fishermen had paid thenshare, and some of them were now receiving the benefit. The British manufacturers were out after business. They had too much to do to sit and worry about the slump. The two biggest motor firms in the countx-y had had increases in business last year amounting to 28 per cent, and 271- per cent. “ The trouble is that we have been pampered for forty years and the slump has sent us whining with our tails between our legs,” Air Laurenson said. NEW ZEALAND’S ORGANISATION. New Zealand was far ahead of England in co-operative dairying ami general organisation of farmers. The many years of tree trade and intense Continental competition had resulted in the English farmer just muddling along without much system. The leaders of the Government had been afraid that protection would send up the cost of living but, contrary to expectations, the cost of living had fallen with the imposition of tariffs. Air Laurenson paid a visit to his early home, tho Shetland Islands, which he found very little changed by the onward march of civilisation. Tho fine old crofters and fishermen—solid, dependable people-—were unchanged; and their land, where it was still light at midnight in the summer, remained unchanged with them. There were, of course, steam trawlers and improved houses. tl The whole pluce is us sound as a boll,” he said.