36 Mr. E. J. Elliott on Impressions of the United States. 



and business men afterwards. The speaker then referred to the 

 social condition of the workers in the " States," and subsequently 

 to the characteristics of the employers. He also referred objectively 

 to the striking features of the great cities, and showed how in some 

 respects they were superior to ours, and in some respects inferior. 

 The atmosphere of manufacturing towns in the eastern States was 

 not so fuliginous as here, owing to the use of anthracite coal. 

 Reference was made to Andrew Carnegie and Pittsburg ; also to 

 street traffic, sea-borne traffic, and railway traffic. In the speaker's 

 opinion, they were behind us in the United States in railway 

 travelling (except for freights, which were carried for about one- 

 third of the English rates, to the great advantage of trade), also in 

 the postal service and telegraph service. Their industries (with 

 the exception of the boot and shoe industry and agriculture) were 

 inferior to ours, and in his opinion could not be pursued success- 

 fully against ours if the protection tariffs were not in force. He 

 stated that nobody wanted to practice handicrafts or the fine arts 

 in the States. It was a land of labour-saving machinery, the great 

 object being to turn out quantity with little consideration for 

 quality. Department stores were referred to and described, and a 

 good deal of information was given about technical education and 

 agricultural conditions in the States. The Falls of Niagara were 

 alluded to, and it was shown how the Niagara district was being 

 changed, owing to the utilisation of the Falls as a force for pro- 

 ducing electrical power for industrial purposes. 



On the motion of Mr. F. R. Lepper, J. P., seconded by Dr. 

 Clarke Robinson, a hearty vote of thanks was passed to the 

 lecturers. 



