CONDITIONS IN AMERICA

Wanganui Chronicle, 4 October 1946, Page 9

CONDITIONS IN AMERICA

PARADISE OR OTHERWISE ACCORDING TO WEALTH

“J’or those who have the money America can be a paradise on earth, but for those who have not, it can be the opposite. By far and away the great majority have not the money.” So said Miss Beatrice Brown, who formerly resided in this tity and Ls visiting it. now following an absence from. New Zealand of seven years, spent in the United States and Canada.

Miss Brown was giving her impressions to the “Chronicle” on what New Zealanders can expect to find should they visit that country. '’'America is an education in more ways than one,” she commented.

High wages ruled in America, but they were of no additional advantage compared with New Zealand because of the high cost of living in the States. “Americans go all out to earn as much as they can and then adopt the spirit ‘money is made to be spent,' but there is a crash coming, for people can’t keep on paying the prices they are now,” she prophesied. America is inclined to publicise the high wages that are Some are highly paid, but others get a mere pittance,” Miss Brown continued “We hear a lot about the big things, but not. about the small.”

Rackets were a popular source of income in the States, particularly religious and medical rackets. Many of the prepared medicines were valueless. Social security is non-existent, and more of the poorer people died simply because they could not afford the high costs involved in medical treatment. A room in a hospital costs 25 dollars per day, a nurse eight dollars, and an operation could usually relied upon to cost about 1000 dollars.

Food is one of the main worries of the American housewife to-day, for the supply is erratic and the prices often double or more than they are here.

“Things were easier under rationing, for when rationing was lifted after the end of the war prices skyrocketed,” Miss Brown commented. Butter jumped to one dollar (6s Id New Zealand currency) per lb, and although the price dropped as the supply position improved, it still costs 80 cent per lb. Meat is hard to procure, and very pricey. Stewing steak, which costs about 8d or 9d in this country, is costing the equivalent to Is 9d in the States.

Clothing was fairly easily procurablue, cheap for inferior makes, but better class stuff was pricey. Rents were reasonable, but only because the late President Roosevelt had Introduced control. The housing shortage was chaotic. “The greed for the dollar” was an outstanding feature of American life, and the war had often been used as an excuse to cover up this greed, Miss Brown claimed. Whereas Canadian stores delivered purchases to the door right throughout the war, the American shopkeeper, at the first opportunity, refused to make these deliveries. This was not. because America was worse off for labour, delivery vehicles, gasoline and tyres than Canada, but because the shopkeepers saw the chance to cut down on expenses. This money grabbing was held responsible, to a certain extent, for the meat shortage in America. While many people were forced to eat horse meat, there were 90,000.000 cattle on the hoof, and it was later established these were being held till the price went up even higher than was then ruling. In striking contrast, however, was the Americans’ generosity with money rather than do any work. When Miss Brown was running garden parties to raise funds for the Los Angeles Anzac Club, persons approached to help would say “I’ll give you money, but don’t ask me to work.”

Although many Americans were not exactly sympathetic towards Britain, their generosity was such that the drives for clothing conducted by the British war relief workers with whom Miss Brown was associated, met with phenomenal success, and thousands of articles were gathered for the use of the people in war-torn England.