BETTER RELATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 141, 12 December 1923, Page 6

BETTER RELATIONS

AMERICA AND,DOMINIONS

MR.-G. SHIRTCLIFFE'S IMPRESSIONS.

A general desire for improvement in the relations between the United States and the British Dominions in the Pacific was noted by Mr. George Sliirtcliffe, who, with Mrs. Shirtcliffe, Miss J. Shirtcliffe, and Miss L. Morice, returned to Wellington by the Tahiti to-day after a five months' holiday trip to California. In expressing this view to a "Post" reporter, Mr. Shirtcliffe said that the sentiment outlined above really went further, for he had been very pleased to notice the leading newspapers advocating that America should take part in the settlement of European problems. "They are commencing to realise," remarked Mr. Shirtcliffe, "that the United States has some moral obligations to the Powers, with which it was associated in the Great War, and to the world generally. I believe that that sentiment will grow stronger, and that America will ultimately exert considerable influence at the council table of the Powers."

"We have had a wonderful time in California," Mr. Shirtcliffe replied when asked to give some impressions of his tour. "It is a marvellous country. You will reaUse that all the more when 1' tell you that I never Had to put on a raincoat or raise an umbrella since I left Wellington on 26th July. We had continuous sunshine during the whole of our stay. We motored some 5000 miles throughl the State, mostly on concrete highways." Mr. Shirtciffe and party visited the Yosemite Valley, the beauty of which struck them as being very remarkable, and afterwards they returned to San Francisco. They were in San Franeisio when Mr. Massey arrived from New Zealand, and subsequently they motored to Los Angeles and Southern California

"The highways of California are simply superb." declared Mr. Shirtcliffe. "Out of tHe 5000 miles we motored I suppose we travelled for fully 4000 miles over concrete highways." These roads, Mr. Shirtcliffe explained, were maintained by the State, but the cost of mainten : ance was largely borne by motorists who had to pay an annual tax on their cars. "In California, which has a population of about 3,500,000 there are about 1,150,000 motor. vehicles, so that there is enough motor transport to shift • the whole of the population in one trip," said Mr. Shirtcliffe. . ' ■ •

"The congestion of traffic in both San Francisco and Los Angeles, especially Los Angeles, is simply amazing. Unless you have ample time to follow the very slow-moving traffic it is impossible to drive through Los Angeles because.you are held up at every street corner. Cars are parked alongside the kerb on both sides of the streets. Los Angeles is a wonderful city, having grown from about 100,000 in 1900 to about 950,000 to-day. In every direction new residential areas have been laid out, and roaded, drained, and made ready for occupation. These are teing.put on the market, and taken up readily. The rapid growth that has taken place in the population of Los Angeles is indicated by the' fact that there are 1200 new families arriving every week, mostly from the East and Middle West."

The State of California, Mr. Shirtcliffe added, seemed to be highly prosperous, and there appeared to be a plenitude of money, which was spent very freely. Everyone seemed to be happy and contented. , .

Was there any evidence of unemployment? asked the interviewer.

. "No," replied Mr. Shirtcliffa. "On the contrary, wages are very high, and the wage-earners seem to be very contented and well off. Numbers of them have their own motor-cars, and sbriie large manufactories have provided special garage accommodation for their employees."