U.S.A. LETTER.

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 November 1926, Page 8

U.S.A. LETTER.

—««► — MORE EARTHQUAKES. (Our Own Correspondent.) SAN FRANCISCO, November 3. Early on the morning of October 22 San Francisco experienced three earthquakes, the first in years, followed by another shock on Octobei 24. Lurid reports were printed in Eastern papers about the severity of the movements and the amount of damage done. The truth is that tte earthquakes were not heavy, and but trifling damage resulted, and tins only in isolated places. There were frightened people seeking open spaces when the three shocks occurred, but more in anticipation of a severe movement of €lie earth than as an outcome of what had already happened. It is probable that the cables to New Zealand carried the same kind of news that travelled to other portions of the United States, but the writer of these lines, who is very susceptible to earthquakes after sundry experiences in San Francisco in 1906, did not feel two of the shocks and the other two can fairly be termed slight in character. In several of the smalrer towns of California the quakes were more sereve, but no pro

perty loss followed. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has issued an official denunciation of “the evil of earthquake damage in this city sent out by press associations.” The fact was deploied that the newspapers “played up the event “in scare heads and m sensationally false stories.” Kirtiey F. Mather, chairman ot the Department of Geology at Harvard University, has issued a statement that “engineering and architects al genius have made San Fran . c \ sB ° 'T' tually immune from danger thioug om-thanakes ” The professor is one of the world’s foremost seismologists and he classifies this city as “best able of all the cities in the world to deal with an earthquake.” Frofe ? s °’’ Mather is popular in San Francisco *C&» is in one or the worlds earthquake zones, and the Indians have a legend that the peninsula on which San Francisco is situated will one day disappear into the sea ' ™ is not exactly comforting doctune. but no one can forecast ivheie - next heaw quake will occur. Shocks •re known all over the world, and eastern see. lons ot the States have had them ior the fust time in recent years. Their death toll is negligible compared to tornadoes and thelike San Francisco claims to have erected earthquake-proof skyscrapers, some of them lunning ip into the air for thirty stories, and elaborate preparation has been. made for a water service if the lognuu mains are disturbed It remains o be seen what consideration mH >’C riven bv Mother Earth to man-made plans when the next heavy v>s>tat,on is in play. x STRANGE ITEMS. In the large American cities one can read of unusual happenings in the papers. if. there is the least "human interest’ element in the event, a sob sister or brother from the. journal’s staff is sure to be to the job of “playing up the occurrence. . Recently in San braneisco the was held the yearly sale ot the strange collection made by the Police Department. Stolen goods dead prisoners’ effects, found ai tides, these and many other avenues B °£‘ tribute to a display once a yeai that would give a magic pen opportanitj j for a weird article. Nearly two years ago a respected citizen woke up one morning to find a tombstone, minus I inscription, in the middle ot Ins lawn. No claimant appeared tor the property. At the first sale there was no bidder. A few days ago. a woman in black bid a small sum for the stone. It was found she wanted it for her son’s grave, that she was a widow, and the papers were in their glory writing up the “human element side. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has just ordered “harness for an elephant.” This furnished light ' food for the press humourists, file elephant is a junior member ot his race that is tied up in Golden Gate Park for the use of the youngsters at the play ground. A horse ran away from somewhere outside of San Francisco and lushed madly down the main streets, it was without an owner, seemingly, and had no marks of identification. I hero may seem, at first glance, to be nothing strange about a runaway horse, but the people of San Francisco had just about forgotten there is such an animal extant, for one is hardly ever seen around in these days of automobiles, and the horse was equally surprised at the sights and played havoc. . with the efforts to lead him out. into the back country. / Los Angeles .and Chicago do not permit "Dobbin to travel down town. INFANT DEATH RATE.

All over the world the Dominion s fine record in saving life is pointed to as showing the way that should be followed by other nations. Dr Truby King’s name is frequently mentioned in this connection. One of the notable women of this nation is Miss Grace Abbott, chief of the United States’ Children’s Bureau. In an address delivered in San Francisco, she said: “We have an infant death rate of 200,000 a year in this country, twice as high as that of New Zealand. We claim that we have greater goodwill, intelligence and medical skill than New Zealand, and yet New Zealand gives us no rest, but keeps its death rate going down and down. Our present rate fluctuates around 70 per cent. It used to be 100. The lowest in the country is 50. We hope to establish a new lower level.

“It is not the richest‘State or country which does the most for its children, but the one which cares the most. If the needs of the children were really known in this rich country of ours, there would be plenty of money forthcoming to meet them, for the child programme is irresistible. Therefore it is not so important for the Bureau to make investigations as it is that people should read about those that it has made. Much more necessary than the money we want , for our cause is the understanding we get. It is far more gainful that . what is good for the child' be attained . than that our organisation should continue in any one set form. There is no crop in California like its children, the one for which it will really be known the world over.” Then Miss Abbott pleaded for a new standard in regard to the health of children to come out of the west, but she evidently overlooked the fact that if it takes “goodwill, intelligence and medical skill,” to save human life, then New Zealand must have these qualifications in order to hold the world’s record. A COLOURFUL QUEEN. ' Queen Marie of Rumania is cut- - ting quite a figure in the United ’ States these days, She is proving exceedingly popular, though slightly temperamental, a right queens are j supposed to posses. Californians are . disappointed that the Queen is unlikej ly to travel this far, for she had alj ways expressed her intention of view- ■ ing the Golden Gate and its scenic 4 wonders.. The reason for the alteration of the programme is given as the refusal of the Southern Pacific Company to move the Royal/frain for one dollar over its western lines. Other h railways, agreed to this concession, „ English newspapers are • beginning

to poke fun at the Americans foi r their attitude towards Queen Mario. 1 There has been a mixture of toady- s ing and democracy that has prov ed ‘ laughable to those on the sid-* lines, t Such momentous problems as whe- c ther spats should be worn in the i approach to the Queen, whether it is s correct to back in or back out of the t room where she is, or whether the c royal hand should or should not be f kissed, afford mirth to tile readers of t the newspapers that comment freely < on the funny doings. t The Queen is proving “a good t sport” as the Americans tjay. When 1 she is in a tight place she gets out , graciously. For instance, the übiqui- i tous photographers on the papers, 1 when sent out to get pictures, know I no command except “get them.” One < night Queen Marie 1 , was dining. Two : photographers “crashed the gate,” . suddenly appeared with their outfits : in the dining room, and when the i Queen expressed a surprise to which she was entitled and said “You can- i not take my picture now, my mouth is ; full of food,” one of the men replied, i “Never mind, Queen, we will wait un- < til your mouth is empty.” AUSTRALIAN COMMISSIONER. Sir Hugh Denison arrived on October 29th to take up his official duties as Australian Commissioner to the United States. He was cordially greeted by the business men of San Francisco, lunched, and otherwise entertained. The California branch of the English-speaking Union gave a dinner in honour of Sir Hugh and his wife. The Commissioner stressed the friendship and co-operation existing between the two countries, their similarity 'in size and natural resources, and the perpetuation of white supremacy. He advocated compulsory voting. Unfortunately. Commissioner Denison was, tactless in discussing the burning problem of prohibition in the United States. He said: “They will never slip prohibition over on Australians as they slipped it over here.” Two reasons stand out among many for the belief that the statement was an error. First, the official Commissioner from one country to another ought not to sneer at the organic law of the new land he enters. Second, there was no “slipping over.” regardless of public or private views on the main subject. The first prohibition amendment was introduced into the United States Congress by Congressman Blair of New Hampshire in 1576. So far as the U.S. Constitution is concerned, the amendment has been to the fore in public consideration for fhn intervening fifty V3ars, and for

nearly one hundred years the fight has been on in the States. The additional general charge that the “dry” law was “slipped over” while the soldiers were at war is pure buncombe. Thirty-three States had voted “dry” before war was declared, some of them months and many of them years before. All the members of the State Legislatures that voted for the Eighteenth Amendment were elected before men were called to the colours. If there had been no war, there couldn’t have been a particle of difference, because* the Legislatures do the voting on Constitutional Amendments. If the two or three million soldiers had been home and voting, scattered all over forty-eight States, their vote could not have changed the situation on any important legislation, pending or passed. As stated, the soldiers, like other citizens, cannot vote directly on such an issue as amending the Constitution. It is too bad this is the case, but it is the law. Two-thirds in Congress and forty-six out of forty-eight States do not support a charge of "slipping over.” PERSONAL ITEMS. Rabbi and Mrs Charles Pitkowsky of Wellington, are in San Francisco, en route to Winnipeg, Canada, to be present at the wedding of their daughter. Miss Minnie Pitkowsky, to Dr Abram Hollenberg. Philip C. Hall delivered an illustrated lecture on New Zealand before the Oakland (California) Ebell Society on November 2. Brigadier-General W. <’■ Anderson, of the British army, accompanied by his Wife, has sailed from San Francisco for Japan and New Zealand. The General served thirty years with the army in India. Galli-Curci, who sang in New Zealand last year, gives a concei t in the San Francisco Auditorium on Novem her 9th. At this writing, she is touring the northwestern cities, in eluding Portland. Tacoma. Seattle Spokane and Vancouver. The famous coloratura soprano dedicated the new Buffalo (N.Y.) Consistory Audi toriuni, appearing before 9000 people