CONDITIONS IN U.S.A.

Waikato Times, Volume 101, Issue 16880, 21 August 1926, Page 8

CONDITIONS IN U.S.A.

PROSPERITY AND EXTRAVAGANCE. A HECTIC LIFE. HAMILTONIAN'S IMPRESSIONS. "While there is everywhere in the United States evidences of amazing prosperity, there is along with it a plethora of extravagance," declared Mr H. Crocolt, .if Hamilton, who has just returned from a trip to California and the middle western States of America, where he has been investigating the latest progress in optical science, when interviewed by a representative of this journal to-day. The speaker slated, that everybody in the States, to use an Americanism, was "trying to keep pace with Jones." If a man possessed a Ford and his neighbour a Packard the former would not rest content until he also was the possessor of the more expensive type of limousine. The present day life in the States seemed to be made up of social rivalry, where everybody was trying to outdo everybody else in the matter of extravagant living. The natural corollary of this was that the credit system was rampant everywhere, and the strangest thing of all was that the stores everywhere themselves displayed notices in their windows inviting credit. This was not due so much to a desire to wait for their cash, as to the fact that everybody else gave credit and the shop running a cash business got little cash and little business.

Another interesting fact mentioned by Mr Grocott was the de-luxe conditions under which the average workman lived. Almost every artisan, he said, possessed a car, to whichv he journeyed to and from his employmentThus there had arisen a new industrial problem—that of parking workmen's cars, and legislation recently enacted made it compulsory for contractors in their specifications to make provision for the parking of the cars for the men to be employed on the job. New Zealand Unknown. Mr Grocott found that New Zealanc. is almost unknown in the States. As an instance of this ignorance—or rather lack of knowledge—one of the leading Rotarians of Salt Lake City asked the speaker this question: "What part of Natal is New Zealand," and when told that New Zealand was k separate country, many thousands of miles from Natal, the questioner expressed great surprise and stated that he was always under the impression that the New Zealanders and the Zulus were one and the same race.

The average American, said Mr Grocott, was exceedingly insular, which was due partly to the fact that the country was largely self-contained and to the further fact that the newspapers publish so little news that is not American.

Referring to educational progress, Mr Grocott stated that the school buildings of California are probably the finest in the world. The Kys'em of education is under both local and State oontrol and the scheme of financing such excellent bufldings is by means of a bond issue. These bonds, in all eases, have either municipal or State backing, according to the type of school, and are freely taken up. Consequently there were wonderful buildings with beautifully laid-out grounds, swimming pools, libraries and cafeterias all within the precincts of the school grounds.

The Rotary Movement.

While in the States Mr Grocott, who is a prominent member of the Hamilton Rotary Club, attended the great International Rotary Convention at Denver, Colorado, where 10,000 delegates attended from 35 different countries. During the week which the convention lasted, one did not exaggerate when one stated that the whole city was given entirely over to Rotary. Every street and building was gaily decorated, and at night wonderfully illuminated and thousands of private cars, bearing the sign "free to visiting Rotarians," were to be seen everywhere. Mr Grocott found that the Rotary movement was one of great importance and influence throughout the United States, attracting to its ranks the very best type of American citizen. The many hundreds of Rotary clubs which were functioning throughout the States were all rendering very valuable community service in their respective localities. As one instance of the type of work which Rotary was doing in America, Mr Grocott stated that the San Francisco Club had organised an establishment for the care of crippled children in the State. These little cripples were put under the care of the most skilled surgeons available for operative treatment and were placed in convalescent homes, and, when completely restored to health and strength, were returned to their respective homes. Summing up his general impressions of the Slates. Mr Grocott declared that notwithstanding their amazing prosperity the Americans lived a hectic life, which was unwholesome compared with the cleaner, quieter and more peaceful existence in every phase of social and political life in New Zealand.

"So you would not care to exchange life in the Dominion for the rush and bustle of the States?" was the final question put to Mr Grocott. "By no means. Little New Zealand will do me," was the reply.