"THE LAND OF EXTREMES."

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 66, 11 December 1907, Page 8

"THE LAND OF EXTREMES."

.. Somo of the extremes to be met with in the vUnitod States of America wore dealt with-by ; Mr. F. L. Stephens in an interesting lecturo in the Church of ' Christ, Vivian Street, las't evening. Air. Stephens showed tho great extremes in climatic conditions existing 'in localities separated' by only very small distances. In one place 05 inches or rain fell in a year, and. 100. -miles .distant tho fall was next to nothing. It was also possible to travel from, summer to winter in three days.' "He" referred to ,'cabljd reports in New Zealand- papers of strik.is, bloodshed, train accidents, mining disasters, otc., in, America, and said that this seemed to be all the, news that, came'.'from there. Naturally, the uninitiated had a very bad idea of tho-country/ . But they must remember -that . more -than/ a/.million - immigrants a year were passing into tho Stated, largo numbers, of who.ru. ■■■were illiterate, practically the scum of otheri countries, bunging with them crime and siir'aiid low'ideals. Was it a. wonder, that so' much was heard bf crime and wickedness .in all its. forms uuler these conditions? The, population of .the States'was composed of-every nationality-un-dor the sun. Those people : .h'ad to be'.educated, and this was .America's grea f t undertaking for the'present and, for the. future.. No country in. the world : \yaa doing mofo in education : than America: ; Education was the solution of the great' immigration' question, and the very lite or Americans civilisation and prosperity. Speaking of the railways'of the States, he said that their. total 'engtli was $75,000 miles—eleven times; thc'girtli cf the globe. -Millions and millions of- passengers -were'carried .yearly. Hore in: New Zn;iland there were 2465 miles of railway, and; tho speed of, the trains, was* less; and au average of railway accidents m both countries would not bo to the', disadvantage 'of America.- ..Some .interesting -remarks. w<' : ie made by Air. Stephens regarding the success of irrigation in arid, portions of the States. Apportion of desert land, 270,000 acres ! in extent, had been "redeemed ;• by a canal' 60 miles m length. As much as 72 bushels of Wheat'pot* acre was raised there. Three crips of hay a year were also obtained. Speaking of ,'tlie fruit-growing industry,- he said.buycis from every big'"European country attenied the fruit markets of America... Fruit-growing was carried to perfection. ■In ono care £8000 was obtained by one. grower' for the yields off 17 acres; and in.another case £1000 worth of pears were grown" on half an acto. The lecturer further ' referred to the productiveness of the country,, and said that the reason people were flocking there was becauso of its resources-and untold possibilities. -.' •' •• ' ■ Air. Stephens, who is himself, an-American, received a hearty ovation at: the conclusion of the lecture. During .the evening Airs. Stephens contributed two songs.