The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 1933. WELCOME SIGNS OF REVIVAL IN TRADE.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11831, 12 January 1933, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 1933. WELCOME SIGNS OF REVIVAL IN TRADE.

There is, unquestionably, a somewhat better tone throughout the Dominion, although credit for this happier condition of things cannot be accorded the government. Within tlie past few days, several items of considerable interest in this connection have come before the public. It is plain that the Ottawa Conference results and (subsequent deebv ions' are beginning to react in an industrial improvement in Britain. What is also perfectly .clear is that there would have been no uplift in meat prices if the Homo Government had not adopted the system of restricting imports, particularly in the ease of foreign meats. Evidence is not lacking also that, in .some directions, increased- orders for manufactures have recently reached Britain and, in that regard, the fall in the unemployment figures is a most hopeful sign. Foreign, nations now realise that if they do not do more, business with Britain further restrictions upon the amount of foodstuffs which they may sell to her will he. imposed. As far as this Dominion is concerned, it stands to share in the fullest measure in • every rise irj wholesale prices at TTome. Already, as we have pointed -out, there has been some gain in .Tpspccfc of frozen meats. What would , also be helpful would he a. revision of fch’p scheme that was formulated at Ottawa , in regard to preference - for tile Dominion’s dairy produce, The duty now imposed on foreign butter

and' cheese does not. amount to adequate preference, lior has /it had the effect, of raising-prices. What is required in addition is the, adoption pf the quota, system in , respect of foreign dairy produce., It would ;seem that the. farmers, at Hqrnp have not., made, as strong a .claim fort restrictions upon, foreign., butter as for ; limitation, upon He admission of foreign meats., of; all kinds. But, there is no reason at all why. the Dominion i'ovofujneats. should -'.not 'approach He Home Government. l on the matter, in their own interests. As far as we can see, the quota system wnuld prove the. only means by which Dominions.! dairy produce could obtain a,, imicli stronger footi fng at Home, Another. encouraging sign is the steadying of tlie wool !market. The prices. realised at tho Wellington sale and again at t Napier yesterday for crossbreds iwere, of course,. still far below , tho .actual costs of production but they ■displayed a, distinct improvement on previous rates. In this connection, it is held in circles well qualified to judge that many growers of crossbred wools in this Dominion have only themselves to blame, that prices for best qualities are io-dav not higher. What is suggested is that there is an increasing tendency towards hairiness, in. the clips that, are now being marketed... The experts at 'Masser College are aware, that this is the case and it would well repay the Government to have the 'problem more strongly tackled. It was also a. good sign ,in connection with tho Wellington sale that the growers almost as a whole preferred to meet the market. If this policy bn widely adopted, it will mean that the incubus which tho accumulation of old wool amounts to will soon disappear to tho great, benefit of the wool industry. Taken, all round, there are. undoubtedly brighter signs on the marketing horizon and with every improvement in conditions in tho Homeland a corresponding improvement will, assuredly, be experienced in. the Dominions.

THE SAFE ARRIVAL OF THE SOUTHERN CR'OSS.

The, people of New Zealand will join with their kinsfolk in Australia in extending very hearty congratulations to Sir Charles Kingston! Smith on the wonderful measure of success which attended his second ‘aerial visit io this Dominion. It would hardly do to suggest that nobody entertained any anxiety as to the outcome of iho exploit, hut it is certain that the general opinion must have been that, “Smithy” would havo rio difficulty in repeating his 1928 performance. Six attempts at crossing the Tasman by air. have been made and five have been in every way successful. Yesterday’s flight was even more meritorious than either the inward or outward journey four years ago, seeing that the “Southern Cross” had on this occasion to carry crew and passengers numbering' five in all, as against a crow of four when the good old air bus originally made the aerial conquest of the Tasman. The latest font once again brings up the question as to when a regular air passenger service between Australia and New Zealand is likely io be established. Even so short a time ago as 1928 most people must have thought that (he- day was much more distant than if would now appear. At that time, an earlier attempt to make the crossing in a single-engined machine had, unhappily, led to a double fatality. What is more the “Southern Cross,' - ’ on its return, journey, had had a much more difficult task,, the outward trip from New Zealand occupying 23 hours, although only 111 hours had been taken on the inward flight. Just two years ago, Guy Henries, it may be recalled, showed that it was possible for a single-engined machine to make the trip to New Zealand. His flight, however, was in tho nature of a dare-devil dash, reminiscent of, but not, of course, comparable with, Lindbergh’s famous hop from tho United States to Franco. The rnachiue which he used was the Southern Cross jm\, in which “Smithy” had fiowu. from England to Australia. It may have been tho case that that intrepid young flier would also have liked to attempt the much more difficult outward journey, but such a project became out of the question wjieu he had the misfortune to damage his piano very badly on landing. Only one outward flight from New Zealand in a single-engined machine has, as is well-known, been made, the feat going to the credit of Air. Chichester, in 1931. He made tho journey in. three hops, via Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island, the whole time occupied being from March 20 to June 6. As a matter of fact, he got to Lord Howe Island on April I, but had tho ill-luck to have his seaplane damaged through capsizing on landing there. It would now 'appear to bo indisputable that a regular air service across the Tasman would require a multipleengined piano,., but tho machine would not necessarily bo of the “Southern Cross.” typo.. .For all that, the “Southern Cross” has been,, and still is, a remarkable, plane. Indeed, there is not in uso to-day anywhere else in tho world a machine which has served so. faithfully so many hazard; ous journeys. Alaybe, in. the . nqar future, planes of tho right type for the Tasman trip will, ho brought, out by private enterprise and an effort will ho made to establish . a regular service .with the . aid .of . mail sub; sidies. When that day. will dawn it is difficult to suggest, but “Smithy!’ appears to, think it will be ton years ]henco. Tho return of more prosperous times should,.at all events, hasten its arrival. The .residents of each part of the Dominion-on the itinerary of tho Southern Cross will now impatiently await its: promised visit and, in -this regard,, it is pleasing .to learn (on the authority of our New Plymouth special correspondent} that Sir diaries and his good old aerial bus will definitely each Gisborne at 2.3 Q p.m. on Wednesday next.