Nov. 4.
A CORRESPONDENT who has recently visited the home country after an absence of some years has conveyed to us some interesting impressions. On the whole he found much less change than he had anticipated. The metropolis appears much as it ever did in spite of its reputed complete destruction by Zeppelins, the most noticeable difference being the enormous and efficient development of the omnibus. In conjunction with the electric railways (which are being extended), the omnibus has proved a means of greatly improving the transportation facilities in London, which are now excellent. One result of this improvement is that the means of transport are much more used and the country for more than ten miles round the city has become readily accessible to the masses, so that it is quite: difficult to get any rural quietude near town. The tramways, while heavily used, appear to be a poor second to the buses in efficiency and popularity and a fairly strong argument could be adduced for entirely abandoning them. The flexibility of the bus service obviously presents many advantages over the tram system. The railways are now working practically on pre-war conditions but the fares are still nearly twice what they were before the war. A partial checking system is being adopted for baggage on some lines. The old rolling stock is still in use except for a few new long distance trains and locomotives. Great things are expected of the amalgamation of the railways into four groups under the Geddes Railway Act of 1921. The main roads of the country are narrow but in ex-wide adoption of tar-paving, and they swarm with charabancs, which are now seriously competing with the railways.
Aviation is somewhat at a lull.
The cross-channel services are ranning fairly well but the aerodromes both in Paris and London are too far from the centres of the cities. A good deal of experimental work is being carried on by the Government and the uniform of the Royal Air Force is seen quite frequently. Most of the telephones are now of the automatic ringing type and at several places there are automatic exchanges which are working well. Wireless telegraphy has not a very great vogue, but there is quite a boom in wireless telephony, especially for the transmission of music.
The towns seem -fuller than ever and the country much more vacant. This is partly accounted for by a slump in agriculture since the war (in spite of its lessons as to the necessity of food!) and partly owing to the fact that the agricultural labourer, by means of bicycles (motor or otherwise) finds his amusement in the towns. Contrary to expectation new types of agricultural machinery are not very evident although one hears of them. The climate is as erratic as ever. The summer of 1921 was unpleasantly hot. The unfortunate islanders actually experienced temperatures over 80°! This year has, however, compensated them. Except for a little warm weather in May, it has been consistently cold and wet.
Although things have changed but little as far as the outward and visible signs are concerned, there is a very distinct difference in the people. The upper and middle classes are exceedingly tightly pinched by the high prices (still averaging upwards of 75 per cent. over pre-war conditions) and the income tax, and although there is great deal of optimism, the lack of foreign markets and the reduced production weigh heavily on the commercial
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.