OLD WORLD AND NEW.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 November 1924, Page 10

OLD WORLD AND NEW.

AN OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK, BfUTAIN" AMERICA, - PROMISE OF BETTER TIMES. Trade, industrial and political conditions in North America and Great Britain now hold promise of a steady movement toward sound prosperity. That was tke salient impression left with Mr. A. Rowlands, who recounted to the Auckland Rotary Club his observations in these countries during a recent visit on which, incidentally, he was a delegate to the Rotary Convention at Toronto. The scheduled subject of his interesting narrative was “Business Abroad, from a New Zealander’s Point of View,” and he took the liberty “to go beyond this order ot reference,” and thus had freedom to talk of many things.

As one who had travelled far and fast, Mr. Rowlands explained that his impressions of cenditions overseas on both sides of the Atlantic and also along the Pacific Slope necessarily must be often those that are gained in passing vivid acenes and arresting incidents. But the outstanding impression of his extensive tour was the wide range of evidence in the United States, .in Canada and in Britain that the worst of the depression which had gripped these countries after the war had been dispersed to a marked extent and that everywhere thought and industry, with many sharp lessons learnt and remembered, were concentrating constructively on efficiency, progress, and a steadier •prosperity. Even on board the Niagara, while crossing thti* Pacific, there was evidence of a great wool season in Australia, there being a number of Australian pastoralists “going Heine” to spend their money.

•Honolulu was as charming and as interesting as ever, thought it, too, had experienced depression. But there, also, conditions were changing rapidly for the better. , The speaker had passed that way previously, in 1*913 and again in 19/19, and the scope for comparison was very noticeable. It was obvious, however, that the immigration problem there had not yet been solved. There were features of the community which made it appear more like the Orient than Hawaii. It had seemed to him that Hawaii would in time go out of ea'title-raising altogether, devoting the land to pineapple and sugar cane production whenever sufficient labour was available. If this should come about there would be opportunity for New Zealand and Australia to supply V ,e market with meat and dairy produce. Reference was also made to the great development of Pearl Harbour as a naval base for the United States in the Pacific. OPTIMISM IN CANADA. The Dominion of Canada, said Mr. Rowlands, had had very much the same experience as New Zealand during the last few years. There had been in turn a land boom and a slump in the prices for primary products. That period of depression appeared to have parsed. The vleat market had recovered, and right throughout the Dominion, from East to West, there was a great feeling df optimism.

The C.P.F. Company still led enterprise in respect of railway development and business organisevion. and much reconstruction .work been done and was in hand. Grades had been eased, new tunnels had been pierced through the Selkirks, and freights had been reduced. Grain elevators were arising all along the line across the prairies, and wheat was now pouring east, and west. While it was true that Canada looked first across the Atlantic to Britain and southward, to the United States for the bulk of her trade, she was looking more and more to these lands in the South Pacific, and hq impression was that substantial business would be developed between Canada and New Zealand. He ■found the Canadians were taking a keen interest in this Dominion and in Australia. THE LAND OF LOUD SPEAKERS. Impressions of the United States passed as a kaleidoscope of continuous ■industry fo: 24 hours each® working day, ■immense fortunes in chewing gum, and l uge placards and radio loud speakers demanding that attention be then given to the policy of the Democratic Convention. The Americans, however, were igetting over their post-war difficult times and were alert wd'th enterprise. •A feature of life aiid leisure was the facility provided for touring on good roads. He had been assured by Mrs. Rowlands that the great department stores cf the United States were much more attractive in range of goods and display than the shops in London. “It was with great pleasure,” continued Mr. Rowlands, “I found Britain lad made a wonderful improvement Siinee 1919.’* The unemployment problem was much less degrading than it had been fcrmorly in some respects, and the position generally had improved. Industrial people were looking forward with optimism to tho immediate future. London was exceptionally busy, although dull trade conditions had been very noticeable in Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow. What impressed him most in these cities, however, was the courageous manner in which the people were grappling with difficulties and striving to regain prosperous conditions. As Sir George Paiah had said in Glasgow: “We are in sight of the greatest trade expansion the. world has ever seen.” Tire note of the day wa's optimistic.