Random Recollections Of A Flight To Britain

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28397, 2 October 1957, Page 10

Random Recollections Of A Flight To Britain

[By

S. V. GLASGOW,

Chief Sub-editor of "‘The Press”]

The tourist industry is big business in the Territory of Hawaii, and it is going to be a lot bigger. In Honolulu they are looking forward to the jet age, which will bring the islands within four hours of the mainland, and they expect the big airliners to be unloading their hundred or so passengers at frequent intervals.

The fabulous American industrialist, Henry J. Kaiser, has moved into Honolulu, in a big way. With one stroke, or possibly two, of his magic wand he has created the Hawaiian Village holiday centre out of a former slum and swamp area on Waikiki Beach.

Tne Hawaiian Village Hotel is at present the centrepiece of this holiday area of cabins and nativestyle houses. It is a 14-storey building containing 360 rooms, and was completed in a fantastically short time. We were told that the concrete was poured at the rate of a floor a day, and that guests occupied the lower floors as they were finished, while work proceeded on the floors higher up. In this hotel were accommodated the New Zealand and Australian journalists who recently flew over Pan American’s Polar route to London.

Eggs and Marmalade It was here that we were introduced to the American custom of holding business or semi-busi-ness meetings over the breakfast table, and also a curious (to us) eating habit. Those of us who had ordered ham and eggs were con-

fronted by a huge platter containing not only the eggs, but also several slices of toast, ready buttered and piled up on one side of the plate. We had barely begun on the eggs when a waitress offered a choice of marmalade, jelly or jam. We chose marmalade, and a large portion was promptly placed on the edge of the same plate. While we were engaged in a losing battle to prevent the flood of egg yolk from reaching the marmalade we observed that our American hosts were not in the least concerned. Indeed, they were eating alternate mouthfuls of ham and egg and toast and marmalade. A Test of Service It was also in this hotel that the service was put to what we considered a great test. One New Zealander, on returning to his room at 3.15 a.m., insisted that he make arrangements then and there for some laundry to be done. Ignoring the protests of his room-mate he lifted the telephone and made his request. It seemed not to occasion the slightest surprise. “Certainly, sir. If it suits you, the boy will pick up your laundry at 7.45 a.m.” At 7.45 a.m. there was a tap on the door and the laundry was collected. It is a pity to have to record that when the laundry came back that evening there was a strange shirt in the parcel, and one New Zealand shirt was missing. Doubtless it has now come home by mail, as promised. Pearl Harbour After lunch at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel as guests of the Matson Navigation Company, we were driven out to the great naval base of Pearl Harbour. Here an admiral’s barge awaited us, with sparkling paint and varnish, shining chromium and snowy cushions. There are still signs of that disastrous December day of 1941. From the remarks of the naval journalist who accompanied us. and from casual conversations with many civilian residents of the islands, it is apparent that the United States is determined that there will never be another Pearl Harbour surprise. The U.S.S. Arizona still lies where she sank, a grave for some 1100 men. The ship is regarded as being still in commission. A tall flagpole has been erected on the wreck, and the United States flag is hoisted with proper ceremony every morning, and lowered at sunset. U.S. Freeways The traffic in Honolulu was no greater than in one of the larger New Zealand cities at a busy time, and apart from driving on the wrong side of the road held no terrors for the visitor.

But in California it was different. Here we saw dense traffic on the great freeways and highways. The cars tear along at 60 to 70 miles an hour in four lanes, and you can overtake on either side. On the other side of a raised kerbing about three feet wide, four lanes of traffic are streaming in the opposite direction at an equal speed. Among the cars and station waggons are huge diesel trucks, perhaps towing one or two trailers, and their vertical exhausts send great clouds of reeking black diesel fumes into the air. Among these long bulbous cars and mammoth trucks we occasionally saw an English 8 h.p. or 12 h.p. model, looking very small but keeping up nevertheless. The taxi-driver who took us cut to the airport regaled us with stories of accidents on the freeways. As the cars travel at such speed and keep barely a length apart, the accidents are usually severe; but they have surprisingly few. It was about 7 a.m. and the city-bound traffic was beginning. “Right now,” said the driver, “that road is pretty clear. In another half hour she’ll be busy. Yes, sir! Nose to tail then.” To New Zealand eyes it seemed busy right then, and nine out of 10 of these huge cars contained only the driver.

"Why don’t they come in by

bus?” we asked our taximan. “No, sir,” he replied. “No United States citizen will ride a bus if he has an automobile.” And so, with this fierce Independence extending even to personal transport, and the tremendous length of their cars, the Americans multiply their parking and traffic problems. Model Communities

The population'of California is growing rapidly as new industries are started and labour attracted from the east. In San Mateo county, on the peninsula and to the south of San Francisco, they are building complete new communities. Here may be seen town planning at its best. It must be much easier to locate industrial, business and residential areas when “starting from scratch” than to attempt to impose a plan on an already established city. In the shopping centres the delivery trucks go underground, and the goods reach the shops by lift. It was Sunday afternoon when we were there, and the supermarket we visited was doing a busy trade. Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. The assistants work a 40-hour five-day week. In Honolulu the department stores were thronged on Saturday morning, and on a Saturday afternoon in Paris they were jammed tight. In all of them the cash registers were playing a merry tune.

(To be Concluded.)