Foxton Debating Society.

Manawatu Herald, 12 May 1904, Page 3

Foxton Debating Society.

“ACROSS THE AMERICAN CONTINENT.” The residents of Foxton were given the opportunity of hearing a lecture of the first order in the address delivered by Mr A. A. Brown in the schoolhouse on Tuesday evening last. Those who were absent missed a treat, while those present were unanimous in the opinion that they had spent a very profitable and entertaining evening. The audience, though not large, were very appreciative, and listened with unwavering attention throughout the course of the lecture. The chairman, Mr R. Moore, briefly introduced the speaker, Mr Brown, who was received with applause. Mr Brown, in opening, described the towns of Plymouth and Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, dear alike to American and Briton as the first home of the “ Pilgrim Fathers.” He then portrayed in graphic language the City of New York, the commercial capital of U.S.A. The structure of the huge sky-scrapers, for which the city is noted, was then dealt with by the speaker; the colossal monument of “ Liberty lighting the World,” (a present from the French Republic), the New York Stock Exchange (the busiest part of that busy city), and the methods of business there pursued, were explained by the lecturer in so able a manner that the audience obtained a clear insight of the way in which American speculation is conducted. The great political body of Tammany Hall, its corrupt practices and mighty power, were clearly depicted by Mr Brown, who then passed on to the industrial City of Cincinatti, and thence to the rich oilfields of the plains. The enormous wealth and power of the Standard Oil Company or of Rockfeller, who is practically the company—was next shown at some length. Continuing, Mr Brown referred to Andrew Carnegie, and here, to the astonishment of the audience, he literally “walked in” to Mr Carnegie. Ho assailed his business methods, and condemned him in no measured terms. " It,” said the speaker, “ You had seen women working as I have seen them, with leather gloves on their hands and clothed in leather dresses, shovelling coal for 12 to 14 hours out of the 24. at the wage of 2s 6d per dav. you would think differently of Andrew Carnegie !” Coming on top of the accounts wc read of Mr Carnegie’s beneficience this is rather bewildering, and yet Mr Brown asserted that he was only voicing the opinion of the American people. The City of Chicago, the greatest tinned meat establishment ot l-S A. nav, 01 the whole world, was then touched upon; and here again the immense strength, political and commercial, of a few millionaires, was made manifest. Continuing West, the Rockies and Pike’s Peak were reached, and the

magnificent panorama presented to the traveller from the top of Pike's Peak must indeed be. awe inspiring. Passing on further West, Mr Brown described the vast rolling plains of Utah, the Mormon State, and in out - lining the irrigation of the plain,';, he showed how the ingenuity of man could overcome the powers of Nature; Leaving Salt Lake City, and across a broad sterile plain, where no living creature is found, Mr Brown gave the audience a fine picture of the wonderful scenery with which Nature has so plentifully endowed California; over the Sierra Nevada mountains, the railroad over which is perhaps the finest example of American engineering skill; the lecturer then gave a graphic portrayal of San Francisco, and more particularly of Chinatown; where 40,000 Chinese exist in a space that would crowd 3,000 whites. In concluding, Mr Brown expressed an earnest desire that the relations between America and Britain would continue to be' as amicable as they |had ever been, and that the time would come when the twQ nations would be under the one flag, and the destinies of the world would be controlled, in the interests of peace, by the Anglo-Saxon race. On the conclusion of the lecture, Mr Brown received a hearty round of applause, and it was fully justified. The address throughout was of a very high order, and it is a pity that more did not avail themselves of the opportunity of hearing it. Lectures by such men as Mr Brown, are indeed helpful, in that they broaden our views concerning America and Americans; views which are too often apt to become narrow. As it is possible that Mr Brown may visit here on some future occasion, we would urge all residents to co-operace, and afford him the bumper house' which he deserves. The meeting was concluded alter a vote of thanks had been passed to the