LIFE IN UNITED STATES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5245, 29 February 1928, Page 3

LIFE IN UNITED STATES.

PERSONAL IMPRESSIONS;

AN INTERESTING' LECTURE.

At a, luncheon promoted by the Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce the Rev. R. H. Trill gave a few personal impressions gained during his residence in the United States as a minister of the Church of England for a of years. Mr Trill said he had only resided in the States of New England apd Vermont, U.S.A. He would coniine his remarks to personal impressions, and trusted they would be interesting. He went to New' England nineteen years ago. The railways were pleasant to travel in, and quite a contrast to some others he had travelled in. But at the station where he alighted very scant consideration was given the passengers and their goods. However, the people were kindhearted. and sympathetic. He then went on to briefly sketch conditions in the village of Jonesville, his headquarters for some time. Roads were very indifferent then, but they have since been much improved. Later he removed to Winooski, in Vermont, a larger centre, where conditions of living were somewhat better. He had noted a. contrast in the stores of 'those at home; there was no art of service or salesmanship. Customers were asked to make known their wants, these were supplied, and there was no effort to sell more, goods. LITTLE DRUNKENNESS. In..his experience he had seen little signs of drunkenness or poverty. The districts had a system of local option, and, it appeared to work satisfactorily. One almost universal practice was chewing guni, and at all times gum was used. Each town, however small, had its library. Education was very superficial,- and did not compare in value with the education given the" young people in England and’ New Zealand. It was quite the custom for schoolgirls „ to. wear to school frocks that would be more suitable fv r party wear. Some of the less fortunately circumstanced children, of course, provided striking contrasts. The speaker was not impressed with the American system of education, especially in the back districts. One outstanding feature was the daily saluting of the American, flag and the recital of a declaration bf" loyalty. This, said. Mr Trill, maiy seem strange, but. when it is realised that America is “ the melting pot of the. other nations,” the inculcation of patriotism by flag saluting was quite reasonable. He paid a high tribute, to the American women in the Northern States, who represented a higher standard of intellectuality than the men folk, and quoted some amusing stories in support. Women’js clubs are universal, each town and village having one. These organisations are influential, and do a great deal of good. The American child is quiet, cute and arrogant.: \ SUPERFICIAL EDUCATION. The lecturer was struck by th© superficiality of education in America, and much preferred the methods' of and muchp referred the methods of teaching in the British Empire, though he had noted some straiige lack of knowledge amongst some juveniles he had met since coming to New Zealand. Americans, were taught much about their own! country, but very little about other lands. Mr Trill went on to quote figures bearing on the incidence of ;crime in America. There was a plethora of laws, but too much lawlessness. He could not understand why the people themselves did not rise and demand better administration/ of the laws.

“Does prohibition really prohibit in U.S.A. ?” was a question irequently put to him, said Mr and in replying lie had to resort to quotation from remarks of a well-known legislator who commended the Prohibition regime as tending to better conditions of daily life.

Continuing, Mr Tri'll said l the American influence in Eastern Canada’ was very strong, and there was a big percentage of Americans domiciled in those provinces. The Americans are frank in their acknowledgment that England is more democratic than their own country, but they were seldom or never patronising, such as prevailed among a section of the English. There are, of course, arroga'iit and blatant Americans, and others thoughtful, shrewd, and It is wrong to think of all Americans as arrogant—arrogance is only ob J servable among a small percentage. He Had met very many cultured and: thoughtful Americans, with whom ft was a delight to> associate.