THE UNITED STATES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10220, 14 December 1893, Page 6

THE UNITED STATES.

A NEW ZBALANDES’S IMPRESSIONS. The following' extracts from a letter received from Mr A* • Howland, who left Christchurch for the United States m July last, will be read with interest: — The United Slates of to-day are very different to what they wera eight months aiT oj before the!Cle?eland GoVOiTiment took office. Then everything was in a most flourishing and prosperous condition, but now there is the most severe depression thpt has been experienced here since the great financial crisis of 1837. There are hundreds of manufactories from one end of the States to tho other that are shut down altogether; some that usually employ hundreds of hands now have five or six just to keep the factories open, others working half time. I have visited a great many of these factories, and am giving you facts. All through the States there are thousands of people out of employment. In Chicago alone there are thousands of people with nothing to do, and with no money to purchase the comforts of life. S On vacant lands beside tho railway, where the great Columbus statue is erected, you will see hundreds lying on the ground all day sleeping there in the sun, as they have no place to sleep at night, and I shudder to think what is to become of these poor creatures when winter comes. * * * I suppose you know that when Cleveland was elected nine years ago, he promised the electors that he would revise the Customs tariff on freetrada lines, but a majority in both Houses were against him, consequently he could do nothing. He promised the same at his last election, but I think he is frightened to tackle it. So to draw a red herring across the tariff track, he called an extra session to consider the silver question, which no doubt you have read all, about. Of course the suspension of the purchase of silver has been the means of closing the mines, and has caused thousands of people to be thrown out of work. The impurter will not purchase, and the manufacturer will not start, until they know what is to. be done with the tariff. The importer | thinks if the tariff is revised on freetrada lines he will bo able to save the duty; the manufacturer is waiting to know what he has got to contend with in the shape of freetrade. In the meantime tho manufacturers are losing money by their factories being closed, and workmen are earning nothing; so having no purchasing power to purchase goods, the > tradespeople are doing but very little The depression lias become very great, and I have no idea what will bo the end of it. The people in business are crying out very much that they cannot get money for the business they are doing, although, it has been good times all throughthe States until recently, and the people have made money very fast. Millionaires are very plentiful here. They can be counted by hundreds; we have them from one end of the States to the other. Wo have two within five hundred yards of where I live. Denver is a city of seventy thousand inhabitants and it has thirteen millionaires, and the city is only about twenty-five years old. In my travels east I saw some very poor land and a great quantity of splendid land. The Sacramento Valley is a picture with its thousands of acres o£ orchards and vineries. Nebraska State from on© end to the other seemed to me like" au agricultural district worth living in. We rode through hundreds of miles of beautiful corn fields, with towns and beautiful villages springing up all along the line. lowa is also a good State. Of course the Illinois people claim that their State is the best; it has the great lake to assist its commerce, no end of railways, and the wonderful Chicago, with its million and a half of people for its centre; but I like Nebraska, although it has only railways to carry its produce, and Denver for its nearest market outside the State. If I was twenty years younger I would be quite willing to settle in Nebraska. I saw some grand scenery in passing over the Eocky Mountains. Wo were fourteen thoiuaiid feet high,' with rocks towering five hundred feet above us. They were in all conceivable shapes and forms, but they were only rooks, with nothing in the chape of foliage to relieve them or to make the scenery look lovely like that in New Zealand. There was nothing approaching the beautiful seescry on the West Coast road, down tho Otira Gorge. One could say tho scenery was grand, but not beautiful.. I caw many large cities. Some, one could, say, were beautiful, and some were anything but beautiful. San Francisco, if China Town could be removed from it altogether, would ba a fine city. Thera are splendid business buildings, grand hotels and fine residences, but China Town is a disgrace to the city. There are 350,000 inhabitants, and out of that number 40,000 are Chinese. Oakland is a city oil about 70,000 across tho bay from San Francisco, wish ferries six times within the hour. We live in East Oakland, and like it very much. * • * * It puts us in mind of Christchurch, with its beautiful flower gardens and lawns. All three of these cities have tho latest improvements—electric cars, electrielights, splendid water supply, and nearly every man keeps his horse and buggy. . This is a grand place for all kinds of fruit. One can get splendid grapes for 2d par lb, 201 b of greengage plumbs foe Is—beautiful plums they are—and other, fruit squally ■ cheap. Living is, I think, a little cheaper than in Christchurch, Mechanics’ wages range from 3doi to 4dcl per day of ten hours. We are to have a continuation of the Chicago World’s, Fair here this winter • “in the Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. The buildings are well advanced now. ■ * * * The time for your show ia fast approaching, and thinking of that put me in mind of what is intended for a similar show I went to when I was last at my old home. Providence, Ehode Island. They call theirs the State Fair. Well, they can call it what they like, but I could call it nothing but a lot of cheap shops and horse racing. At the stalls it was like Bedlam, every one holloaing and praising up their wares, trying to sell, but the show as a show was not worthy of the name. One Canterbury show is worth forty of it. This fair is kept open a week, but one day was sufficient for me. I shall always look back with pleasure to the Canterbury show after seeing the Ehode Island Fair. I have told you but very little of what I saw in my travels east, but I may say that I saw mere than I ever did ia my life before; but with all I have not seen any country that I like so well as I do New Zealand; and believe if the people would take hold and work as hard as they have to in this country they would do quite as well there as in any part of the world. I do not think there is any need of anyone going away from New Zealand who is willing to work. You should do away with, Parliament for ten years, have no lawmaking, no politics, just appoint twelve Commissioners —three to represent each of the four large centres; of these three one to represent commerce, one to represent agricultural and pastoral interests, and the third to represent industrial interests. Send them to Wellington, allow them to choose their own Chairman, and carry on the business of the country for the next tea years; and if they have any spare time let them go through, the Statute-book and pat their pea through the laws that have been enacted tor the last ten years that are no good to the country. I believe this would be the means of making Now Zealand one of the best places on the face of the globe to live in. That has been the great drawback to New Zealand—too much lawmaking, too much polities.