SCOTLAND TO-DAY

Evening Star, Issue 22578, 20 February 1937, Page 20

SCOTLAND TO-DAY

BIG CHANGES IN CITIES IDLE MEN AT STREET CORKERS SHORTAGE OF SKILLED ARTISANS After an absence of 47 years Mr W. B, Steel recently visited Scotland to renew the associations of his youth, and in the course of an interview with the ‘ Star ’ to-day gave his impressions of his nine months’ tour, IDLE UNEMPLOYED. “ The primary object of my visit was to .represent the Scottish Freemasons in New Zealand at the bi-cen-tenary celebrations of the Grand Lodge of Scotland,” said Air Steel. “ I also tool; the opportunity of making contacts with different branches of the friendly society with which I am associated. and, like all good Scots, 1 visited the homes and haunts of my childhood. In many ways I found my

native land little changed. The Grampians still stand, and the little burns run down to the sea in the same tinkling manner as of old. But in the homes of men the changes are many, and, in some cases, deplorable.” The great industrial city of Glasgow had, as far as its suburbs were concerned, changed out of all recognition. In the older portion of the city one felt at home, but in the suburbs one felt absolutely and utterly lost. Very often Mr Steel had to look up to the sun to get an idea of his whereabouts, and to steer a course to extricate himself from a suburban maze. He considered that the saddening part of his visit was to see the number of idle men congregating at street corners and in the parks. Several of his friends assured him that these men had not done a stroke of work for years, and, what was most regrettable, clid not seem to have any inclination to do any in the future. From old family friends _ and associates connected with shipping. Mr Steel learned of a grave fear that there would be a shortage of skilled artisans in the near future as a result of the inability of the firms to secure apprentices during the depression and the disinclination of the younger men to take nn the work as they grew older. ‘‘lt will be a disaster for this great shipbuilding centre if in the busy years that lie ahead it should be unable to cope with the numerous orders that will be placed by the British Government and the big commercial firms,” added Mr Steel. The general feeling in England was that the period of depression had passed, and that the country was on the eve of a return, if not to the peak of former prosperity, at least to a great measure of that prosperity. THE NATIONAL CRISIS. “I’m proud that I’m British!” said Mr Steel. “ I don’t believe that any other nation on the face of the eartli would have gone through that startling crisis of last December _ without the guns being out. When it comes to a serious matter the great stolid heart of Britain goes back to the safe ways of old, and the behaviour of the whole nation during this period of trial was proof that its heart is still sound.” “RAFFERTY” RULES FOR TRAFFIC. Mr Steel broke his journey at Perth for a fortnight, and, as a result of a mishap to a steamer on which he was scheduled to sail, went overland. Of the three capital cities he visited in Australia he certainly preferred Perth. In the first place, it was not too big, and its delightful setting on the broad River Swan appealed to him immensely. The look-out from the King’s Park was very reminiscent of the view across the Otago Harbour from Mount. Cargill. “In the great city of Sydney, however, I saw several things that were almost hair-raising,” continued Mr Steel. “ The trams there, with few exceptions, still use the old outboard platform on which the conductor hangs precariously, collecting fares at the risk of his life. Dunedin people will remember that this system was condemned and abandoned here over 30 years ago. In traffic matters generally Sydney appears to I be working under Rafferty’s rules.’ They have discarded the light control system as being too slow for them, and permit passengers to alight from either side of trams in narrow streets. The authorities contend that these people have only one line of traffic: to dodge before they reach the footpath.” DEVELOPMENT OF TROLLEY BUSES. Mr Steel noted at Homo that the practice there was largely along the lines of developing the trolley bus at the expense of the tramway. Extensions through the outer suburbs bad been made in this way. and the authorities were actually lifting several linns of tramways and replacing them with this more modern method of locomotion. When one saw the ease with which these buses swung into the kerb and discharged passengers with safety, while three lines of traffic passed cm unchecked in the roadway, one saw the 'n-eat advantages which accrued from tiie system. If any change were contemplated in Dunedin, Mr Steel considered that the authorities would be well advised to investigate the possibilities of such a scheme, more especially as they could have the use of their own power instead of imported oil.