SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 246, 16 September 1932, Page 2

SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT

OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES

TOO MANY REGULATIONS,

CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 15. “If all will join in ana make tho effort we shall soon overcome our difficulties and return, I trust—although the process may be slow —to the sturdy outlook of our forefathers. 'They recognised, as we should recognise, that it is the individual citizen who maintains the State and not the State which maintains the individual,” said Mr A. O. Wilkinson in his presidential address to tho annual meeting of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce this evening. “There are, I believe, signs of improvement, and I am sure that we are all more confident of the future than we were in tho winter of 1931,” said Mr Wilkinson, “but in the meantime we have still to face straitened business conditions, heavy taxation, harassing restrictions, and poverty and distress on every side. But 1 often feel that many of us make life harder for ourselves and for our fellows by dwelling overmuch upon our misfortunes and failing to see tho present depression in its proper perspective. “Eroin close at hand, it seems a terrifying ordeal; but if we place ii l>efore a background of years wo realise that our misfortunes and difficulties are by no means singular. Henry Clay has said that ‘the most surprising thing in the present economic depression is tho surprise it excites.’ “We are apt to complain that we have been singled out to carry tho burdens of a centui actually, ever since the Napoleonic Wars, the world has been involved in a series of crises through tiro tendency of production to outstrip consuming capacity.” Mr Wilkinson said that one should always remember that if tho world had needed the law of supply and demand, if sound economic knowledge untrammelled by politics rather than short-sighted selfishness had governed the policies of Governments and of business throughout the world, no such violent readjustments as now face the nations would have been necessarv.

BRITAIN’S GRUELLING TIME. Britain, he said, had undoubtedly had a gruelling time and had. faced burdensome taxation and drastic economies. Unemployment and an adverse trade balance had been among her chief problems. Although she had the Mother of Parliaments, she had suffered, too, a jreriod of political influenza.

“We regard her,” he continued, “as the most successful exponent of the art of good government, and wo have acquired the habit of looking to her for a lead in these matters. She has undoubtedly committed her follies—three thousand Acts of Parliament regulating and hampering trade form part of them, and we have copied them all —yet there is no doubt that she has emerged from the world crisis with greater prestige than ever.” Mr Wilkinson said he believed that in the end the temporary inability of England to maintiiin the tradition presented by the gold standard would prove not a disservice but a great blessing to the whole of the world. Her abandonment of the gold standard was the beginning of the end, not of British credit, but of the madness which involved her in most of her troubles.

England had demonstrated her own financial strength and wisdom, and lier ability to maintain the leading position in world affairs which she liad won through the centuries. It was not too much to say that her striking recovery would l>e one of the first factors influencing her own. NEED FOR BREATHING SPACE. “It is most important,” continued Mr Wilkinson, “that every encouragement should he given to the development of our primary and secondary industries so that while costs are being reduced we may build up strength for the future. Historically it is impossible for* the present situation to continue —we in busines know the need. It is such a gigantic cut in Government and local body expenditure as will leave business free to breathe once more —free to begin all over again—to build up our farming and manufacturing industries relieved from the harassing and crippling restrictions that w<s have submitted to for so long. believe, ho added, that recovery of our situation is in sight; hut we cannot reach out to it so long as we are hound by rules and regulations, Acts of Parliament and taxation on its present scale. If we can satisfactorily mend public affairs it w ill go a long way toward making business again prosperous.”

STEADY UPWARD PROGRESS. WELLINGTON, Sept. 16. “I am not a prophet, but it (loos appear to mo that the outlook is a little more hopeful. I don t imagine that there will be a boom in tlie near future. Probably it would not be a good tiling if there were. If wliat we see now indicates steady upward procress everyone will be thankful. I hope we are now on the up-grade and on the eve of bettor things These remarks were made by MiJustice Frazer, president of tile Arbitration Court, toward tho conclusion of the sitting of the court yesterday afternoon. The parties concerned ill the conciliation proceedings m the electrical workers’ awards came before the court for ratification of tlieir agreem<Mr" IT E. Swindell, on behalf of the union, said that in the face of strong criticism in regard to tho settlement of the dispute the union was accepting the terms of the agreement to save the trade and the union from annihilation. The prices obtaining in the trade at the present time indicated what the result would be to the industry and tho workers were they not governed by an award. For the employers, Mr V . J. Mountjoy said that Mr Swindell was to be congratulated upon tho agreement he had reached. He had put up a strong fight Under ruling conditions the workers could not expect to obtain the same rates of pay as were obtained when the previous award was made. The union’s representative had not given away very much, and the workers were assured of receiving a minimum rate of Is 10}d an hour, whereas if an agreement had not been reached they would have been subject to employment at any rate of pay offered. The employers would stand by the agreement which had been made. Mr Justice Frazer, in making the order ratifying the agreement, to come into operation on September 26, said he hoped as sincerely as anyone that good times would soon come again, and that the economies which had liad to be made would soon bo a thing of tho p'ast. T , Mr Swindell: T. thank your Honour for those cheerful remarks. We want to see every man, woman and boy in work again and happy.