A TRAVELLER'S NOTE BOOK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19199, 16 June 1924, Page 2

A TRAVELLER'S NOTE BOOK.

Br Sib George Fenwick.

No. XL * NEW YORK CITY.

The Baltimore and Ohio railway carried us from .Philadelphia to New York in one of its luxurious parlour cars,- and as we passed through the marshy flats on the New Jersey side of the city we marvelled that so much land should remain unreclaimed when sites for factories and other commercial purposes are in ever-increasing Demand. We learned afterwards, however, that the draining or filling in of this lowlying swampy area involves a problem that lias not yet'been solved, but is engaging the attention of experts. Of New York itself how difficult it is to say anything that has not already been said .' The great city with its environs now claims a population of seven milions —a population of extraordinarily diverse nationalities and creeds, whose numbers are ever rapidly increasing. Its many systems of transit—overhead and underground electrio trains, street trollies omnibuses, automobiles—barely suffice to carry the people, and the blocks at the intersections of the avenues and streets are incessant. At the present time there are projects afoot in the "down-town" section of the city for relieving this congestion by the substitution of subways in certain quarters for the unsightly and noisy elevated trains. Important boards of business men who have been studying this question—a question vitally' affecting the comfort and business interests of large numbers of citizens—are formulating schemes which it is considered will, if carried out, prove immensely beneficial; but there are inevitable differences of opinion as to the routes the subways should take, and I noticed in the New York Herald Tribune yesterday—to quote the characteristic big-type headings of an article dealing with the subject—that " Lamont Blocks Transit Peace—also hits M'Carroll, saying he favours tie-up with the 'interests'"; thai the "new route is scrapped"; and that the "Estimate Board adopts fourteen milion dollars' plan for Eastern district sub-way." The Mayor has been attacked by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, bv the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York, and by other organisations for his failure to inaugurate a constructive transit programme; but as a matter of fact Mayor Hyland, as a prominent business man told me, has been strongly pushing his own view of what should be done and at a recent meeting of the Estimate Board he hit back on his critics. In; the course of his attack no referred to his principal opponent as one of the partners of the J. P. Morgan Banking Corporation, who has had more to do with blocking transit regulations calculated to be of benefit to the people than anyother single individual. All tins is but to say that there are- wheels within wheels, and that, if New York fails to carry out the scheme of transit improvement that will be of most benefit to the people,, the reason has to be looked for in the clashing of private interests. People who live in New Zealand cannot have the remotest conception of the congestion in the streets of New York, and this is simply a counterpart of many of die other big cities in America, as I Have previously stated when writing about Ban Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and other places. In a block of the traffic in one of the main thoroughfares last week I saw on the number plate of an automobile the figures 1,788,000, and I understand the total number of registrations in the State of New York is over two millions. It has to be said that the regulation of the street traffic by the police is most effective. I do not know the number of policemen employed in this duty, but as I have seen them scattered over all parts of the city I shall probably be quite wife if I put the number at 1000. Speaking of the police. I may mention that the total number of the force in New York City is 12.0C0. I heard the Commissioner of Police, the Hon. A. Enright. at a large banquet a few nights since, referring to the men under his control in terms of high praise. I have visited New York on two previous occasions, but I never was so struck as on the present occasion with its vastness and with tho huge buildings that surround one on every hand. It is in this latter respect no doubt the most imposing city in the world. And it is perhaps desirable that it should for all time remain in possession of this preeminence so far as the height of many of its principal buildings are concerned. No one would like to see, for example, in the business centre.oof any English city, many AYool worth "buildings, with 58 storeys stretching above their fellows to a total height of 792 ft above the sidewalk, and with a tenant population of 14.000 people. And in saying this I do not -wish in any way to challenge the beauty of its _archi-* teeture or the wonderful finish of its interior and of the spacious offices that find their place on 54 floors, reached bv a fine elvator service. The last four storeys I do not count, as they are in tho tower The main elevators rise 700 ft in one minute, so perfect" is their construction and rapid their ascent, without those who aro in them realising that they are going upward at so great a speed. I may perhaps find time to pen a special article devoted to this "cathedral of commerce," as the Wool worth building has been not inaptly described, for space will not permit of further reference to it here. Surrounding the Woolworth are a number of other magnificent buildings—a succession of architectural achievements which are not rivalled elsewhere in the world. It is computed that in one of these—the Whitehall building— 25,000 people are employed. The Equitable Life Insurance Company's building is another of _ the great skyscrapers that stand out in bold relief near the Woolworth building, and there are several others of this great group of massive structures that, are well known through tfieir appearance in "the movies." They present a striking picture viewed from the decks of tho ferry steamers that cross over to Brooklyn or from the great liners as they leave New York on their way down the harbour. But while these lofty buildings arrest the attention to a greater degree than others of striking size scattered throughout the city, there are scores of these latter that, were they placed in a New Zealand or Australian city, would <lwurf f»nv of those surrounding them. Some of the great hotels, for example, are imposing structures, perhaps notably the Plaza, which has the advantage of an isolated positon adjoining Central Park. Of the great hotels of New York tho Pennsylvania, the Commodore, the Plaza, and the Waldorf-Astoria., tho Ritz-Carlton, and tho Astor, probably take pride of place. The luxurious appointments of these hotels must be seen to be realised. The Pennsylvania, with its 2000 rooms, is said to be among the largest hotels in the world; indeed, is probably actually tho largest. There are large numbers of splenditf warehouse and office buildings of notable aimensions scattered throughout the city, and some of the theatres are of great size and luxuriously fitted. As a rule they have packed houses, and are noted for* the lavish manner in which the plays are mounted and for the wonderful colour schemes that form so attractive a part of the pieces that require that kind of display. But I must defer further reference to this great city and its features to a second article. The previous articles appeared in our issues of April 19, Mav 1, May 7, Mnv 12. May 14, May 17, May 24, June 7, Juno 11, and June 13.