COMMERCIAL OUTLOOK

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLV, Issue XLVIII, 18 August 1914, Page 4

COMMERCIAL OUTLOOK

NO .NEED FOR ALARM

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent:)

WELLINGTON, This Day. A in an who has had a long and varied commercial experience an. the Dominion remarked in conversation with a. reporter yesterday that in his opinion the fears 'which had been cxpresesd that the war would give rise to the serious dislocation of commerce and industry in Now Zwt-' land were hardly warranted, by the visible facts and. probabilities. As to the danger <-,f unemployment, the departing contingents would take over 9000 able bodied" men away fron:< the Dominion, and of these, 3000 at a rough estimate, would bo country workers, most of whose places would have to bo tilled, and the. same would apply to a. fair (proportion bi' the places vacated by the. contingonters sailing from the cities. ."For the rest there was every prospect that the oversea trade of the Dominion would be-fully' maintained. Before long the seas would bo cleared of hostile cruisers, and. even now .1 fairly satisfactory arrangement had been made in regard to war risks. ' I The Imperial guarantee of 4 per cent, up to SO per cent, of the value of tho ,«roods insured applied to all outward cargoes from Great Britain, and no doubt some similar arrangements would bemado regarding cargoes sent Hoire from New Zealand and the other Dominions. There' was thus every prospect of a clear outlet for export produce, and. also of tho supply of materials from abroad,, upon which some Dominions' industries depend being maintained. " As' a whole, general commercial and industrial conditions should, go ,i good long wav towards making up for a reduction 'in the resources of the Government and of local .authorities, which would necessarily result from the war. There is a decided change in tho at*mosphere at Parliament Buildings as compared with the early days of the war. Tho feverish excitement and preoccupation which obtained until a few days ago have, to a great extent, disappeared, except, perhaps, in the vicinity of tho office of the Minister of Defence, which is, still a. centre of strenuous Activities, and the Pritre Minister's Attention also is natnrallv very much taken ur> with, affairs relating 'to the war, but other Ministers seem, to a great extent, to tho resuming their normal activities and overtaking arrears of departmental •Work. The idea is gaining ground too, that Parliament will regain much of its ordinarv tone when it resumes after the present adjournment, and that there will bo no difficulty about going on with busi. Pessimist* used to declare that nothing would ever stay the plague of deputation* which descends upon Ministers _of tho Crown in session and out of session, but the war has accomplished tho apparently impossible, for the last week or two hardly » single deputation has been seen about Parliamentary Building, and in tho conditions that obtain! the period of immunity, is likely to continue for. sorro; little time yet. • ~;

GOVERNMENT AND TJNEMPLOYMENT.

WELLINGTON, Tins Day, The Hon.'W. H. Homes (Mmistor. of RailNvave) stated last evening that h<? fcx-,, pected'to present the Railways Statement (which this year includes the report of tbe new General Manager o? Railways) as soon as. Parliament resumed after the present adjournment;, Bolli, Houses meet again on, August- 26th.. • The Hon. W. Fraser (Minister of P»Plic Works) tokl' me to-day that, necessary ■■works were- going: on-as usual, every effort was- bovng made to. avoid unemployment, in .fact, men w. being put oh, just now both in DAmedui a«4, kuckland. During the last monthv or fiVL weeks af the Outside, tho stated his Department must have du£ o„ 1600 n-en in different,, parts" Of. the Dominion. ..' ..