NEW YORK IN WAR TIME

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3149, 30 July 1917, Page 7

NEW YORK IN WAR TIME

NEW ZEALAND BUSINESS MAN'S

IMPRESSIONS

WAR, FEVER, CRIME AND

FASHION

Among those who have recently returned from America is Mr. W. J. S. Hayward, the ladies' tailor, of Wellington, who has been visiting New York in search of new ideas, that city being tho acknowledged centre of the world of fashion at the present time. War on Germany had been, deolared by the time Mr. Hayward reached the great lanetropolisi and tho usual symptoms of 'war fever was observable in the general of tho people. It seemed to Mr. ■ Hayward that, before the declaration, the people of tho United States wished •to shut their eyes to the great war-to push it beyond the range of their thoughts, but with tho declaration a «?«■. fceHn S. tegan *P manifest itKelt. When he was in New York everyone between nineteen and fifty-one years of age was required to register, to be called Tip by ballot in sections as they were needed for homo or foreign service, tonscnptloii was adopted from the outset, so that all knew exaotly where they were. . America, says Mr. Hay1j ' i! 0 ? ly Ta ? U6 'y realised the magnitude ot her task. Some feeling was manifested, for example, at the receipt of the news of the death of an American aviator at the front. From that Mr. Hayyard judges that not until the casualty lists-begin to arrive will the war-come homo to tho nation. Ho believes that America will make good at the front, «nd-may prove to be the determining iactor in tho great conflict,, as her resources simply staggered' one. . German agents l were everywhere, but were being Jiunted down with great energv. Disaffection of any kind was handled in a rery thorough and. efficient, manner. All police officers in New York and other big centres carried' their batons in their hands, and it. was their habit to Wt first and ask questions afterwards. Experience had taught them that was the snfest- course. Still crime was very shocking in America to the eyes and senses o? a. New Zealander. When Mr. 'HaywaTd was in New York,,a sensational fiirl-murder case was . occupying more space in the papers than the war. A 'high school girl named Kruger disappeared suddenly as though the earth '.had swallowed her. .It actually had. She yas last seen going into a cycle" shop to Slave' 6ome repairs done to her roller skates. Tho police could not trace her further, but a lady detective got to work and found the remains of the girl, fearfully hacked about, biiried in the ground under the cellar of the cycle shop. The futility of the police caused the authorities to institute inquiries as to general effectiveness of police action in murder cases. The inquiry elicited tho fact that during the previous six months 85 Jnurders had been committed in New York in which no culprit had been apprehended. It was a great and alarming scandal. The "white slave" traffic was as bad as «ver, and girls were' being decoyed in a manner that was terriblo to contemplate. 'A girl would go into a shop and never be heard of again, or oiie would make an inquiry as to the address of some place, and a procurer on the alert, would direct them to some _ address, that was only a trap—and having entered the doors of such places they were never heard of again. The police came under suspicion of \ having been bribed to silence over these horrifying transactions.

Turning' to something more cheerful, Sir. Hayward said that ho nevor saw an ill-dressed woman in Now York. The city was a period of unparalleled and everyone appeared to bo well and stylishly dressed. The ladies' dress business of New York •—of all America—was a.wonderful study. It was- in tho hands of about 5000 firms, nearly all of them foreign Jews—Potash and Perlmuttors in .tho flesh. They wore keen, acute business men, eager to seize on a new idea, with a keen sense of what •was' likely to catch. . Foreign languages •were" to bo heard evorywhere among those men, none of whom seemed to have heard of New Zealand at all. Their business -was in • America, and outside geography did not concern them in tho least degree. Still-when "fresh fields and pastures new" for their clothes were opened to view they were eager to do business. The firms nearly all specialise; that is to say, one firm will make ladies' skirts only, another suits (coats and skirts), another "rompers" for children, another undorclothing, nnd so on, they are all keen and up to tho minute. Mr. Hayward said that in New York ho met Mrs. Zachariah, sen., formerly of Christchurch and • ■ Wellington, hor daughters, Misses Esther and Sophie Zachariah, and Mrs. Schwartz, and Mr. .Joseph Zachariah, of Wellington, who was paying New York a visit. Miss Sophie'Zachariah has developed into an expert dress designer, and earns 250 dollars (£SO) a week. Miss Esther Zachariah is also big money at tho same interesting business. Mr. Joe Zachariah is returning • shortly ~io New Zealand.