CONDITIONS AT HOME

Waipa Post, Volume 44, Issue 3190, 14 June 1932, Page 5

CONDITIONS AT HOME

LETTER FROM GLASGOW. In the course of a chatty letter from Mr John Milligan, a former wellknown Te Awamlujtii business Iman now resident in Glasgow, the writer refers to the bad times being experienced in that city—the second largest in the British Empire. " Shipbuilding is at a standstill and added to the distress resultant there are twentyone big vessels laid up in the Clyde—with no immediate hope" of fresh charters. It is said necessity is the mother of invention. Consequently big commercial nY-Ims are compelled .to strike out on new lines. This is what actually is happening. The marvel to me is not so much that very many people are idle, but as to how the rest (a majority of the population) find employment. There seems to be over-production everywhere throughout the world, causing prices to slump—and poor New Zealand suffers with the rest. There are great anticipations for good from the Ottawa Conference—not only for Great Britain, but also for all the colonies. As to the results, we can only wa'it and see. Everywhere I have travelled there is a pronounced feeling that something tangible Wil lcome from the Conference. . . It is appalling to think that Denmark sent to Britain last year £42,000,000 worth of produce, and bought only £8,000,000 worth of our products in return. Again, there.is at least £500,000,000 of British money invested in the Argentine—while our colonies (all British) are starving for capital. The permeating thought is: The colonies can supply Britain with all the foodstuffs she requires, so let the foreigners 'go hang.' Too long has this country pandered to the foreigner. Perhaps through the Empire's very adversity ultimate good will come. The word ' Empire ' has no meaning, unless through a true spirit of recipl'ocity."