EXPERIENCE IN U.S.A.

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 20, 24 July 1933, Page 5

EXPERIENCE IN U.S.A.

A DUNEDIN ENGINEER

"'~'y'- "* Teieghaiph.) (Special to the "Evening Post.")

DUNEDIN, This Day.

After two years; in the' United States as a holder of a "Commonwealth Fund fellowship, Mr. T. G. Beck, formerly assistant, district Public Works engineer at Dunedin, returned recently. In his two years' study of hydraulic problems in tho United States Mr. Beck spent'most of his time in fourteen states,- west... of Mississippi. iFor the major period he was working under tho direction' of the Bureau of Reclamation of the United States Federal Government, his principal jobs being on the Hoover Dam at Colorado River, in Arizona, and on tho Sacramento floodcontrol' 'project in California. In public works undertakings American engineering was --very well organised, said Mr. Beck. The technical Bide, was par excellence. The quality of work, design, and construction were all excellent, and 'the 'Americans never lost sight of the facts of the economics of undertakings; they did only what was needed and no better. The feelings of the Americans towards the British were of the very warmest, he said, and he enjoyed wonderful' hospitality everywhere. Once it was known he was a representative of tho New Zealand Government .no information was withheld; in fact, he was' given information by officials thai they would not give to their own people. ' Unemployment in the United States was unbelievably bad, said Mr. Beck. It was estimated that 25,000,000 people were starving or living ,on charity. The banking situation had greatly improved since the Roosevelt Administration entered into office,-and the optimism of the. people was supreme. Even thousands who were face to face with starvation had something bright to say as to the. future. Optimism was very marked. The Americans were an 'irrepressible people who fought their way cut of difficulties.