"GAME OF CHANCE."

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 70, 23 March 1934, Page 7

"GAME OF CHANCE."

ROOSEVELT'S HAZARD. CONFIDENCE IN PRESIDENT. —— j GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE. "Roosevelt is in the same position as a man playing a big game of chance, ajid playing it well," said Sir John Vicars, a. prominent Sydney wool merchant, who is a through passenger by the Mariposa from Los Angeles. "The people appear to have confidence in this man because he is playing the game with great determination. I firmly believe that things are better in the United States to-day than a year ago, but they have a long way to go yet. The president is certainly the best man America has had for many a long day. I can safely say that Australia and New Zealand have not felt the depression to the same extent as the United States.**

Sir John said that a notable feature of both San Francisco and Los Angeles was the number of empty properites. Big houses were a burden to the owners and were not bringing half the price asked three or four years ago. Los Angeles was perhaps in a better position financially than San Francisco owing to the film industry. "The pictures being produced are generally speaking of a stereotyped variety and not very high class,"' he said. "Artists continue to receive fabulous salaries 'on paper,' but it is common knowledge that they are not paid anything like the sums attributed to them.

Referring to the bridge being constructed across the Golden Gate, Sir John said enough work had been done to give some idea of the structure and it was by no means impressive. The piers looked like match boxes, and he had come to the conclusion that in appearance it would not compare with Sydney bridge. "It looks too fragile," he commented. "Of course, it is not being built for railway or trams and is purely for foot and vehicular traffic. The bridge is not to connect two great population centres, either, the idea being that it will be used mostly by holiday trippers. This undertaking certainly has the look of being more political than commercial." In relation to high tide the bridge would, be 15ft higher than the Sydney bridge. It was to cost approximately £3,000,000. Another bridge, eight miles in length, was in course of erection which would be the longest in the world. It would connect San Francisco with. Oakland. The span was largely across shallow water.

"The tramways of 'Frisco are an abomination," concluded Sir John. "They are more like light railways. The cars are built of iron and the noise they make is fearsome.**