BRITAIN’S PROGRESS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 166, 15 June 1936, Page 9

BRITAIN’S PROGRESS.

INDUSTRIAL R ECO VERY. UNITED STATES LAGGING. Practically every industry in England is sharing in better times, according to Mr G. Springhalt, managing director of Armstrong and Springlia.ll, Limited, Wellington, who returned last week from a trip abroad. In the course of an interview be said lie was much impressed with the progress Great Britain was making toward economic recovery.

Building was playing an important part m employment, said Mr bpringnall. Large estates were being cut up and new suburbs were being created with modern homes and shopping centres. Indeed, the spring building programme already approved by local authorities lor work to be carried out in the summer totalled £28,000,0(10, nearly £4,000,000 more than last year’s high figures. Shipping services in 1935 earned more than £5,000,000 more than in 1934, and in March of this year Lancashire spun 12,000,0001 b more cotton than in the corresponding month a year ago. Steel, engineering and shipbuilding extension programmes were greater than they had been since 1930, and aircraft plants were being doubled. UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES. While in London, Mr Springhall was informed by a high official of the Ministry of Labour that it was estimated that before the end of the summer the unemployed total would fall below the 1,500,000 mark, and this would be for the first time in seven years. Thorn were more insured workpeople than ever before. They numbered 10,630,000. He found real progress in England in tlie manufacture of office machinery and equipment, and this was becoming a big and important industry. Most manufacturers for some time had been working their factories overtime and some even double shifts. A concern manufacturing typewriters in Leicester had increased its factory staff in the past 18 months by over 600 and had doubled the size of its factory buildings. Mr Springhall anticipated that in flic next two years England would attain to a very important part in the world in the manufacture and export of modern office machinery and equipment. One manufacturer of typewriters and another company manufacturing duplicating machines had a factory staff "between them of just on 2300.

London appeared to he fast becoming the rendezvous of Europe. Large sums were being spent in modernising the shops, hotels, cabarets and restaurants. Money was being freely spent by the public, shopping sales were well ahead of last year, and at night cabarets and restaurants were crowded. So also were theatres and picture houses. DIFFICULTIES OF UNITED STATES.

Although to a visitor the United States appeared to be overcoming its problems, this view was net altogether shared by business men there. Progress was certainly being made, but not so fast as business men would like. They referred by way of contrast to the wonderful recovery of Britain and her Dominions, particularly New Zealand and Australia. The United States, like Britain, was hampered in a trade recovery. by the difficulty of exporting merchandise to some of the large European countries who previous to 1930 were good purchasers. High tariffs, import quotas and the difficulty of getting payment through Governmental restrictions in the countries concerned, were apparently chiefly resposible for the state of affairs.

The exchange position was still much discussed by some exporting firms, particularly in England. They were expecting a reduction, but Mr Springhall said he could do no more than quote to inquirers the New Zealand Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, when he said : “The putting on of the exchange was an easy matter, but taking it off at the present time offers many difficulties.”