SKETCHES FROM AMERICA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2812, 5 February 1908, Page 77

SKETCHES FROM AMERICA.

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j By Maorilanda. December 7, 1907. The President's annual message has been cent to Congress, and the professional cavillers have voiced their grumbles. At such a time, they say, Roosevelt would have done better to devote liimsetf to prominent and pressing subject^ rather than touching upon some 42, the majority of which are, after all, of minor importance. It would be good, jjf course, could a national art gallery be founded, and that the home of Andrew Jackson should be preserved, but the establishment of elastic currency is the crying need of the hour! Others are of the opinion that the message Is peculiarly sane, dealing as it does with the graver problems but not to the exclusion of the lesser. .. The revenue of the nation is one of the points touched jipon, and figures prove that America's income over and above her expenditure approximate* 32,000,000d0l a year, which is, of course, due, in a measure, to her tariff laws. Nevertheless the revision of these same laws is urged immediately after the forthcoming election, as: it is felt ihajTthej are becoming obsolete, though the States is determined to remain on the list of protectionist countries. The importance of developing the, inland waterways~of the nation is one of the recommendations received with>, universal approval, and were the suggested schemes carried out they would in effect Bring "the coast line, of America into the heart of thecountry^ It is urged that a deep waterway should be promoted from the Great Lakes to the mouth of the Mississippi, with cuts from it both east and west. And furvheTi that when such work was completed othei rivers on the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Gulf slopes should be brought within the 6cope of the project, thus forming the greatest system of inland navigation in the world. Incidental to this Goversment dams should be formed to produce hundreds of thousands of horse-power for use in improving navigation. Were the waters conserved mder Government control, the Mississippi floods would be practically impossible, and the now threatened delta could hardly fail to become on© of the most populous, as it is now the most fertile^ of regions. The public health and lands, the preservation of the much devastated forests, biological .survey, the establishment of contracts for the transportation of mails to Australia, .Asia, and the Philippines, the need for an increased' army, and more sailors, together with the establishment of coast fortifications on the borders of Atlantic and Pacific, are some of the nation's "requirements to be emphasised. America's deficiency in coaling stations and docks in the Pacific, and the remedying of the same was a furrier point, together with an insjstanrie that four (in place of one) battleships should be annually added to the -navy. The, cruise of the American fleet to the • Pacific is held by the "man In the street" to be at the bottom of the recall of tne Japanese Ambassador from Washington. Officially the Janpanese Government is understood to require a personal and verbal report, from ite envoy, on the subject of the exclusion question. It is merely a coincidence that his recall should have been made on the date of me sailing of the American fleet to Pacific waters. But it may be a coincidence with a meaning. Viscount Aoki has been a decided success at Washington, having won the goodwill and friendship of all 'hi* diplomatic confreres by the -self-control and breadth he displayed at the various junctures in diplomatic affairs calling for such qualities in a fuller measure than usual, a, specific instance being the Japanese-Californian embroglio. President Roosevelt has taken the somewhat unusual step of letting the Japanese Government know that he, personally, would be glad if the same ambassador could return. No notice whatever has been taken of the hint, and a& a consequence it is doubtful whether the projected treaty of immigration between vjapan and America, will ever become a fait accompli. Meanwhile the Senate is busier than ever, a full thousand bills being introduced in one day ! ' "The world's greatest live stock show" has just been held in the Chicago stockyards, and exhibits have been sent from far and near. Royalties are taking part as well as private individuals, Edward VII sending sheen' from" his own flocks and the Kaiser entering some horses. A full 70,000 people daily find their way through the turn-pikes to examine the 7,000,000d0l worth of live stock gathered from many countries and from all parts of the United States, exhibited in 10 acres of buildings in Chicago ; some of these •'buildings have mor« than one floor used for show purposes. There are 1263 head of cattle, 667 horses, 375 swine, and about 1200 sheep. It is eight years no'tv since the first effort was^ made to hold' a giant live 6tock show on international lines. Argentina's success in the raising: of cattle caused the effort ; it was common knowledge that cattle from South America were better in every way than those produced by ranchers in the United States, hence the determination to show Americans the commercial advantages of improving their breeds. The attention of foreign stockmen was called ,to the project. Europe was scoured for and the pride of the United States, awoke. A rancher "wrote from. Dakota announcing his immediate arrival with cattle to make the rest of the world gasp ! He came, saw ,the exhibits in their stalls, and asked for a shed in a quiet place in which to hide away his own animals! The little experiment cost him £250, but he considered it money well expended. He has gone bade to his plains eager to improve the breedsin which he was interested and carry off a coveted blue ribbon at a future show, for *35,000d0l are annually distributed in prizes. "It costs no more to raise £7 a head stock than that which fetches £15 to £20" is the stock expression of the management.

"An* innovation- that migjEs be introduced into live stock shows' of other coun"tries is the entering of agricultural college students, in teams, to compete as judges. This year Armour, -the wellknown packer, has offered 6300d0l in prizes for the college teams receiving the largest percentage of marks, the money to be used for further agricultural training of the poorer students, or in scholarships. Eight colleges sent representatives, and the results have been a veritable' triumph for such institutions, as their students have as judges easily vanquished the farm lads, who competed with them and have shown a marvellous aptitude for selecting the cattle ultimately awarded prizes by the "professional" judges. Most of these boys have been sent down in charge of some of the stock exhibited by their colleges, and in .the early mornings, before "the show is officially opened, can be seen polishing up the horns of their steers or oijing' the coats of" the-'f at hogs ! • The position of financial affairs 'in the 1 States is 6aid to be much better. In some parts business' is upon a cash basis, but the emergency currency is still I in active circulation, and the general run of banks have assuredly not opened the 1 sayings departments in the usual way. Hardly, a day passes without the failure of j several' such institutions being recorded, and paragrapfis recording the "Suicide of a "well-known banker" are so common as hardly to arrest the eye. Protests are still made against the hoarding of -money by the people, who in turtf protest that they have not the chance to hoard it, the banks having secure possession of .air savings. A few optimists, headed by Harriman, go so tar as to declare that the country is' on the verge of a boom. Dr Torrey, the Evangelist, aas ended his religious revival movement in the middle West, where he has been conducting services in a huge tent. In six weeks 300,000 have flocked to hear him, and of this number 3000 -have entered their names as having undergone conversion. Curiously enough, three men to every one woman have been led to the penitent' 6 bench. The campaign is the first which has been advertised in the same manner, as a theatrical venture, over ll,ooodol being spent for this one purpose. In a small town in Galesburg, where further revivals have _ been instituted under the Reverened William Sunday, a lesser known ecclesiastical light, the practical result of the services is a famine in Bibles! There is not one to be bought in the town, arid booksellers have sent frantic orders East for an' additional stock and large assortment of all the latest religious works. A novel club even for the States', where freak organisations flourish in multitude, is very shortly to be opened with a tooting of horns. Eligibility will be grass widowhood. Only those who havgJfcJeen divorced will be admitted. It is to meet weekly for dancing, cards, or theatrical entertainment, and will have equal membership 'between the sexes v Its object' is to enable members to exchange experiences, and so profit by the others' misfortunes to the extent of avoiding avoidable error?.

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