1938-04-12 — Page 8

THE CHINA MAIL, APRIL 12, 1938.

MOVE OVER, PLEASE!

That Is, If You Can.... In Britain It Is Becoming Difficult

THE sons pulse mount

British people stand shoulder to sons per square mile, is not the most and statisticians a fairly accurate pic-

right little, tight little, island is Hong Kong claims 200 per square towns and countryside. You will see packed so right and so tight.

mile and Belgium 702-she can rightly what I mean when you know that 22 claim to be one of the most crowded in per cent of all British roads the world.

through towns.

"

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*

any

BY

JOHN ALLAN

MAY

Those who would like a practical illustration of just how crowded Great Britain is can get the situation neatly. Take the roads. In doing so you will If the man-in-the-street really had a into focus if they view it through an only be following the example of 1200, claim to a portion of the street, he American lens.

persons who every day drive new would have only seven yards to him- Imagine 1,350,000,000 persons, about vehicles on to the streets to swell the self; for there are more than 230 per- two thirds of the world's entire popula- total of 1,650,000 private automobiles sons to every mile of street, which tion, dumping themselves on the United and more than 1,150,000 transport seems a better way of picturing popu- States incidentally, one would think, vehicles. There is no accurate figure lation density than persons per square making things rather uncomfortable for the number of bicycles in Britain mile. For instance, it is said that the farms on which these folk work are for the 130,000,000 already there. but the Automobile Association puts population of London and the south less than 20 acres in extent. Further- That is, proportionately, how the po- the number as high as 10,000,000. eastern counties of England totals more, there are 85,000 agricultural pulation - question figures in Great

13,963,000, which works out at 1313 in- holdings which are less than five acres Britain.

To carry this dense traffic, Britain habitants to the square mile. One gets in extent, and only 14,000 which are But that is not the whole story by has more roads relatively than

a clearer idea of overcrowding in this more than 300 acres. any means. Imagine these billion-and- other country in the world. There are area if one imagines all these people Research workers now point out that a-bit immigrants building houses, more 178,000 miles of road in the island of in the streets at once. They would there is a strong tendency to carve the than 300,000,000 of them, where the Great Britain, town roads,

arterial only just be able to stand in single file countryside of Britain into ever wide open spaces used to be. Then roads, and country lanes. For every in all the available streets.

smaller pieces. City dwellers Br imagine them dividing up the remain mile of these roads there are 14 motor-

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moving out of their towns into satel ing land into 15,000,000 farms.

cars and more than 50 bicycles. And Any spare imagination now left may for every mile of main road (leaving however, the most densely populated ed such a point that the railways are lite garden suburbs. Indeed, building The southeast of England is not of these new country towns has reach- be exploited in trying to picture the out the country lanes) the British Road district. This title is claimed by Lan- combined populations of France, Ger- Federation declares there to be 63 an- cashire and Cheshire, where there are

complaining. many, Italy, Poland, the USSR. and tomobiles. And about 230 bicycles. more than 2000 inhabitants

the South America hot-wheeling it over the That is some going. roads of this new America.

square mile. Even in the highlands of Which, by the way, is a fairly accu- Scotland, the emptiest of all districts, That shows, again proportionately rate description of traffic conditions in there are 46 persons to just how packed the country of Bri- Britain. Some going, and the rest in mile.

the square tain is.

It means,

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to

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* When -one considers this state of affairs, it is hard to understand why Britain should be one of the most popular countries in the world from the

in 1936, 30,999 persons left Britain to point of view of immigrants. But it is. seek their fortunes elsewhere, but 49,026 left-other countries to seek their fortunes in Britain.

a traffic jam. Of course, all these road What does this mean? vehicles are not on the streets at one for one thing, that there are 10,600,000 No further stretch of imagination is and the same time. But to those who houses in Britain, which works out at needed to understand why a deputation brave the highways to the sea on public an average of well over 100 per square of prominent citizens called recently holidays it almost seems as if they are mile. Which, in turn, means that the upon Mr. Neville Chamberlain, Prime Radiator to tail light, the automo- people of Britain have to live fairly Minister, to urge the renewal of large biles stream out of London, and other close together. As a matter of fact, 18.027, about 15 times as great as that Which give Britain a plus balance of scale empire migration. Or why road large cities, along the new motor roads, according to "The Home Market," a of Australis and two and a half times safety, housing, town planning, and in- at the rate of 4000 an hour. It may statistical handbook recently issued by as great as that of the United States. dustrial location are questions not be said that these are not normal Maj. G. Harrison, and Mr. E C. Mit- of America. merely of the utmost importance in a times. But even in normal times it is chell, 30 per cent of the population small island kingdom but also of the bad enough. And in London. it is lives in families of six or more. And concerned about it. But perhaps they Nobody seems to be very greatly utmost intricacy.

For instance, at Hyde Park since the incomes of 73 per cent of do not realise that there is sufficient The reverse side of this picture is Corner, traffic streams by during a the British people do not exceed an telegraph wire in Britain to be wound presented by the outery raised in Bri- normal day at the rate of two vehicles average of 44 a week, most of the round the coastline of Great Britai tain over the declining birth rate. a second, every minute for 12 hours. homes these large families live in are 2,666 times. That would make a wire Despite the crowds, Britain wishes to And it is reckoned that the average fairly small.

fence 200 feet high if one inch were

worse.

stop any big fall in the population. for an industrial area is more than So let us do what most of these left between each wind. - Because in a land so intensively de- 20,000 vehicles every day, while that families would like to do-go to the Such a fence would be very wel- veloped, industrially and agriculturally, for an agricultural area is as high as country. What country there is left! come. Because, between you and me any sudden population decline would 2500.

Although agriculture is still a vast in- and the gatepost, there isn't much result in economic chaos.

The 30 mph. speed limit in urban dustry in Britain, employing nearly room between you and me For although Britain, with 515 per- areas has given motorists a grievance. 1,000,000 workers, who fifths of the gatepost.

and the

by

Hong Kong Lawyer's reputation endangered NIGHT STARVATION/

TOMORROW THE CASE"

WILL BE HEARD IN COURT AND I CAN'T GET

THE FACTS RIGHT. I'M SO TIRED, MY BRAIN

WON'T WORK.

IN COURT

YOU ARE WASTING OUR TIPE MR. SIMPSON; IT IS QUITE- LOBVIOUS YOU HAVEN'T PREPARED THE CASE.

(THINKS)

WHAT A HUMBLIATION.

I MUST WIN MY REPUTATION BACK.I'LL

SEE A DOCTOR ABOUT,

“MY HEALTH

AT THE DOCTORS|

I GET

PLENTY

OF SLEEP

DOCTOR

BUT NOT THE RIGHT KIND, MR. SIMPSON, YOUR TROUBLE US NIGHT STARVATION. THIS MEANS YOU ARE NOT REPLACING. USED-UP! ENERGY DURING-SLEEP. *I ADVISE YOU TO TAKE. HORLICKS EVERY. NIGHT BEFORE RETIRING, YOU WILL SOON REGAIN – LE YOUR, VITALITYA

--

THIS, MORLICKS IS THE BEST

DRINK IN THE WORLD FOR PUTTING YOUR VITALITY BACKİ DID YOU USE THE MIXER?

TWO MONTHS LATER

I NEVER THOUGHT

"YOƯO WIN THAT

CASE HOW DID YOU DO IT ? YOUR NAME WILL BE IN ALL

THE PAPERS.

HORLICKS IS THE SECRET OF MY SUCCESS!

Horlicks is best made in the special Horlicks mix- er. Obtainable at all good stores-80 cts. large-size and 40 cts. small size,

If you wake tired, if you suffer TAKE

TAKE HORLICKS

from -* nerves' enervation and

that dreadful feeling of exhaustion

GUARD AGAINST NIGHT STARVATION

YOU SLEEP SOUNDLY, WAKE. REFRESHED AND HAVE "EXTRA ENERGY ALL DAY