AUSTRALIAN CONDITIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23866, 21 July 1939, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN CONDITIONS

BANK MANAGER’S VIEWS BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT (Special to Daily Times) WELLINGTON, July 20. Mr K. J. Provan, of Australia, arrived in Wellington by the Awatea to-day en route for Auckland, where he will take up the position of manager of the Bank of New South Wales. He is accompanied by Mrs .Provan, who was formerly Miss G. M. Walker, of Christchurch. In an interview, Mr Provan stated that he had once been in New Zealand previously for a month in 1930, but the country was almost entirely new to him. In comparison with other Australian States, one heard little mention of New Zealand in Queensland, mainly because the trade between that State and the Dominion was practically negligible. Mr Provan described business conditions in Australia as quite fair, though until recently there had been a definite decline. That decline was arrested mainly because of the defence expenditure of £80,000,000 inaugurated by the Federal Government. Something was being done in each State towards strengthening the defences of the country, although to a lesser extent in Queensland than in other parts. Newcastle and Port Kembla, centres of the large iron and steel industries, were being particularly carefully guarded. The recruiting campaign in Australia to obtain 70,000 militia had been most successful, the new regiments including a number of Highland regiments.

Apart from saying that it was practically impossible to change New Zealand notes and silver anywhere in Australia, Mr Provan would not discuss financial matters. “ If conditions are difficult here,” he said, “that makes it more interesting. It is much better to come to a job that is hard than it is to come to an easy one.”