SIDELIGHTS ON AFFAIRS AT HOME

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16239, 24 November 1914, Page 3

SIDELIGHTS ON AFFAIRS AT HOME

INTERESTING INTERVIEW WITH MR a K RICHARDSON. On the arrival of the Tomgariro at Port nWTTw»r« on Saturday a representative of this journal called on Mr C. E. Richardson, of Messrs, Richardson, M'Cabe, and Co. (Limited;, engineers and importers, of WellSigton In the coarse of conversation regarding the trip of the steamer from the Old Country, Mr Richardson mentioned tho difficulty that existed in getting away from England at the present time. It was only by chance and at the last moment that he learned that the Tongariro was to carry passengers. The complement of passengers was about 80 —nearly all returning colonists who had been abroad for pleasure or business reasons, and a Belgian family of refugees, who left the vessel at Hobart. The trip out was pleasant and uneventful, except for one incident, which occurred off Cape Ushant. About midnight the | ■vessel was called upon by Morse signal to halt, which was at once dooei The passengers, of course, were at once wakened by the searchlight of tho approaching Teasel, which came towards them with great caution and much speculation was indulged in amongst the passengers whether they bad not been captured by Germans. It was not until tho boarding party was near enough for tho ship's company to distinguish the uniform that their apprehensions were allayed, for the warship which had held them up was French. The boarding party, after examining the ship's papers—which occupied about ten mkrates — gave the order to proceed, and, much to the relief of all on board, the vessel was soon once more under way.

Mr Richardson stated that he had just completed a tour through Belgium, France, and Germany, and although only very shortly before hostilities commenced there was not the slightest indication of the awful thunderbolt which broke so soon afterwards. As a matter of fact, he returned to London on Monday, and war was declared on the Friday. Readers of the papers here had evidently been kept well acquainted with what was going on, but he was doubtful whether the seriousness of the ©osition so far as Rnerland was commercially concerned was recognised. In the manufacture of all munitions aod anything pertaining to the carrying on of the war there was fervent activity, and the works were going nig© and day, Sundays included. In other industries there was great apprehension. The manufacturers were looking to the British dominions which were not so far affected to the same extent as Britain to do all in their power to keep things going _as much on the usual lines as possible in order to keep their workmen from being forced into the ranks of the unemployed. Distress through unemployment was one of the most serious problems which Britain might be called upon to face, and any little help that could be sent from the dominions in the shape of' materials required for reproductive -works would, he considered, be money well spent Talking with one of the most prominent men in the iron industry in England, that gentlemai said: "The greatest help that the outlying dominions can give is to keep business flowing in all lines which will be reproductive of wealth in those dominions." It was reported at Home, continued Mr Richardson, that private expenditure must be out down, and this was being done, but not to such an extent as to materially affect any particular branch of trade so far as he could see. On every hand thd dominions were being praised for the assistance they had rendered to the Mother Country m both men and money. When the news came of the occupation of Samoa by the New Zealand Expeditionary Force the papers were full of the event, and many of the big papers had leading articles about it. London was almost like an armed campt Wherever one turned men were drilling. Any open space was occupied for the plzrpose, and even in large buildings in the city one was often startled t>y the sharp word of oammand trom officers drilling men in same small courtvjyd or spare plot of ground near by. Speaking in regard to British trade, Mr Richardson said he thought that it would be enormcras}y extended after the termination of the war by the capture of the trade of markets which were previously supplied by the cheaper labour and cheaper work of Germany, provided that whilst the trouble lasted, and particularly 'in the early stages of it, the overseas dominions stood by and helped to keep trade going.