BEAUTIFUL ROADS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIV, Issue 252, 2 October 1924, Page 6

BEAUTIFUL ROADS.

PROHIBITION A FARCE. IMPRESSION OF AMERICA* The roads are beautiful. Traffic control is good. Prohibition is a farce. The Americans are a very kind, hospitable people. Those, brieflyj are the impressions of America gathered from Mr. F. E. Graham, of Christchurch, who has just returned from a visit to the land of Stars and Stripes. Mr. Graham was in company with Mr. J. C. Clarkson, and although both are prominent trotting men in this country they saw only one meeting, a fixture held by. the Driving Club, of San Francisco, at which a lot of second-class horses, were engaged. They also paid a visit to the stables of the widely-known trainer. Mr. Billings, at Santa Barbara, and saw, running about in their paddock, the oldtime world-famous champions Uhlan and Lou Dillon. That was all they >uw of trotting. Air. Graham travelled over about 2500 miles of wonderful Californian run <s, paced highways of concrete or asphalt. With the exception ;f a few dirt mountain roads, which w-.ire Lad, the roads were splendid.

Ihe number of automobiles ri ise was tremendous, but the traffic seemed to be well regulated. Motorists dared not disobey the traffic policemen who director their movements in the towns, and mounted policemen patrolled the streets, and came down sharply and suddenly on any who infringed the traffic laws. In the country traffic “cops” on high-powered motor cycles waited for speedists, chased and overhauled them, and quickly saw the law was enforced.

Speaking of prohibition, Mr. Graham said that he was impressed, as most travellers would be, with the fact that prohibition in America is absolutely farcical. People could procure drink wherever they wanted. He saw more drunken men in Seattle than could be found in New Zealand in a month, and many people to whom he spoke on the matter considered that there was no prohibition in America. Everyone was breaking the law, and although the liquor that could be obtained might not be first-class, any sort of spirits—whisky, gin. brandy—could be obtained.

The Americans are a very kindly people and went out of their way to give the visitors a pleasant time. They showed great intrest in New Zealand, of which they know comparatively nothing, and expressed surprise when told a few facts about this country.