A DUNEDINITE ABROAD.

Otago Witness, Issue 3769, 8 June 1926, Page 79

A DUNEDINITE ABROAD.

CONDITIONS IN OTHER LANDS. Mr R. S. Black of Dunedin, has returned after a tour of the world, during which he visited tho United States, Canada, Belgium, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Egypt, India, and Australia. He had some interesting comments to make to our representative regarding the countries he had visited. Ine people of Germany, he said, were busily employed, and appeared to work as long as daylight lasted. Every available acre of land was put under cultivation, and this, he thought, must create wealth. The cost of living, however, was high. It was said that the reason for this state of affairs was that currency was short, merchants declaring that they had to pay about 70 per cent, of their earnings in taxes. In spite of its apparent prosperity Germany was in great trouble financially, and many farmers had gone bankrupt. Germany appeared to be manufacturing a great deal of machinery for Russia. The natural beauty of the clean German towns was enhanced bv the Germans’ love of flowers, which were grown and displayed everywhere. Italy appeared to have survived her troubles, and there was no unemployment. As opposed to Germany, the cost cf living waa very cheap, owing to the depreciation of the lire. Last year was Holy Year in Rome, which was inundated with pilgrims and visitors from all nations. Mr Black was informed that Cook’s Bureau in Paris had "put through” over 2,000,0\X) visitors for Rome. Italian art could not be forgotten, and he had been impressed with the treasures of the Vatican, which were amazing in beauty and value. lie was charmed with Venice and its canals and gondolas, and the artistic goods disvlayed in the shops. Switzerland was*an expensive country to live m. Every available plot of land was cultivated, and the country, made one think of the South Island of New Zealand. France was a busy country, but it wa«> also in trouble owing to depreciation of its currency. 'luxation was low, and this fact was a sore point wit* other Powers be cause, they oaid, she was not paying her debts as she should and could do. A Frenchman would fight to his last drop of blood for his country, but he was indifferent regarding the payment of !iis taxes. When one looked upon the golden case that enclosed the body of Tutankhamen, said Mr Black, one lealised the perfection that art had attained in Egypt housands of years ago In regard to Egyptian methods of cultivation it was common. to see. two bullocks pulling an iron-shod piece of wood which was u-ed as a plough To see a man urigatintr from the Nile by drawing up the water in a tin on the end of a rod showed how crude, were the methods of irrigation and the. amount of lirbour involved In passing down die streets of the villages one 6aw the women grinding flour in hand mills. The fertility of the land was wonderful, and it wa> «ur prising to see miles of fields of lucerne and nd»er foliage growing in the winter time. Ihe Labour expended in cutting the crops with the small knives the Egyptians used tremendous. Fhp Belgians are a hard working people, and the co-t cf living in theier country was cheap. A seat at an opera would cost 1.5« or IBs in Germany, compare 1 with 4s in Be!"inm. Hotel accommodation al-o was cheap. The coal strike had caused a groat deal of trouble in England, but although it was stated that the British miner produced 17e\vt of coal in the same time as the American produced 81, the fault was not entirely with the miners, because the American would have the latest appliances. It was quite possible that the outcome ol the strike would be the closing down of uneconomic mines and the use of more up-to-date methods in the others. The miner was not blameless, however, for his output had deteriorated. Ireland was undergoing quite a lot of worry through being her own landlord. There was a big tariff dividing north and south, and they found it as difficult to sell to each other as to foreign countries. After seeing all these countries, said Mr Black, he was convinced that- with quicker steamer services New Zealand would he the best country in the world for tourists People in America knew the Dominion's fishing attractions, and would like to' avail fhemselves of them, but they said it took took long to get here. New Zealand was too modest regarding her scenic and other attractions in contrast with the other countries, which did much advertising. On every hand one heard the highest praise of the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition. He felt that a great deal of good could be done by placing pictures of New Zealand and small pamphlets in hotels in countries tourists visited, and New Zealand’s biggest handicap in America was that the Dominion was thought to be an adjunct of Sydney.