AMERICAN ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 February 1929, Page 5

AMERICAN ITEMS.

AMERICANS ABROAD

'United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright)

(Received this day at 8 a.m.) WASHINGTON, February 25. Jt is announced that 400.000 Americans live abroad. 2,143 in Australia, 05 in New Zealand, 12,910 in Britain and Ireland. CAUSTIC CRITICISM. (Received ■ this day at 8 a.m.) WASHINGTON. February 25. The New York “Times” Book Review reviews the newly-published volume by Wilkins “Undiscovered Australia.” It deals with his expedition to collect fauna for the British .Museum in 1923, wherein he also depicts the conditions of the outback, states: “ The hook is likely to arouse indignation in Australia, for the people of that far land are intensely sensitive, and Wilkins does not spare plain-spoken criticism of the conditions and spirit found on the stations which lie visited. He found settlers living under wretched conditions, although they could afford much hotter, because they dill not intend to stay on the land lougei Jian the few years necessary to secure a competence, when they would retiie from a productive life to a liie of leisure in a cheap and bare suburban home. There are so many of these that they form, he says: “ A leisured class without high culture, and without the desires or inclinations that foster the- development of art or learning,” and in the meantime lie thinks it deplorable that Australia is not being developed in material ways, notwithstanding all her rich resources. Neither arc the standards of life and culture being raised.