A TRIP TO AMERICA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12429, 19 February 1901, Page 6

A TRIP TO AMERICA.

A NEW ZEALADDER ABROAD. AMERICAN HEALTH RESORTS. Mr R. Forbes, junior, of Christchurcn, returned home on Sunday, after a vise to the South-western States of America, extending over a period of eighteen months. The object of his trip was to improve his health, ■and he visited several of the health resorts in ■North and South California, Arizona, ■New Mexico, and Colorado. He found that the Sanitoria there have no advantage over those in New Zealand, except in regard to lung complaints, the climate being dry. All the Sanatoria are fitted up with the most 'modern appliances and improvements. The treatment of the patients is on the lines ‘adopted at Nordach and other places in Europe, patients with weak lungs being ordered to sleep in the open air out on the balconies. In some cases the Sanatoria are 'also hotels, and afford accommodation for 'ordinary lodgers. They are owned by private individuals. The electric light bath ■'seems to be greatly in vogue in America, especially for such complaints as rheumatism. The doctors assert that if they had ■the same conditions as exist at the Senaitoria in Germany, they would be able to ’effect 95 per cent of cures. ■ Mr Forbes found that New Zealand was dwell known in the States he visited. While ■be was in Colorado, that State paid a high ■compliment to this colony. A commission shad been set up to study the laws of Australia and New Zealand, and quite a large num|ber of the colony’s laws were recommended Ito the Colorado authorities. The people •there argued, that as their State was about ! tie same size as New Zealand, was in about 'the same degree of* latitude, and had prac■tioaJly the .same climate, the laws which jsuited New: 1 Zealand would suit them. , iEverybody, seemed to take a keen interest in ■the colony, and to know a great deal about iits progressive laws, the general opinion jbeing that if they could be introduced into ■America, it would be for the benefit of the [country. , , Sir Forbes spent some time in the Rocky Mountains, and saw some very fine country .and magnificent scenery. Of'all the places Southern California was the best 1 jfrom a health point of.view. At Los Angeles he .went out on the sea in a 1 [boat with a - glass bottom. The effect obtained by means of the boat is described as (being wonderful. The water is so clear •that a person can look down through the [glass a hundred feet. Fish are seen in ,tha water, and at the bottom there seems ’to be a perfect fairy garden, the swell of ,tha sea-giving a peculiar and fascinating effect'to the scene.

In the city of Denver, 'the capital of the State of Colorado, Mr Forbes stayed for .‘some time. It is a very progressive place, with broad streets, splendid buildings, electric trams, and so forth. Even while ■Mr Forbes was there, men were busy taking up the old cable line of tramway, the wheels and other appurtenances, being sold as old iron. The city is ruled entirely by ouo ■political party or the other, aand, as far ’as outward appearances go, is ruled very well, as the whole city is clean and healthy, and has a prosperous appearance. A striking feature is the absence of fences both ■between sections and in frpnb of them. ■One man’s lawn runs into another man’s, ’apd goes right down to the footpath. This is also grassed, each householder attending Ito that portion of it in front of his residence. The houses and cottages are neat and pretty, with a wonderful variety of Styles in architecture. i ‘ln Denver, when a man builds ai number [of houses for tenants, he does nob erect) ® row, all of the same pattern, but has a ‘different style for each.

The whole country seems to be prosperous. A marked characteristic of the people, (Mr Forbes found, is intense patriotism. (They'all truly: believe that their country is the greatest on earth, and that no other one, not even Great Britain can come any-where-near it in the scheme of creation.