“THE MAIL’S” LETTER FROM LONDON

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 27 October 1928, Page 3

“THE MAIL’S” LETTER FROM LONDON

EXPORT TRADE REVIVAL

(From Our London Correspondent)

LONDON, 30th September

Although no marked improvement in the August returns of the Dottrel of industry generally can lie deduced Loin the August returns of the Board of Trade, the general conclusion to bo drawn is that the revival ot otir export trade is continuing in almost all directions. Particularly encouraging, in view of the pessimism being displayed regarding our heavy industries, is the evidence of an improving tendency in the iron and steel trade provided by a drop in imports of such manufactures to the value of over seven and three-quarters million pounds. The industries that have benefited most from the greater exports are shipbuilding, machinery, woollens, textiles and other than cotton, silk, and miscellaneous manufactures. Unfortunately, however, tho coal export lias not had its share of the advance, and we have this year exported less by over six million pounds in value and by neatly two million tons in quantity than last vear. This, however, is largely due to tho fact, that at this time last year the heavy forward purchases of coal made during the striko in 1926 were still affecting the. market. This is shown by the fact that this year imports of foreign coal and exports of British coal are lower by just about tho same amount.

UNEMPLOYMENT INCREASED While employers even in the depressed industries are beginning to speak hopefully, it is rather curious to find an increasing pessimism among Trade Union leaders. Their pessimism has no association with political propaganda. They look at the last returns and they prophesy that unemployment, will mount to a million and a half this winter. Ihese arc tho men who are urging tho political Labour Parly to support any scheme which offers a chance, of relieving the problem, and not to think of party capital either in schemes of Empire migration, safeguarding or other methods. They are also behind the movement for greater elasticity in credit supplies in the hope of inducing a greater volume of business. The Melchett-Turner conversations may be given a turn in that direction shortly. THE TARES The -past week has done more to bring to light the true state of affairs in the Canadian,harvest fields than might have been expected, and it is now felt that hut little blame can bo attached to the farmers for any unfortunate incidents that may have occurred. Tho arrival at Liverpool of the first batch of disgruntled miners to return has left no doubt in the minds of witnesses as to where to attach the blame, and the general impression remaining is that the Canadian authorities have handled an ugly situation with commondable tact and despatch. Having thus, as it were, sorted out the tares, it is gratifying to hear that the Canadian Immigration Department are confident that the main crop of mine-harvesters will be permanently established in the Dominion. By the way, the Hand which attempted to sow the discord is most palpably revealed in the printed leaflets issued by the rowdies in their progress through Canada. Tho flamboyant style and- blatant falsehood of the documents, show them to bo the output of the same presses which have been so active in agitating China and the East in general.

FEWER AMERICAN VISITORS I was prepared to hear that, moro Americans had come to Europe this season than for many years past, but if the shipping statistics did not contradict me, I. could not believe that the annual invasion is still behind the pre-war years in numbers, for the American accent in tho West End of London never seemed so strong as this year. Our visitors have been of a different type from those of the pre-war years. For tho most part they liavo been quite humble people, with limited sums to expend, and they have sought out the cheaper hotels in Bloomsbury. They have not been extravagant in their tips. The average American, like the average Englishman, is becoming less parochial, and is getting tho wanderlust. By the way, it.has-been remarked that apart from “society” circles, British and Americans do not mix so well on the Continent as one would have imagined from their common language. Tiie reason may be that the American visitor either prides himself on his linguistic attainments, or that. he is more anxious to practice a foreign language than the Englishman, who is notoriously lazy in that respect. COMING MIGRATION PUSH Tho arrangement,which has just been made with the steamship companies for lower fares foe migrants to Canada is only one sign of a coming big push in Empire migration. Tho conditions wero never more favourable. All parties in this country are now agreed that migration is part of tho solution of the unemployment problem, and it will be observed that Mr Macdonald has announced his intention of urging the appointment of a mixed commission of British and Canadian representatives to regulate migration to Canada. Tours of British M.P’s. and others have convinced the Dominions that there is no desire in this country to dump our unemployable on their shores. In the next few months wo may see big filings happening. Mr Baldwin has had a talk with the Canadian Prime. Minister : Mr Egan, a Canadian Minister, is coming over here; Lord Lovat is touring the Dominions making arrangements : | and a big organisation is in process of developing. Our own Government arc prepared for an expenditure of two millions a year on Empire migration.

KIPLING AT COURT Mr Rudvard Kipling, who is now a guest at Balmoral, owes moro to our Royal house than is generally conceded. Individually its members have always encouraged him with sympathy and understanding. Queen Victoria was one of the first. She may not have been exactly pleased with that barrack-room ballad about “the widow at Windsor,” but she was charmed with some schoolboy verses addressed to her from Westward Ho! King Edward’s death inspired Kipling’s mastery of metre, and there has since been a poetical tribute to King. George reviewing his lost, legions in Flanders. But it was the Duke of Connaught, I believe, who years ago gavo him a real start by making this bright-eyed journalist free of his command in Northern India. AUTOMATIC POST OFFICE After having provided us with gaily coloured telephone kiosks as oases of comparative silence at all the noisiest corners of the city, Die G.1’.0. informs us that it is going to go one better. New

DOINGS IN THE GREAT METROPOLIS

COMMENT ON SOCIAL AND POLITICAL EVENTS

kiosks have boon designed which will not only extend us the amenities of telephonic communications, but will he nothing short of miniature automatic post offices. Money-in the slot stamp machines and letter boxes will form integral portions of the kiosks, and arrangements will be made whereby casual clients' will lie able to telephone a. telegram or get sin express message sent off. These automatic post offices are the result of the success which is said to have attended Ihe stamp slot machines now fitted outside so many of our post offices. The convenience of those machines in theory is. of course, indisputable, but from practice it is generally my misfortune to find they go out of action just when Wanted—namely, when the post offices are closed. Tt is to he hoped that the new kiosks will be furnished with a more plentiful supply of stamps.

AN AMERICAN COLLEEN Lady Laverv whose charming shawled face looks opt at us from tho new Irish treasury notes is, as everyone knows, a Chicago lady by birth. There is, indeed, something delightfully Gilbertian about the fact that Dublin should have gone to Belfast for the designer of the notes, and. in the fact that Sir John Lavory should have chosen his American wife as a perfect type of tho Irish Colleen. Even before these notes were issued it used to bo said that Lady Lavcry’s face next to that of Queen Mary was better known to (lio public than that of any lady in the land. For several years past w r e have found one or more of her portraits on the walls of Burlington House at every Royal Academy Show. Her face will, now be as familiar in the Free State as was the Bradbury Signature in England during the war. I wonder if tho now Irish notes will come in their turn to be known as “Lavcries.” A CONVENT HOLIDAY

Women who do not feel that their summer holidays have provided them with the calm and rest so much required as a contrast to their busy every-day lives, would do well to take a hint from a friend of mine. She ,to escape from the turmoil of the city, went across to France and sought shelter for a month in a nunnery. The sisters welcomed her with quiet hospitality and the most complete restraint from all curiosity as to tier religious tenets, and she was enabled to enjoy to the full the hoaling in: tluence of that remoteness from the world which can alone bo found within convent walls. She has found the month spent within the secluded cool chambers of tiro nunnery and in its radiantly glowing gardens the best rest euro she has ever taken. For those who do not wish to leave their own country, I believe (hero are a number of Anglican convents whose doors are also open to women who want to find a brief respite from tho cares of a too strenuous world.

INCONGRUOUS CLOTHES Tho East is becoming appallingly westernised these days. Now it is Persia to follow suit—of tho ready-made variety and tho Shah has ordered coats and trousers for his subjects. To me tho whole tendency is regrettable an inversion of true principles. It is not the clothes that make the man and, therefore, why should they ■bo allowed to jnar him. This they most certainly do, when the Oriental flirts with tho fashions of Savile Row—or Shoreditch. I have great doubts whether our clothes aro the best of all clothes even for us. For tho slim, lithe figures of the East they are invariably misfits. Then the Oriental has no sense of what’s what, and ho will not appreciate such little subtleties as the inappropriateness of a cummerbund in combination with frockcoat and Stetson. I remember in the old days being advised never to trust a Russian who had learned to tuck his shirt inside his trousers. They all tuck them in nowadays—and look what it has brought them to! GLUT OF TOMATOES Tho wonderful weather wo have experienced this month has brought a. glut of vegetables to Covent Garden. I am told that rather more than a week ago growers were actually receiving little more than a penny a pound for fresh picked tomatoes. The Food Council might well take note of the fact for tho same tomatoes wore being retailed in the London shops at fivepence or sixpence a pound—representing a very handsome profit somewhere or other ! A big tomato and cucumber industry is now springing up in Hertfordshire and from there Hie produce can be reaclily brought up to London by motor lorry. Even so the growers must sustain a heavy loss wlien prices rule so low as‘this. What they must moan to the growers in the 'Channel Islands where carriage is a serious item can only be-guessed at. BLEEDING THE BRITISHER

The war undoubtedly gave a great impetus to Continental travelling, but thero will bo a reaction if the French and other resorts continue to bleed British visitors as unmercifully as they seemed to have done this summer. It is an open secret that many of tho big French hotels have two different scales—one for Trench visitors and one for British and American visitors. The latter appears fo grow more prohibitive year by year and I hear bitter complaints from many people who have found 'themselves fleeced. One friend of mine who travels a great deal and lias had experience of the prices ruling in the most expensive hotels in London, Paris and New York was literally thunderstuck when his bill was presented at a certain French seaside resort. Ho paid up and did not complain because ho had bad an extraordinary run of luck at the casino. And as the casino happened to Tie under tho same management be felt ho bad nothing fo grumble about, seeing (hat bo had lived like a prince for a few weeks and came away at. the end of it all subsfanfially bettor off than when ho went. But bo was one of the lucky ones. ' THE RIVIERA NEXT It will be interesting to see to. what extent the Riviera season will be affected by tho capaciousness of the .more northern resorts. Already there aro indications of uneasiness. It was not at all a good season last year, and now some

of the hotel proprietors are making desperate efforts to sell or let their hotels before tho new season opens. All this is symptomatic, because, to an increasing extent, the Riviera, is being patronised nowadays by the wealthier middle-class-ers who would not have dreamt of going there before the. War. This class is-not so popular oil the Riviera as the old aristocracy, and though it has plenty of money it hats not yet acquired the habit of spending it extravagantly. The hotel proprietors do not understand this and are running considerable risk of killing the goose that lays the golden egg. If the popularity of the Riviera is to be maintained they must accommodate themselves to the new conditions and—bring clown their charges.