AMERICAN AND AMERICANS.

Shannon News, 28 September 1926, Page 3

AMERICAN AND AMERICANS.

SOME IMPRESSIONS AND OBSERVATIONS. Mr and Mrs D. W. Matheson, who returned recently from a tour through the United States and Canada, told ,a “News” reporter yesterday, that their trip had been one of much interest and -enlightenment. In America, particularly, were they impressed by the courtesy and friendliness with which visitors are treated, and the very many little ways in which, tlie traveller is. encouraged to re-visit the land of Uncle Sam. ;speciaiisation is carried out to a remarkable degree, even to hotel staffs, and every man is a booster of his own country, especially those railway employees who work on the trans-continental train -services. On fixe Santa Fe and 'similar express lines, tlie companies endeavour to give the .best possible service to, as well as amuse and instruct, travellers on their trains. Well-educated lecturers are engaged to discourse upon topics of general* interest, excellently printed literature, dealing with the chief scenic spots encountered on the journey, as well -as descriptive matter concerning the various towns and cities touched by the service, it distributed and everything done to relieve the monotony of a 5000 miles journey. AMERICANS AND THEIR WAYS. Since American women were given the right to vote a great, change has come about in the modes and manners'of the nation. Nowadays, it is inconceivable that a man should proffer his seat in a car or tube to a lady who might be standing, mainly for the reason that be would most likely be met with a refusal. The attitude seems to be something .akin to this: “Women have the vote—let them toe the -mark with the men. Americans are very good to their -womenfolk at home, but in the office or the store, where men and women 1 share responsibilities equally there can he no differentiation. ' “American policemen,” said Mr Matheson, “are sad fellows. If a pm 'drops anywhere along his heat he will tell you where it can be found, but out of his own -block he is practically lost, and as for directing you from one side of San Francisco to the 'other, that would he well nigh impossible. The idea that Ameiicans hustle is a fallacy, particularly m the matter of traffic, for in the principal cities the volume of vehicular traffic is so considerable, and traffic control so rigidly enforced that hustling avails one but little. So iai as business methods are concerned, they are a most industrious and methodical people who certainly get things done. New Zealanders hustle lar more than do Americans. In all the systems of transportation, “Safety First” is the slogan, and to this enu lectures ar-e given, literature is free- - undistributed and everything done to widen the margin of safety on public roads. , ■ The average American knows mUe geography or history .outside that ot fils own country, aiid their ignorance of New Zealand is appalhn & . Zane Grey, however, should do much to overcome this shortcoming as h had delivered many fine addresses and written through the press to the people of America, concerning the wonders and attributes of God s Own Country. As to their own scenery, nothing is over-written or verging on -tfie optimistic, but more often dees the description do insufficient justice to the magnificence of the scene. Ihe (hand Canyon, for example. , Ihe brochure depicting this scenic wonder is carried out m the most beau Sal colours which, however prove totally inadequate to portray the act ual beauty as seen by the vis . The seemingly limitless ® t : ietc^ i country, now tinged with ths coiom and now swiftly changing, the vastness—all are indescribable.

MUSIC AND THE CINEMA. Cinemas in America are built on a munificent scale and in J ie best of good taste. Every picture theatre has us own pipe organ, tu'fiLlv rpaLd musician, and far iiom i.i an adjunct of the programme tire music is, more often tiian not the most attractive feature Greater still is the fact that the audience J always appreciative of the programmes submitted and n f a word is uttered while the music is hSno- played, a condition which preSails" sbo to the legitimate *«*«. everything being done to stimulate an toterei to toe most eloquen o the arts For 50 cent, (about 2s)* “ polsiiie to we a* Vine and cinema show. If New Zea landers have .poor Vprv^ew own fault, because theie are very te inferior pictures to he seen m erica itself.

SAN FRANCISCO. “San Francisco is the finest city of all from the point of view oi electric light signs, lor they hum electricity there as we run water m the rivers,” said Mi* Nlatlicson. ui tliennore, these signs are much more clever than those seen m New Yoik or Seattle.” LOS ANGELES. Los Angeles is a wonderful city, and the picture studios and hom . of movie stars are carried out on a magnificent scale. In th* £ other cities, it is possibleto do ban ing business either by hay or nighit as the hanks are open continuously Whereever there is any hariking hus - uess to be done, there will he fomid — the development of electricity m L . Angeles.

CHICAGO. Two huge buildings had hem fflWj ted by Woigley<s. chewing: yum firm, m Michigan a.\ Sul Chfcago, for office pm^ppses.

What might he called “shadow lightiiim” has been developed to a remarkable degree, and at night these two buildings of gray and buff stoneI colours are transformed into beautiful edifices of pure white, whose domes are embellished m gold, the top of the dome being of silver colours It is significant that these two structures, conspicuous among hundreds of others, were sufficient advertisement unto themselves as to ensure every offlee jpeing let before the con tractors had completed then work. | Marshall, Field and Company are located in' this city, their establish- j ment covering acres of ground, inis j firm stores its customers’ fur coats j free of charge, the owners paying only for insurance. The temperature in the warehouses prevents moths or any vermin from living there. PHILADELPHIA. The house of John B. Stetson Company, hat manufacurers, extends for two blocks in the city of Philadelphia, hundreds of thousands of pelts being cured and stored as the first step towards the making of hats, each one of which passes through 400 different processes. Each man must serve at least four years in any department before he is permitted to pass on to another, and in this way each employee becomes an expert in the special process for which he is responsible. The humidity of \ the atmosphere in the city is so intense, that in spite of every modern device for circulating and purifying tire air, the factory hands become depressed and would, especially in the case of girls, be unable to carry on but for the institution of other means to revive their spirits. Song-leaders are brought in and the workers join in community singing. On other occasions the workers’ own orchestra comes in and all the employees have half an hour of dancing, when they return to their work with renewed vigour. The auditorium of the concert hall in, the Stetson, factory is a larger building than Auckland Town Hall, and has a beautiful pipe organ. The welfare among; the employees is similar to that carried on in the average New Zealand city, and every worker takes a great interest in the work. Should any employee be in want of money, the case is brought refore the employees’ committee of the Stetson Company, and money is advanced to the one, in need. ■ The sesqui-centennial exposition was held in Philadelphia, and" on the floor of the stadium where Tunney fought Dempsey were enacted scenes depicting incidents leading up to the close of the Civil War and the signing of American Independence. Every detail was faithfully reproduced —music, costumes and manners—and the 100,000 spectators were carried back to the days when American historv was in the crucible. The spectacle was very impressive and one that should remain within memory so long as life lasted. NEW YORK. New York was not considered by the travellers to be the most interesting city, hut its immensity, its traffic control and the bewildering height of the sky-scrapers impelled one to like it. DETROIT. " Detroit, the home of Henry Ford ! A beautiful city of trees and boulevards and the place where motor, cars are manufactured in hundreds of thousands per year, and where practically all the activity taking place there at the present time may be traced, directly or indirectly, to the energy and foresight of the man who created the Ford car. That l|etroit has been built up in 25 years, from practical obscurity to its present status makes one marvel at the power of the man. The Ford factory is just a show place, each machine looking for all the world as though it had been placed there, but yesterday for .the benefit of the visitor. A very striking spectacle is that 'Of thousands of employees coming to work in their own cars and pio* vision markets have been set up, and here citizens may purchase their household requirements at cost prices. Hospitals, equipped under the most scientific and modern conditions, provide treatment under precisely the same circumstances. Employees of the Ford Motor Company work but five days in the week, and the lowest scale of pay is six dollais equivalent to 25s a day. Contrary to expectation there is not the slightes ' trace of ostentation about Hie office of Henry Ford, and the office fun- ; ture and equipment is in accordance . with all the recognised methods of modern offlee procedure, but no ' ' more, neither is there any noise or unnecessary bustle.

NATURE’S POWER STATION. y Niagara, the world’s most gigantic power house, was one of the finest sights seen on the trip through the United States. Although seven men operate the electric .power .plant, it takes 21 guides to show visitors round the station; of svhich it is said that a cupful of water is made to generate sufficient electricity to do the work of twenty men. 'But the American and Canadian falls are illuminated at night, when every conceivable colour is thrown on to the falls by a 1,320,000,000 candle-power lighting system. The volume of traffic each day to the falls is so great that no street maintenance or repair work can be effected during the day but the main streets are. closed at night and repair gangs work rnider the glare of powerful electric floodlights. ‘ The round, trip to see the falls costs one dollar only.

CANADA. V The trip through Canada was intensely interesting, the train passing thousands of acres of wheat and timber country; Unfortunately, politics seem to upset the country to a large extent, as during an election

period production appears to cease and primary producer and merchant are at daggers drawn; Tlie New Zealand Court at Toronto exposition was magnificently carried out, and received eulogistic comment from the Canadian press, as it attracted more attention than any other court throughout the whole exposition. Mr J. Collins, Commissioner in Charge, and his officers were working night and day In order to place New Zealand on the map, but one could only regret that New Zealand manufacturers and primary producers were not following up that excellent display, particularly the 'hemp incfusC r v