SKETCHES FROM AMERICA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2782, 10 July 1907, Page 82

SKETCHES FROM AMERICA.

Bt Maobixaxda.

(For the Witness.) The Jamestown Exhibition is officially open, though: general consternation has been occasioned by the discovery tihait unless a further half million, can be raised the "show" must go down to posterity as "the unfinished." President Roosevelt faaa "touched the button," guns have roared, and bands played their opening strains. Foreign countries have done their part, for the promised warships lhave arrived. For the rest — well, people are meandering around barking their shins against innumerable packing cases whale they watch the workmen labouring to bring the exhibition nearer to completion. The Virginians are quite happy, and have a stock phrase to offer to discontented visitors. "Just you linger round awhile, then you'll 6©c." And though all America knows that the exposition is ©till in the throes of birth, visitors are pouring in, and: there were surging thousands before the President's grandstand on the opening day. In their eagerness to hear they pressed dangerously forward, till President P«DOsevelt, seeing possible peril to the weak, sprang to his feet crying : "Be careful of the women and children. I know in Virginia you pride yourselves on the way you look after them. Don't let me have a chance to change my opinion. Back! Back!" They obeyed impulsively, the dangerous pressure lessened, but it was. necessary to call out the United States cavalry to safeguard the masses, so eager were they to hear the actual wordis of their President. In truth, be made a speech worth hearing. It began with a special greeting to the people of Grea* Britain and Ireland, to wihom he referred as those who had. cast the mould into which the American character was run. Next was a welcome given to the people of Continental Europe, "for from almost every nation we have- drawn some part of our blood, some of our traits." President Roosevelt forgot no one — travellers from, the ©ister Republics across the seas and also Asiatics had special words addressed t> them, in particular "the representatives of the mighty island empire of Japan." He then went on to say tibat the exhibition wae in commemoration of the settlement of America by the dominant race. It was on the Jamestown site that, 300 years ago, a handful of Englishmen beached their little cockleshell of a boat, and founded the first English-speaking colony on the American 1 Continent. The President touched briefly on the history of America from that day to this, on the trials the young country had. passed through, on its progress and the marvellous absorption of the annually increasing 6tream of immigrants, and 1 their natural effect on the American type. The purpose of America, too, was touched upon. — to build up rather than to tear down, — then the problems now to be faced and the resolutions to be taken — the dctermina/tiion to treat each man on his worth, paying no heed to his creed, his birthplace, or his occupation. "This great republic of ours," ended Roosevelt, "shall never become the government of a plutocracy nor the government of a mob. Gcd willing, it ehall remain what our fathers who founded it meant it to be, a government where each individual is accorded the fullest personal liberty, consistent with the well-being of the whole, and where we strive to secure for each man such equality oi opportunity that in the strife of life lie may have a fair chance to show the stuff that is in him." The thronging thousands cheered to the echo. They were in the best of tempers despite the discomforts they are enduring. Norfolk and the purrounding towns are finding the trebling of their population a decidied burden and trial. Theoretically, board-lodging and transportation had been arranged for theexpected visitors, but in practice the solution of the problem has proved extremely difficult. No one is certain of bed cr food, whatever lie may have paid or arranged. However, all are amicable, and sailors of many nationalities jnay be seen strolling about arm in arm. Those with a smattering of foreign tongues act as unofficial interpreters, but for the most part goodwill has to be expressed in signs and grins. The American Jackies are striving to give foreigners the best possible idea of the land of the Stars and Stripes. In thoir estimation the event of the exposition is a nautical feast, when a separate American ship is detailed to act as host for each national it v. One will take the Germans, another the British, and so through the gamut of nations. All are to be royally entertained. A Government grant h?6 been made to cover the cost of the festival, but in their eagemees to make the occasion memorable the crews have almost doubled it.

An echo of the Wall street March panic has been heard in the recent announcement that Gates and Co., the largest commission house in the States, is about to be dissolved. Sensational stories of gigantic losses totalling 40 millions of dollars are afloat, but people are unwilling to accept them too readily, as it is known that all debts will be paid. It was this firm that made one of the most spectacular "bull"' campaigns ever known. Wheat wae forced to 1.22d01, and the d*?al involved somewhere between five and fifteen million bushels. The office was one of the most gorgeous in New York, and it had an excellent restaurant attached to it for the free use of those with money to spend on the stock market. There were branches in all the principal cities, a.nd also at fashionable rwvyrts whereat rich men do congregate. These were kept in touch with Wall street by piivate -wires, and as the cost of a private wire from New York to Chicago is £3400 a year, the total for this branch of service alone must have been, enormous JFor some Jime pa6t American doctors

have been steadily growing more restive and dissatisfied with the number of incompetent medicos turned out from the badly-supervised medical colleges. According to a conservative estimate, folly three thousand ignorant youths are yearly let lcose to wreak tbedr will upon a longsuffering people. There are many medical colleges throughout the States, and though some, of course, arc very good, others are utterly unworthy to exist, are without proper equipments, anot destitute of trained instructors. There is ft State board of examiners, and a young doctor has always to obtain a certificate before he is permitted to practice in one State after having qualified in another; but at these examinations 60 per cent, fail to reappear crammed to pass the second trial, which is held a few weeks later. Men hardly able to write their own names have been known to obtain certificates from some of the so-called "colleges." It was hoped that what the Americans have named "Diploma mills" had been exterminated, but they eeem in active operation again in many places. One young student is on record as having obtained a medical degree after one day's- attendance and the payment of £5. It is small wonder that the percentage of those dying heTe under operation, anaesthetics and from blood-poisoning is enormous. Hundreds are afraid to go to doctors at all — even vaccination is considered dangerous on account of the number of deaths annually resulting from it. On more than one occasion quite recently forcepe or other small instruments have been found inside persons who had submitted to operations. A definite step has now been taken, and an inquiry is being made into the methods of the training colleges which turn out such "doctors." No longer, say the accredited medical men, shall any fraud with a few pill boxes and te&t tubes be able to obtain a charter and set up an institute for the training of students. There is a certain amount of sameness in chronicling the Rockefeller donations, and this everybody seems to feel. Very little mention has* been made of the fact that he has just given 2.000,000 dollars worth of land to the University of Chicago, which means that within the last four months this institution has received from the Oil King cloee on five million dollars, given for the most part without restrictions. All told, his gifts this year have totalled 48,000,000 dollars. Four other millionaires have also assisted education to the tune of another eleven millions in the same space. Three of these millions were . donated by women ; one went for the establishment, of rural schools I for negroes in the Southern States. Several men who have been eye-witnesses of the manner in which the Panama Cana} , is being constructed have ar, beenfor publication lately. Mr Taft, the Secretary for War, is one of them. He seems to agree with John F. Stevens, who held the chairmanship of the commission until recently, that the year 1915 may see the canal open to ships. There are now 58 steam shovels at work in the Culebra cut, and these aTe taking out on an average 1,000,000 cubic yards of earth per month. There are some 52,000,000 yet to be excavated. This, of course, is the most tedious part of the project. There is no i difficulty about labour, as about five thouI sand Spaniards are now there, and more i arrving at the rate of 700 a month. The I army of neg.ro labourers numbers about 20,000. All doubt that the lock type of canal is the most feasible one to build seems to have been settled. The commissary department is the only section to which blame is laid at present : the j meat in particular is condemned, and this is owing to the lack of refrigerating cars ; [ also, the stewards are expected to make a 1 profit of from £10 to £12 a week. ClothI ing is enormously high : boots selling in I the States for 12s cost in the region of ! the Panama close on 35s a pair. But for" I the most part Americans are content, and I have faith that through their efforts the I world's sea traffic will be revolutionised.