NEW YORK

Hokitika Guardian, 19 July 1930, Page 6

NEW YORK

VISITOR’S IMPRESSIONS. THUMBNAIL SKETCH. NEW YORK CITY, May 21. Young Colonel Lindbergh, is to-day the hero not only of this great city, but of the nation itself. Rightly so, for it was through his intrepid lead that the people of this country now possess such a strong air sense. . Ijt is a remarkable sight to see after dark any evening, all weathers, the great air mail leaving for north, west, and south—to see the ship-like lights, port, ; stalrboard, and [tail* as they float a couple of thousand feet, starting their all-night journey over the island of Manhattan. It is a credit to the young pilots and local enterprise who have made possible this cheap and rapid method of sending mail fom one end of the States to the other. Their success is remarkable, ' for one can post a letter from New York to San Francisco for the small sum of 5 cents. (2f), delivered in two (j a y S _\vhereas train or other transport takes at least four. /’. : '

It was only, yesterday that ; I ; , witnessed the most glorious aerial triumph that this or any other city has been favoured with. Down below the great Hudson floated the entire Navy of the United. States going through.wa.rfare manoeuvres, when from above appeared ho fewer than 146 aeroplanes, bomb (planes, and in addition their big Zeppelin, aided by two Cubs. The manner in which these planes appeared, crossed, hovered over the great city, was simply remarkable. Although in the air for three or four hours, the only casualty (according to the Press of the next day) was the complete annihilation of/ the entire navy and the City of Manhattan was reduced to ashes. So much for the navy! THE UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM. New 'York to-day, unfortunately, has as much trouble in respect to'unemployment as manypfonrowijLvpities. America' has on - its unemployed ' list the astounding figure of approximately 6,000,000, in. which, of. course, the metropolis has its big quota. However, the casual observer sees i very little of their domestic troubles, the only real sign being demonstrations, and the series of vacant shops in the great business centres such as Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Avenues. PROHIBITION. of course, is still the done of contention, and of universal abuse. Personally I took but little interest in this great political trouble, other than to respect the law of the land, but it is rather amusing to hear the different stories in circulation on. the question of “wet.” For instance, it is stated that if you are on the thirsty side and would whet your apetite with a Scotch, all one has to do, is to ask any “cop” for the nearest “Speakeasy” and he will immediately direct you to one. Then again, talking of Scotch, to gentlemen evidently of same descent'were'tossing dice in one of these “palaces” to see who would pay when the bartender immediately and seriously reminded them, “Gentlemen, please desist, you know the place is full of detectives!” A “Speakeasy,” you must understand, is a place where spirituous and fermented liquor is sold. In a recent publication it is stated that there are thousands of these “gin palaces” in the city of New York alone.

FOREIGN POPULATION, The, population of Manhattan, an island one mile wide by eight miles long with the addition of Brooklyn and Bronz, is about 8,000,000 souls Strange to say, the good stock of old British folk in the conservative town of Boston look down upon the capital as foreign— at.d feregn it is People of all nations migrate to. this city, but while there is a pronounced mixture of black and coloured in the population, the latter fortunately to a very great extent keep to their own district, Harlem, and one does not see them parading on the main streets of the city. This coloured population is the one great problem that will affect the real American, I think, at no distant date. Mixed as they are, there is no doubt that New Yorkers are both sentimental and emotional, when you read that a young gentleman by the name of Rudy Vallee, simple singer of sob-stuff songs, and playejr of jazz, earns in this great city more in a week than the salary paid to their President in a month.

“My Laly Nicotine” has certainly captivated the fair sex in New York. In fact, ladies have taken so much to cigarettes both in public and m private than even “mere man” is seriously considered leaving off smoking, on the pretence that it is now altogether too effeminate.

New York with its teeming population, its extremes in climate —it can he as sultry as Bourke and as cold as the Antarctic—its cars, electrical and modern conveniences, is not only wonderful but astonishing in its greatness. Still, to live within its gates is,-„to my. way of thinking, a taste,that must he acquired.