AN AMERICAN TOUR.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12856, 16 December 1912, Page 3

AN AMERICAN TOUR.

ARTICLE No. 2.

Bj USN E. BASSETT.

I At' Worcester our party found over a -hundred motor oars awaiting us, and we were soon enjoying a city drive. Hero we were among a population of 160,000 people. J. B. .Gough, the famous temperance orator of modern times, Burbank, the plant creator, Clara Burton, mother of the red cross movement, all have acknowledged this city as their home. The public parks cover some 1.065 acres. Here, -also, is ta Trade School for boys, provided iby (the city to -teach mechanical trades. All classes of manufacture are represented in Worcester—wall .papers, skates, muslin, lea-, ther belting, steel and .wire—being the most important. Our inspection included an envelope factory, one of a number, and wo were surprised at the size { of the industry and the number of em- ' ployeos. This one factory was, manufacturing ten million envelopes a day. We also visited Grayton and Knaght's leather "belt and boot factory, and a modern college for electrical tuition (purposes. In the evening we were the city's guests at -fclie Armoury, to a splendid banquet, costing some £3,000. The same evening we caught our special train and travelling all night arrived at Buffalo at 11 a.m. This great city of 450,000 inhabitants, is oft times semi-covered with a cloud of smoke belched from the furnaces of the numerous factories. We were here treated to many miles of park motor tour, passing (Miiburn residence, the residence of the of the late (President McKinley, also the MeKtnley Monument (erected on the spot where he was shot). A. visit was then made to the large factory of the Pierce and Arrow Motor Coy., with its 3,500 employees busily engaged in motor (production. Buffalo 'has the most stupendous de-

velopment of hydro electro {power in operation in any country. Its great factories, its street cars, and city equipments are all served with Niagara electric power. Power from coal will probably never be cheaper than at v present, while hydro electric power is already cheaper than, that of coal, and this city is reaping the (benefit of such, as several large industries carried on here are only made possible Iby this Niagara system. Yet coal is cheap, costing from 8s to 10s a ton, while natural gas Is 3d per thousand feet furnishes another cheap power. Many plants use two or all three sources —-electricity, steam, coal and natural igas for power finding Buch advantageous in allowing any (process the exact treatment required. Buffalo is already a large city, but owing to its proximity to Canada has yet igreat prospects in trade development. ' . Our nest place .of call was ait JSiagana. We were soon inspecting th» power (plant of -the Niagara Power Company. "Less than 4 per cent, of the total flow* of the great falls have been diverted for power purposes, so tbj&t the beauty .and grandeur ape unimpaired. This water is taken inon the top level and passed down a series of shafts a distance of some 160 feet to the tuibineis below. The power so developed is transmitted to the electrical generators by means of revolving vertical steel shafts. There /are two power houses on the United States side and one on the Canadian side, but tibev are all connected and so may be considered 'a unit with a. developed capacity of

220,000 h.p. The present output is .135,000 h.ip. To produce this by steam would have - Tiecessitated a coinsumption of 3,450 tons of coal a day. One is soon convinced as to the low cost of hydro electric power, the labour necessary being very limited', arid the mechanism comparatively moderate. (New Zealand,is very fortunate in having among her natural assets hydro power capable of developing electricity, as the countries land centres that are to keeTj ahead oil the times must need take advantage of the general modern application of electricity /as seen in tibe progressive cities of to-day, and applied to the hundreds of public and' private conveniences. Industries of various kinds may interest the visitor here —the Oar--barundum Plant, Shredded Wheat ICO., and paper pulp plants coming under our sbe&a-l notitee. ..'. . "-■ . .

"We were taken over thre scenic trip of the great Niagara travelling by train down the gorge through which the torrent sweeps after passing over the falls. The beauty and grandeur of the American and Horseshoe Falls, the great whirlpool, the immense body of water passing over the brink like ia huge endless belt are among the main sights of a lifetime. Equipping ourselves with rubber suits we descended in a lift a hundred feet or so and passing through the rock tunnels, stood out under the falls themselves to mairvel at Nature's handiwork. In the evening we oaugiht our trains and travelled towards Dotroit. On a-outo we were met by the city representatives and were soon comfortable in this city of 560,000. people. Here the city government is centred in the hands of experts. The Mayor, City Clerk, and Treasurer are elected, but the >oity 'administration is through commissions of experts appointed iby the Mayor. After ia motor tour of the 1200 acres of fine parks we were taken to the Packard Motor Co.'s factory. The seven (thousand employees cheered' our arrival and headed by their (band wo were escorted' through the entrance of their fine works. After inspecting some 37 acres of floor space with its (hive of motor industry we were the firm's guests at a dinner given in the factory's splendidly-equipped rastauiranit. Every comfort and convenience is to bo found ministering to the employees' needs. ICatching our taxis we were laiter quickly transferred to the Burroughs Adding Machine Works. This factory, with 2000 employees, produces a complete adding machine every 5$ minutes. In the sales force some 400 additional men are employed bringing the weekly pay roll to over £5,000 a week. In the inventions depaoTbment a, complete separate branch is maintained, where mechanical, experts study and work out improvements and new ideas, which are keenly criticised and .tested. The employees are provided with a fully'-eguiipped gymnasium and ia fine park. Basket ball, baseball and bawling 'teams are numerous, while their band is among the best amateurs of tlhe State. The swimming bath is much appreciated land every employee has a separate lavatory and locker. Rest parlours for the 'girls .are located in various parts of the building—some 150 girls ibeing employed, in the offices alone. These wonderful machines noiw perform more than 500 different comlbiiniations of, accounting work including adding, .listing,- substnaeting, multiplying, . dividing and extracting square root, etc. We were tendered a splendid banquet by the city and taken" for a harbour excursion, which provided iperiodis for inter-chat with their men of commerce. A- special display of their fine harbour fire-iboats iwias arranged and ipToved of groat interest to ©ur party. The day following we were conducted through the Ford Motor Company's plant. This proved a great eye-opener in tho way of motor production to our delegation, over 250 ca/rs a day 'being tho normal day'a output of this great plant,•while over one oar a minute will be turned out in 1913 on completion of the large additions now an progress. The great machine shop, a sixth of a mile in

lengtih, packed with producing machinery, is the most impreßsive sight of the (plant. Tlio company, lalilhouigjh only organiKod nin« yoara ago, ia already

the largest in the world, whale Mr Hemry Ford has stepped f.rom the posation of a working mechanic to that of a controller of a great factory and owner . of great wealth. The factory is im- 1 mense, modern in every detail, light, | ventilation, cleanliness, fire protection, I lockers, lavatories are all arranged' for, ! while a splendid hospital in charge of physicians assure protection and attention, lalthough this 'huge pliant has never had a serious accident among its workers. It is a great sight to see the many thousands of workmen of all nationalities leaving the factory at closing hour, and says much for the country that has (been able io esfeblash in such a brief period so great industrial concerns. We took Grain tat 4 p.m. on route for the splendid city of Chicago^ one of the greatest of Americans cities, with which article No. 3 will deal.