Northlander Tours Disquieted World

Northern Advocate, 8 September 1938, Page 10

Northlander Tours Disquieted World

Unrest everywhere, with the exception of Great Britain and Ireland, was remarked upon by Mr Paddj r Barry, '"ho has just completed an elevenmonths’ tour of Europe and America. Well known in Hikurangf and Whangarei, Mr Barry left last year to visit relatives in Ireland.

Five months were spent in the Emerald Isle, where Mr Barry found conditions much improved since he was last there 13 years ago. This was attributable largely to the trade settlement with England, which was most popular throughout the country. With the operation of the treaty the bounty of £4 per head on cattle had removed, but the price of stock had increased by £5. Ireland and Empire. The feeling towards Great Britain was much more cordial, and the De Valera Government seemed to be well installed, introducing social legislation on lines something akin to the policy of the Labour administration in New Zealand. However, a 48-hour week was still worked in Ireland.

There were signs, of industrial development everywhere, and a great number of factories were springing up.

“Potatoes and bacon remain the staple article of diet for Irishmen,” Mr Barry commented to a “Northern Advocate” representative yesterday. He was amazed to see fresh “praties” dug in the first week of March in Garnish Island, off Glendarif. County Cork. Washed by warm oceanic currents, this 50-acre isle was a veritable paradise. a centre for the propagation of semi-trcpical flowers.

Franco was found by Mr Barry to be the cheapest place in the world to spend a holiday. The low value of

the currency enabled many things to be purchased at ridiculous prices. Mr Barry was a member of a party which purchased a bottle of brandy, a bottle of rum, two pints of white wine and a small bottle of champagne for 25/-. Whisky, however, was as dear as anywhere in the world. “Sword and Rifle Rule Italy.” Signs of tension were everywhere apparent in Italy, where there was no question but that the sword and the rifle ruled. Mr Barry say 3 that he saw greater poverty and worse slums in Italy than in any country which he visited.

Contacts with the American people were most pleasant, and the visitor from New Zealand marvelled at the gigantic Empire State building, rearing 1250 feet into the New York air. An elevator conveyed the visitor the first 80 storeys, while the remaining storeys were glassed in. It was claimed that the building swayed eight feet every day. Engineering Marvels.

Another marvel of engineering ingenuity was the Holland Tunnel, a mile long under the Hudson River. Five cars could travel abreast in this tunnel, linking the States of New Jersey and New York.

With 12,000,000 unemployed. the United States was facing great problems. President Roosevelt was regarded as the friend of the worker, but was most unpopular in financial and business circles.

Signs of depression were noticeable in Canada, where farmers had experienced several disastrous seasons in succession. So bad had things become that agriculturists were insuring their crops against damage by hail. Mr Barry, who has been at the Whangarei Hotel, where he was previously employed, left today for Auckland, where ho is to join the stall' of Ann Powell’s Criterion Hotel.