U.S.A.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 281, 12 November 1929, Page 6

U.S.A.

THE BIG CITIES

ENTERPRISE AND ADVERTISING. ADDRESS TO HASTINGS Y’S MEN’S CLUB. At the weekly meeting of the Hastings Y’s Men’s Club, Principal A. Bailiff, of the M.A.C., delivered a very interesting short address on the U.S.A. Air Bailiff said: “Wherever one may go polities seem to fascinate the people of a country. This was especially noticeable shortly pfevious to the recent United States elections. The constitution of the U.S.A, is similar to that of New Zealand in many respects. The Government there is entirely Democratic, being government of the people, for the people, by the people. The President is elected every four years and Senators e*ery six years. As, however, there are Senators retiring by rotation every two years, there are always new members coming in. Each of the States has a number of representatives according to its population. Pernaps, there was one fault with the const!tuion—the lack of a permanent head to stabilise the Government. The Federal Government is the centre of the whole organisation, the States being sub-divisions. “During the recent election Mr Hoover decisively defeated the other candidate for the Presidency, Mr Smith, who was opposed to Prohibition. Mr Hoover was supported by those on the land, the steady-going producers, and there proved to be sufficient of these to overbalance thos o who merely follow the politicians. The victory for Mr Hoover saved the constitution for, if one amendment had had to go, there may of been others as well. There are two great pa-ties, and a rumbling of a third, the Democrats, Republicans and Progressive. POPULATION. “The total population of the U.S.A, is in the region of 120 millions. In New York alone there are 5,648,000 people. Naturally places like New York, and ban Francisco, being gateways into the country, received a lot of foreigners. In New York there are more Jews than there are in Jerusalem, more Italians than there are in Rome, more Irish than in Dublin and more Germans than in Cologne. The population is half-a-million to a square mile. The children, including those of foreigners, must be educated until they reach the age of 18. All this education is free. It is necessary for aliens to learn some English so as to facilitate the finding of work. These people stay in the towns until they receive enough money to move into the country where they settle down. ’ ’ MASS PRODUCTION. There was, said Mr Bailiff, a tremendous amount of capital invested in manufacturing industries, and the manuiacturer had considerable influence with the Government. Mass production was carried on and where there was a large population, this mass production tended to make articles much cheaper. Competition was keen and this fact had given rise to salesmanship and advertising, both of which were carried to a fine art. Au example of the importance and costliness of advertising was the price paid by advertisers for the centre page in the “Saturday Evening Post, ’ ’ an American paper—6s,ool, dol lars for one issue only. A great proportion of the capital invested was invested in largo corporations—c.g., the General Motors. A large corporation such as this was almost ab e to control the market and could push out the single men who competed with them. “Two-fifths of the annual trade is handled by New York,” said Mr Bailiff, ‘ ‘ which has access to the interior of the country through the Hudson and Mohawk Valleys. It handles over half the export trade, with its magnificent harbour and many miles of developed water front. Chicago is another great commercial centre,—the heart of the States—where all the railroads converge. It is connected with the Atlantic Ocean by the Great Lakes, ami the Mississippi River. Other rising cities are Los Angeles, and Seattle, which is situated in a magnificent forest district. Seattle is the centre of the Western manufacturing distiicts, while Los Angelos is noted for its fruit and is the centre of tho oil country.” NATURAL BEAUTIES. Mr Bailiff then commented on the natural beauties of the country, and said that no matter how powerful capital was in America, it had never been able to raise anything nearly equal to that raised by Nature.. In conclusion, Mr Bailiff spoke on the efforts at world peace between Britain and America, and said that to the American people Mr Ramsay MacDonald’s visit would he a welcome sign. Britain and U.S.A, as two of the world’s leading States, had a duty

to perform in maintaining peace, andj as it was necessary to prepare for war so it was necessary to prepare for peace. He agreed with Sir Lloyd George’s remark that if U.S.A and Britain moved together for world peace, no mortal force could resist them. At the conclusion of the address Mr Bailiff was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.