THROUGH AMERICA

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 15, 5 October 1929, Page 2

THROUGH AMERICA

A COUNTRY WITH A FUTURE. IMPRESSIONS OF l>r. GORDON. In the Town Hall last night Dr. W. P. Gordon, who hag recently ieturned from a tour of the Unjted States and Canada, gave some interesting impressions of his trip. In the absence of the Mayor, Mr J W. McMillan, the Deputy-Alayoi, ( Air A. Nelson, presided. There was a fair attendance, and the proceeds are in aid of the Presbyterian Church. In introducing Dr. Gordon, Mr Nelson said that Stratford had two very learned gentlemen its doctors, who spared no trouble to learn anything that would better their profession. In opening his address, Dr. Gordon said he wished to give just a few impressions of his travels abroad. On leaving New Zealand they had travelled, via Haratonga, to San Francisco, which is a dean, active and lifelike city. In San Francisco there are two things a visitor should not say, and they are ’Frisco and the earthquake. It is always San Francisco and the fire. From San Francisco, the route lay across California to Los Angeles. California, as the names of some of its towns imply, was first settled by Spaniards.

LOS ANGELES. Los Angeles, continued the speaker, is a wonderful place with wonderful homes. It is the colony of the wealthy and is patronised because of its splendid climate. The houses are something wonderful, and the owners, to whom money means nothing, spare no expense in setting out a home in a beautiful manner. THE TALKIES. Los Angeles is the home of the picture industry. The talkies have taken complete c.mtrol in America, and have come to stay. What does not appeal to New Zealanders and Britons is the Yankee accent. r ihis was, Dr. Gordon considered, Britain’s chance to start picture making for, if Britain placed talknag pictures on the market they would be bought before American owes. America, added Pr. Gordon, is realising this, and is importing actors from England to work in their talkie productions.

GRAXI) CANTON. The Grand Canyon was the finest and most massive piece of scenery imaginable, and i s 13 or 14 miles wide, a mile deep and 1000 feet above sea level. It is a riot of colours and it is impossible to fully describe its grandeur. The route from there was, said the speaker, through the barren countries of Arizona and Mexico. These lands are being made by irrigation, which turns the desert into prosperous country. In Minnesota, where the Mayo clinic is situated, a large percent-

age of corn is grown, both for patent foods and fodder. Each farm I is equipped with a largo silo lor making ensilage, and the animals thrive on such food. The predominant breed, said Dr. Gordon, was the Friesian. MATO. Mayo, the mecca of the trip, was the most iraique of all medical places. It wa s founded in the times velum Indian raids occurred by an English doctor, William Mayo. His sons, William and Charles, had built the small practice into the huge clinic it now was. There are 14 or 15 hospitals capable of holding 1500 people, and last year 75,000 were treated in the hospitals. The average for a day is about (200, hut once, in the summertime, 800 patieratg were treated. There is*a system of charge in use whereby each man pays what he is able. The latest addition to the clinic is a

large 15-storeyed diagnostic building which is to ha hsed solely for, diagnosing cases. The lecturer then took his audience through Chicago, which, when the lake canal s were opened, would, he considered, he the world’s first town, to Washington—the most beautiful city in the States. From Washington Dr. Gordon went to Boston, where the old tea-wharf stands, and from there he travelled to Montreal, the grain city, and back across America, to Hawaii and thence to New Zealand. In concluding, Dr. Gordon said that America was a uiation with a future and in time he was sure the two English speaking races. Great Britain and America, would unite and keep the peace of the world. During the evening songs \i | ere given by Miss M. Massey, Miss M, McCormack ayd Mr Duncan and Miss Beryl Masters acted as accompany iste.