AN AUCKLANDER ABROAD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 186, 7 August 1900, Page 2

AN AUCKLANDER ABROAD.

IMPRESSIONS OF ENGLAND AND

AMERICA

To-day a "Star" reporter, in the course of conversation with Mr Alexander Knight, well known in business circles in Auckland, and elsewhere in New Zealand, gamed some interesting jottings concerning Mr Knight's impressions while travelling recently in America and England. This gentleman has just returned to Auckland after an extensive business tour through the United States and the Old Country. While in London he was appointed manager of I3ing, Harris and Co.'s business in New Zealand, and he will shortly take up his residence in Dunedin.

"When I was in America," said Mr Knight in reply to a question, "1 was particularly impressed by the brisk state of trade there. To give one instance, I went to a firm in Milwaukee, the largest firm of electrical engineers, I suppose, in the world, in connection with orders for gold dredging machinery for New Zealand, and I was informed that they could not do the work; they were busy with orders for five years ahead, from all parts of the world. When I was at Grand Rapids (Michigan) I had a look at the big furniture manufactories there. • They are turning out an immense amount of furniture at very cheap prices. This is accounted for by the very low wages they pay their workmen. The labour is all white, and the people are very poorly paid. When I was there I found that a labourer, a man who shifts timber, only gets a dollar a dny.' ' In connection with business in America, Mr Knight ventured the opinion that before very long there will be, another big commercial crash there, similar to the real estate boom collapse of some years back. Americans, he says, are plunging heavily into speculations in all sorts of bonds, and the result is not hard to foresee. As to political matters, Mr Knight saw a good deal of political conventions, etc. in the States, and when he left America it was generaly considered that President McKinley would be reelected President; there was not much doubt about it.

Speaking of the American railways, Mr Knight says he noticed a vast improvement in the trans-Con-tinental lines since when he was last in America in 1893. The railway trip from San Francisco to New York has now been reduced to four days, and it is reckoned that in another twelve months it will be further shortened to 3* days.

"There are some big things in Ainejntrtrj —nrxxnn —«r-uicc" * —q-instuc'Ji C pjiC"' vionsly an immense new hotel has been put up in New York, the Waldorf Astoria, which contains 1494 rooms. It is nearly always full. The frulk of the bedrooms have bathrooms attached. Thg, cost of a bed per night ranges from four dollars up to any price." "In England," Sir Knight went on, "I travelled a great deal through the manufacturing districts, and heard on every, hand that business had not been bo brisk for very many years. The conditions of the labouring population are vastly improved, especially in regard to their tenements. Small insanitary buildings have been pulled down all over the place and large new buildings have been erected and sets of rooms leased on very cheap terms to the poorer class. During all my three and a half months' stay in England I waa never accosted by a beggar or asked for alms—n vastly different state of things to that which existed in 1893, when I was last in England. In fact, the general opinion, I found, was that England had never seen such prosperity for the last hundred years. Throughout the country I heard but one cry, and that was impossible to get labour." . Mr, Knight spoke of the intense excitement which existed in England in connection with the war. "The excitement in London on the return of H.M,s. Powerful's men was stated never to have been equalled, even at the Queen's Jubilee. The line of route, five miles long, was simply one great sea of heads. The demonstrations on the relief of Ladysmith, Kimberley and Mafeking were immense affairs. The only instance of rowdyism I know of happened when a man called for three cheers for Krugtfr." He was hustled and knocked down by the crowd, and his leg was broken. He was taken to the hospital and died in a few hours. At a large house in the West End one day someone hung out a black flag. Every window in the house, front and back was immediately smashed."

While in London Mr Knight was present at a great banquet given in the Hotel Cecil to the colonial delegates, and in acknowledgement of the services rendered to the Empire in South Africa by the colonial forces. Over 600 guests were present, and it was a most enthusiastic affair. .One of the best speeches was that made by Lieut.Colonel Denniston, who had travelled all the way from Canada to attend the banquet. The Boer war has, in Mr Knight's opinion, turned out the beet advertisement for New Zealand that could pos-, sibly have happened. English people were profoundly astonished and delighted by the patriotism shown by the colonies in sending troops to South Africa and by the bravery of the colonials in the field. He received the greatest hospitality while in England on that account, simply because he came from New Zealand. The English people could not do enough for a New Zealander. In conclusion, referring to the trade route between America and New Zealand Mr Knight said he believed the advent of the new class of mail steamers would do a great deal to help on the trade between here and the States. Even now cargo is being shut out at San Francisco every trip, for want of hold space, and the new vessels -will be a great improvement. A special feature of the passenger accommodation in the new steamers is that all the cabins are to be fitted with electric fans, which ~will add greatly to the comfort of voyaging through the tropics at the Paoific.