MR GUNSON'S EXPERIENCES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1706, 22 December 1919, Page 5

MR GUNSON'S EXPERIENCES.

AMERICAN OBSERVATIONS.

PROSPERITY AND EXTRAVAGANCE,

Among the passengers who returned'to Auckland by the Niagara last week vwas tho Mayor of Auckland, Mr J. Hr Gunson, who, with Mrs Gunson, has.been .engaged on a trip through the United State' and Canada, for the purpose of recruiting health that had been undermined by his. whole-hnnrtid work during the jyar,_>period, in connection with patriotic movements within the Dominion. Mr and Mrs Gunson, on landing, appeared much benefited by their tour, and the Mayor, expressed himself as being quite ready to take up the reins of municipal government again—not merelv back to his state - of henlth in the times immediately preceding the war pressure, but better and more fit for work than he had been for years. Indeed, he proposed to resume his Mayoral responsibilities and duties immediately. • In the course of his tour, Mr Gunson travelled moio than 12 000 miles, visitin? over 20 States. He found New Zealane to be little known to Americans, and.b many people taken to be part of Aur. . tralia. He consWrs it would pay Nm Zealand to spend money upon tho ador tion of attractive methods to encourag tourist traffic from both the United State and Canada, ANGLO-AMERICAN FRIENDSHIP. Britain's efforts in the war, Mr Gunsuii found to be thoroughly appreciated in Arne. Rica, and he considers the interests of tne two nations have been greatly cemented by, the war The United States nation, givat as she was before, grew, enormously rich and prosperous during the war, her n»t.rnal am.; exp'ort trade both show great growth, and consequently everywhere signs of abundant prosperity abound Enormous expansion of trade inter.sts—chiefly manufacturing" concerns and shipbuilding—as well as the aevelopment of land resources in most of the States, is taking place. The growth of many of the cities is remarkable. Detroit, in 1900, had a papulation of. 285.000. while to-day the population exceeds 1,000.000. PRICES AND STRIKES. Prices in all lines are much beyond:prewar levels, and wages correspondingly ad- „ vancc. Strikes of workmen in ship-building and upen the wharves have been general and protracted, but have not stopped tho flow of business. VVhcc, he left San Francisco tho shipbuildi rs were returning, and a settlement of the port dispute was in'sight. A much more seciom position was that cf the coahniners. The issue appears to be one of constitutional government and law and order as against revolution, and there 18 no doubt that tho people of the States will stand by the Government, as Mr Gunson bclives the great body of workers will do when tho issue becomes clear. The country in very anxious about the future of its trade with the resumption of conditions more nearly normal in European countries and in Great Britain. The cost of living is the chief problem confronting and only overshadowed for a time by the miners dispute, and the League of Nations tangle. EXTRAVAGANCE EVERYWHERE. "In the cities extravaganoe is apparent, particularly in dress, and while tho savings bank deposits show an unprecedented- increase, yet \he people never spent as much. Tho spending power of the community is very high; they think no more of a dollar than we do of * shilling. In the thickly populated parts of New York, Chicago, and other largo cities, where in 1902 he saw much poverty and distress, he found on this occasion a transformation. Children were well dressed, while at evening, in large groups, there was an atmosphere, of happiness and contentment. " This appears a strange contradiction to the unrest prevailing in leading sections of the big labour unions, and goes to show that m manv cases there is more than the question 'of wages at the bottom of the unrest LIVESTOCK. PRE-EMINENT, Comparing the stock which he saw • at three great agricultural shows Mr Gunson said the cattle were wonderful, particularly . the Kansas stock, but he saw no sheep in America to approach New Zealand flocks. He often told people we have more sheep in New Zealand than they have in America. The dairying, too, is primitive, and it i& impossible to.obtain good butter wfticn they do not understand how to. make. . • Mr Gunson has brought back with nun a. (Large amount of information relative to municipal development in America, which, he is sure will be of great importance to the Auckland City Council—Herald.