BRIGHT OUTLOOK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23326, 19 October 1937, Page 10

BRIGHT OUTLOOK

THE WOOL TRADE PROSPERITY IN BRITAIN NEW ZEALANDER’S IMPRESSIONS (Special to Daily Times) AUCKLAND. Oct. 18. The New Zealand primary producers have no reason to fear any prolonged slump in the wool and textile industries, according to Mr Percy Gill, a director of the Carpet Import Company, Christchurch, who returned by the Niagara from a business tour of the United Kingdom anji the Continent. He said he considered the prospects for wool to be good and there was no reason to feel greatly perturbed by the recent easing of prices. " Conditions in England are very good and they are expected to remain so for at least several months,” Mr Gill said. “Then prominent figures in the trade anticipate a slight depression in wool and textiles, but it is not likely to last long, and they are convinceid that there will be a general trend of rising prices for some years to come.” Mr Gill said he had never seen England so well clothed, so well fed and with so much time for leisure as in 1937. A remarkable improvement in physique was apparent, particularly m areas where free distribution was made of milk, and the success of this scheme heralded the time when the scheme would become universal. The trade improvement had been ascribed to the armament activity but it had been noticeable long before the manufacture of munitions had been commenced in earnest.

In contrast with the conditions prevailing in the United Kingdom, there was no evidence of prosperity in the textile centres of France and Belgium. All the workers were extremely busy but prices had risen considerably and the working class was anything but happy. Although conditions were better in trade in the United States and Canada, it did not appear to be the healthy progress that was obvious in Great Britain, and it possessed something of a spurious character.