The Washington herald., 1906-12-15
HEARD AT HOTELS.


Mr. Wilfred ]. spruson. OF sydney. Aus
tralia. who is at the New Willard For
merry a member of the Australian paua-
ment. representing the western district Of
Sydney. and Dy professloa a civil en-
gineer. Mr.. Spruson IS over here for the
purpose Of securing data that viii helm
his native city TO solve the problem OF
housing the working classes He saws.
Sydney is a city whose problem az
congestion is something similar 10 thar
Of New York, for. Ike the latter CITY we
are builded on q peninsula. and the city
has only one possible direction IN which
to grow. Unlike the laboring men In your
cities, the Sydney laboTing man lives hard
by his work. in the heart OF the CITY. and
the problem is 10 house him comfortably
and deeently; to prevent overcrowding.
and to provide proper sanitary and health
conditions"
Mr. Spruson has visited some twenty
ilve American cities in the course of his
investigation. and he says that three cities
that have struck him as being most nearly
IDEAL In their home conditions are CIeve-
land Ohio, indianapolis, and Los
Angeles
The problem with US" he SAYS. '1s
one OF CITY reconstruction II involves
our transportation facilities, our business
houses and q host Of minor details"
Have the examples you have seen in
America given you any heIp?"
A great deal; but the thing that has
struck me most in this country IS your
marvellous industrial activity wish we
could nave some Of it in Australia. in
this country, 50 far as I have been able
10 discover. there seems To be no povartv
due 10 lack OF employment There fs q
lot Of II IN Australia. Another thing thar
has helped your American cities has been
your wonderful street car and interurban
system Our system in Australia of
graded fares is not working / think ID
the best advantage, and we are nor par
ueulariy pleased over our experiments
IN government ownership Of street rail-
ways. Under our system a passenger can
not begin 10 ride anything Ike the dis
tance for the reasonable fare your pas
sengcrs do In this country. and the great
number Of passengers who get on and
of the cars in the downtown. small fare
districts reduces greatly the general
average or fare paid But those who wisn
to live on the outskirts Of the city have
similar tastes in America.
'As to government ownership. In syd-
ney our street cars under government
ownership carry about 100000 people
annually. The road pays q dividend Of
3 II per cent; in Melbourne under private
/ ownership, where they carry only $1,000
200 annually. the dividend is a Del. cent.
We would Ike to know where the differ
ence comes In But it's the same way
with all government-run enterprises.
We have no color or foreign-elenent
problem in Australia. Our motto is a
white Australia says Mr.. SprusOn. "and
While We do not bar the Chinese and
japanese, We have an educational test.
our customs officers have the authority
to require any cOlored immigrant. no
matter where he comes from. to writ.
fifty words in any European language.
II a japanese comes who can write the
requlte number Of words In English.
ne Is told 10 write them in Greek or Ger
man-and that keeps them out"
l believe the time viii come when a
citizen will be able to take the cars at
Boston and go clear across the continent
TO San Francisco at no greater expense
for his transportation than one dollar"
was the rather startling statement made
by Mr.. James L. Cowles. of New York. at
the Arlington. Mr. Cowles is secretary
OF the Postal Progress League. and he
is absolutely sure that the railroad
problem can be easily solved if the gov
ernment viii take over the railroads and
operate them for the public welfare. Just
as II carries the mails.
1t may seem strange" he continued.
to people who haven't studied the mat
ter 10 say q man could be carried $500
miles across this continent for 81, bbut
I've figured it out that the thing can be
done and that il can be made TO paw.
You see II isn't the distance a man goes
that is a factor in the situation. il don't
/ cost any more to take a passenger 100
miles than 100 The figure give seems
ridiculously low, but the same train that
takes a few people q long distance viii
be taking a great many people short
distances. putting them at intermediate
points.
Il want this Congress to give 500, COO
TO test a matter that can be made a
magnificent success. the establishment Of
a parcels-pOst system for the rural free
delivery routes Wagons and teams can
be used 10 carry people and packages
not exceeding 200 pounds in weight al a
reasonable schedule Of rates 20 the i'm
mense benefit of the farmers OF the
country"
Hon. Ben T Cable. of Rock Island,
Ill, who for a good while has been con-
sidered the leading Democrat Of his State,
was cordially welcomed when he appear
ed in the Willard lobby last evening Mr..
Gable is somewhat thicker of figure than
in the days when he had a seat in Con
gress, but he does not look a day older
IN reply to the question of a Herald re-
porter as to the national political out
look, Mr. Cable said:
IF the present era of good times con-
tinues 1t will be hard work 10 dislodge
the Republicans from power in 1905.
think that the whole matter viii be set
tied by the material condition Of the
nation at the time of the next campaign.
II is rather n melancholy admission that
IN order to go Democratic the country
will have to experience disaster
still there are other things 10 be con-
sidered. There are millions Of men who
adhere 10 the grand principles Of Thomas
Jefferson, and who resent such an attack
upon them as Secretary Root made Ia
his recent speech. The idea Of sovereign
States being reduced to mere names, and
shorn Of power, and of having all the
authority of government centralized at
Washington. is detestable and so contrary
to the belief of the great mass Of Ameri-
cans that no man who advocates it will
get the Endorsement Of any considerable
number OF voters"
Capt. Patrick Henry. OF Arkansas, who
Is at the Ebbitt, is a worthy bearer Of q
distinguished name. He has represented