London, July 25.
The British ambassador in China, Sir Archibald Clark Kerr, had a lengthy conference with Dr. H. H. Kung, the President of the Executive Yuan, at Changsha yesterday, according to reports received here from Hongkong. The ambassador left for Hongkong immediately after the conference.
Although no official communique regarding the purpose of the sudden trip to Changsha has been issued yet, various informed circles are inclined to associate it with a new intere national attempt at mediation in the Sino-Japanese conflict.—Trans-Ocean.
Hankow, July 25.
From Changsha, the Ambassador hopes to travel overland to Kweilin and thence to Wuchow, from where he will proceed to Canton by gunboat.
Sir Archibald Kerr expects to leave Hongkong in the Empress of Asia on August 5.—Reuter.
Industrial and trading activities, apart from a normal seasonal recess sion are maintained about the high level attained last year. Employment figures continue to be satisfactory, there is little labour unrest, and a shortage of skilled artisans and factory operatives is still reported by some sections. Company balance-sheets issued during the opening quarter of the year disclosed substantially increased profits and higher rates of dividends on shareholders' capital.
The actual savings made by the community during the last few years, says the "National Bank Review," cannot be ascertained with any reasonable degree of accuracy, but the following comparison of bank deposit totals indicates a substantial volume of monetary savings, and a consequent large addition to the real assets of the people:
Nine Trading. State and Banks, Commonwealth Average Savings Banks, for Month, End of Month, 1996. June 226.9 255.0 Millions ^£ Millions
1937, March 310.8 225.0 1929, March 3216 235.4
Manufacture Goes Ahead The Acting-Minister for Customs (Mr. Perkins), opening the discussion on Tariff amendments in the House of Representatives, said preliminary figures by the Commonwealth Statistician suggested that factory production in 1937-38 would reach £188,000,000, compared with the record of £178,000,000 in 1936-
An average of 554,000 in factory employment for the present financial year was indicated. This would exceed by 104,000 the average number of workers in factories in any year before the depression.
On returns from trades unions, unemployment now was at 8 per cent.—the lowest figure since the records were begun.
At least one dozen important manufacturing industries have been established, or planned, in Australia during the last year. The imposing list of advancements, in this "most progressive year in Australia's manufacturing history," is set out in the special annual number of the "Australasian Manufacturer."
The industries are:
Aeroplane, manufacture; Alkali products, embracing soda ash, caustic calcium chloride and amhioride; pulp "from Australian hard-newsprint paper riting and fine printing paper; Steel sheets for motor bodies: Refrigerators Nitro-cotton for lacquers and explosives manufacture; Wood-board from fire-board from dusts; hardwood pulp. w and waste pro-
Rayon Fabrics for appare! lint Production of oil from shale.
Capital expenditure on additional producing units engaged in the manufacture of articles not made in the Commonwealth before 1932 is stated to be £11,300,000. With the installation of these units employ ment has been provided for 23,300 additional workers.
Adverse pastoral conditions continued during May over most of the important wool producing areas of the Commonwealth. The outlook for many districts is still unfavourable but copious rains have improved prospects over vast areas There will probably be a substan tial reduction in the 1938-59 Austra lion clip.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.