THE AMERICAN WHY

Evening Star, Issue 22249, 29 January 1936, Page 15

THE AMERICAN WHY

CONTROL OF TRAFFIC DR CHOLEFIELD RETURNS WOMEN’S EQUALITY Certain aspects of American manners and methods that impressed him were outlined in an interview by Dr Guy H. Scholefield, Parliamentary Librarian, who returned to Wellington this week from an extended tour abroad, daring which he visited many national libraries. The movement and control of traffic in the United States was a phase with which he was particularly impressed. He told a ‘Post’ reporter that the control of motor traffic in American cities has met with very varying measures of success. “The red and green lights, working automatically at corners and controlling the movement of both wheel and foot traffic, seem to enable the maximum of foot and wheel traffic to use the streets with the greatest speed,” he stated. “ As a general rule pedestrians are not permitted to cross the street at all except at the corners, where their safety zone is marked with white lines, and occasionally in the middle of a block, where again white lines appear. The white line is also generally used down the centre of the road to keep traffic on its correct side. These lines are very rarely ignored by motorists. “ The corner of Fifth Avenue and 42nd street in New York, the corner of Madison and State streets in Chicago, and the corner of Broadway and Seventh street in Los Angeles are claimed to be three of the busiest corners in the world. OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE. “ Los Angeles is an outstanding example of successful traffic control. In area it is larger than London; its population is about one and a-half millions. It has many fine broad boulevards; and it has something like a million registered cars and trucks within the urban area. _ One can imagine that over such vast distances traffic must go at the highest possible speed. It does, in fact, go faster in Los Angeles than anywhere else I know. The control and the conduct of the drivers are both excellent. The white lines are observed scrupulously, whether police are near or not. It is interesting well out in the country to come across cars . stopped at corners before turning into traffic lanes which may be quite clear. The rule is that traffic may not turn into a principal street or road without stopping ; and there are many corners elsewhere where cars coming any way must stop before crossing. Though this would probably be resented in advance, experience shows that it has excellent results. By observing these rules and

being confident that pedestrians will play their part, motors can safely travel at their top speed between the controls. Horns are rarely sounded in Los Angeles except to admonish a driver who is offending against the traffic rules or cluttering up the street. 'Trespass on the wrong side of the white line is very rare. BUT OVER 1,000 KILLED. “ In spite of the good conduct of drivers and the efficacy of the rules there are still many accidents' in <Los Angeles; last year over 1,000 persons were killed. The city and motorists together are constantly trying to devise new methods pf reducing the slaughter. The co-operation of drivers and pedestrians is commendable.” STATUS OF WOMEN. Dr Scholefield was very, much struck b.v the strong position enjoyed by women in the United States. “ They have a considerable amount of equality with men in business and the professions, and are permitted, moreover, to hold their positions to an advanced age so long as they are efficient,” explained Dr Scholefield. “ Marriage is no disqualification ; they continue to hold their positions so long as they can carry out their duties. The library profession, of course, is a noteworthy career for women in America. They not only predominate considerably in numbers, but are almost equally eligible. with men for the higher posts. Two of the largest libraries in the world, Los Angeles and Cleveland, are controlled by women, and in the latter the whole staff are women. Then many of the State librarians are women.’ In Great Britain, too, women seem to be conquering the equality position, though they are not relatively so strong in the profession as in the States.” UNIVERSITY LIFE. “The university life of America is always interesting,” he continued. “ One hesitates to draw hasty conclusions, but I was greatly impressed by the importance of the alumni organisations in the life of the American university. Apart altogether from the fraternities and sororities, every university has its graduates thoroughly organised, and the part which the alumni organisations play is of vast service, to the university and not less, I fancy, to the graduates themselves. It keeps them more or less in touch with university life; it enables them, if they wish to prosecute their education in later life; and it brings the individual every year into contact with, his fellows of student days. On the other hand, the influence of these great bodies of alumni in obtaining financial and other benefits for their alma mater has produced imposing results, which are evident on every university campus in. the country. The alumni are largely responsible for bringing the university in touch with the general public and keeping it in touch.”