THROUGH OTHER EYES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 10 March 1933, Page 6

THROUGH OTHER EYES

HOW AMERICANS LEARN OF NEW'ZEALAND AND WE OF CHICAGO The extremo likelihood of persons getting a wrong conception of countries other than their own was mentioned by Mr E. U. .Scott, president of the E. it. Scott Radio. Laboratories (Inc.), Chicago, on iiis arrival, with Mrs Scott, by the liner Mamiganui. Mr Scott, who is a New Zealander, lias been in the Slates for a, number of years, and in the last eight has built up a radio business now valued at about a million dollars.

Mr Scott, in an interview, said that for some time past lie had made a study of both American and New Zealand papers with a view to seeing *what each had to say about the other’s country. Recently there was published in the Chicago “Tribune” a series of articles by a journalist named Phillip Kingsley, which followed a hurried trip through the Dominion. Mr Scott said that he knew from his own experience that most of the facts which Kingsley claimed to be true were at the most- only half-truths. He painted the blackest side of everything. One would have thought from reading the articles that New Zealand was “just through” and “washed up.” It looked as if the finances were in a chaotic condition, business was at a standstill, and that every second person was out of employment.

Mr Scott said that lie had dippings of these articles sent out to New Zealand to show the inaccuracy of certain aspects of the American press, and by rotuiii mail lie had received a number of clippings telling a lot of unsavoury things about Chicago which had been published in New Zealand papers. “You would think from reading the New Zealand clippings that Chicago was a city of gangsters, and that you could not walk in the streets in safety. That is not so. It- shows that both countries’ reports were inaccurate.”

Questioned concerning the cable messages that had been received here concerning the straitened state of Chicago's municipal finances some time l ago, Air Scott- said politics were different in the States from what one understood by the word “politics” in New Zealand. For instance, such persons as judges, policemen, and other public servants depended upon politicians for their posts. After a politician was elected, his first act was to appoint those who had assisted him in his campaign to municipal or Government posts. Most of these men knew nothing about the job, and were popularly termed “payrollers.” There were thousands of these in Chicago in the regime of “Big Bill” Thompson, but Mr Cermak had now cleaned them all up.

Mr Scott is taking advantage of his present trip to conduct experiments with shoi/t and long-wage radio outfits. Before lie left, Mr Scott had made arrangements with station WBBM, Chicago, to broadcast a special programme each night. The broadcast was received satisfactorily every night on the Matinganui, and passengers right up to Sunday were entertained with music from far-off Chicago. According to Air Scott freedom from radio restriction works perfectly in the States. One could have as many sets as one liked, put them up where and when one liked, and use them where one liked. The only restriction was in regard to loudspeakers, which were not allowed to be put outside of one’s door and turned on loud enough to annoy tire neighbours. The standard of programme was high, and the very best artists were heard over the air. Mr and Airs Scott have arrived in Nelson, where Airs Scott’s parents live in Nile street. They will proceed to Australia before' returning to the States.