OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 411, 21 January 1909, Page 11

OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER

EDUCATION IN TASMANIA. (rßop gun own conuEsrosiurr) , Sydney, Jariuarj 16 I An education trouble/of a serious character has presented itsqif .an Tasmania, wbero a'Royal Commission has<hecn 'appointed, with Mr.," Peter'Goyen, of ? New Zealand, acting as, export, to invcs&gatc- r certain charges made by tho teachers, against the Educv ti6n Department. Ifbßse oharges are of a ierisational kind, that the De-partment-has boerfMmproperly and unfairly a'dmimstorcd; that'ttio; puhlic funds of tho cc-iiiitry have been?)given "to persons almost uutho employ oFiiio Department—almost exclusively South, Australians—m amounts not voted to them by Parliament, that the Director of Eduonbon (Mr. W, L. Nca|e), the' Minister (MkWvß. Propsting), and the Cabinet have Jarrogated- to themselves powers belonging jaithcr only to Parliament or tbe',Gorernor3n-Gouncil," that they have i fen treatinga Tasmanian teachers unfairly; that'either other! have been deceiving the Auditor-Geniwalu(Mr,. C. Mitchell), or the Aiiditor-Gorioral has. not .been performing Ins duty; and.'that the* Director has treated in fflariy casjfe" his Tasmanian teachers «ith harshness," has! shown it ant of tact, and has t<*< classify his Department, or let teichersrjpiow their positions and status m the, Department Mi. Neale, who gave evidence, .'dewed that Tasmanian teachers had be'en, reduced m salary whilst higher pay naff been ,gi\ South Australians, and flaitl fHe positions given to imported teachers tfere" firsjt'offoWd to Tasmanians, but none found/quahfiod who were willing to take them. He added, "If I am sent out of Tasmania in* disgrace, as a result of this commission, I'will have dfme the State considerable bonc-fitl-by bringing-South Australians to Tasmania, t ha\e picked the eyes out of the SffutK Australian service, and paid less Bakry than "West Australia, which did not get-such good teachers from South Australians I have " It was stated that a South Australian had reported to tho Department that-he had acted as locum tenens for an assistant'teacher, whereas there was posi-tivo-evidejico that he had not dono so. The conittnssion apparently is likely to get out some disquieting evidence, /.'"v ." A Nbw P. and o. Unor. '<■ DJily the big passenger steamers aro becoming larger, and (as readers of Tire I)6mwion have seen in the cables) this week the., people of Sydney have witnessed the arrival in Port Jackson of thp greatest ocean liner, trading to these, shores so far—the now JR.- and 0. boat, the Morca. This is an 11,000which has just completed hei first vbyage -from England. Sho is ono of tho three now steamers just constructed for the P 'and O. company's Australian mail trade, and, tho others, tho Malwa and Mantua, are toftarrive within the new few months. Tho Morea is fitted in great stylo for passengers Orie*new feature is a di\an where men may smoke while they chat with their lady friends, as dißtmct from the smoking-room, tfrhero ladies are never seen There is plenty of 'exhibited to the smoker ilowadajs—far too much, in the opinion of some .people. However, that is a matter of opinion which alwajs excites a discussion of a jhore or less frenzied chaiacter, so it were best not to pursue the subject The smokingroom also is there, cosily "furnished as ever. Then, on tho hurricane deck, just forward of is the music saloon, a big, unusually lofty room, lighted from a dome of stained glass, and with its ceiling in white ind gold, and its walls in fumed oak. Aw'ay jij fore-part of this deck are several , single berth cabins—a new feature in ocean travelling. Tho roomy spaces about tho ship strike the visitoi favourably. All the cabins afolof good size, and the alloy-ways and passages are wider than is usual. This, of cburso, makes for tho better ventilation of Another novelty is the steam la'tlndry, fitted with appliances 'and machinery of up-to-date design. Then there is a Wr«e post office, and sorting "tables for the qiiiok handling of lettors and newspapers, writing-desks provided j'n the passengers' cabins' Altogether, tho Morca marks another advance in tho luxury of ocean travelling. Captain Broun, who is in command of the 'new steamer, was lately in commarid"of the' Himalaya, which has now beeh withdrawn from the Australian service. The Britannia and Victoria will also be withdrawn, to make way for the two other jlew vessels.

„#* How Sydney is Being Improved. The now clubhouse , for the Commercial Travellers'.' Association', believed to bo thb tallest building m Sydney, with its nine , Btories, is almost completed/ and has entirely . changed the aspect of Castlereagh Street, near the Australia Hotel—the,cornor where previously there was a group of rameKstjkle two-storied buildings belonging to a palti era I .' The new pile oven overtops tho Hotel Australia, which at one time was tho most commanding feature in this street, and as.it stands at the corner, it gives also a striking finish to the view of the bloping Moore Street, running down to Martin Place, wlierd,the General liost Office istands. All this area of the city of Sydney has rapidly gained'in dignity of laio years by ieason ofthe i fine buildings ,whjch have been constructed. .Further down Castlereagh 'Street, throTigTi Bligh and Bent Streets, and in OlConhell Street, there are plenty of eviof the magician-like touch of the builder, in transforming tho appearanco of , the', city. ' The Crcswick Hotel, on the cor j nfir.opposite the Hotel Metropole, has been pulled'down to make way for a fine addition to'ihe big offices ot Messrs, Dalgety and Co., addition is now complete, in-the plain.but attractive style of the main buildnig,3 red, brick with brown, undressed sandstone facings, Messrs. Dalgety and Co.'s block is now one, of the most important busings places in the city, covering the frontage m Bent Street between Bligh and O'Connell Streets. At tho "foot of this square, the mlgej,bnilding of the Lands Department rears with its high Oriental tower, a conspicuous landmark in Sydney.. Then on the other sido of the square, opposite Messrs. Dalgety'B, is the mean little offices of the Education Department—a touch of tho early days of. Sydney in strange juxtaposition against ajl this improvement by which it is surrounded* This old stone building of two Storiosj headquarters;'of a Department which'expends more than a million pounds annually,- is 93 years old; but instead of sweeping it out of'existence and putting something better, in .its place, the Governo meiit the other day actually began an addition ,to it—a kind of strongroom at the back, with. 1 barred windows, a pleasant architectural irrfprovernent _ for Loftus Street. So much., for this bit of ancient history. In _ O'Connell Street. not far behind Messrs Dal- . gety's, a, big building of eight or nine stories is going up for the Pastoral Finance Company., Then, in'Bligh Street, new buildings are to ; be constructed, about' the site of tho famous offices of w. N. Willis—a place concerning which so much ovidente was heard durihg tho lands revelations. These offices, and - others _ besides them, all two-storied buildings', like private residences in their style, have been demolished to make way for nthers' more up-to-date. So that those who know Sydney of 6ld will find many changes in some of its more' important streets when thej' > revisit us. The proprietors of the banks have joined in the general scheme of for during the past year the Commercial Banking Company and the authorities of the Union Bank and tho English, Scottish, and' Australian Bank have materially altered their premises. To get back to the ' starting-point: The new clubhouse of tho Commercial Travellers' Association, built of stone obtained from the Wavorley quarries, near Sydnev, was constructed 'in four months of actual working time —that is to Bay) Mat period elapsed between the laying of tho foundation stone and.the laying of the coping stope. The building 'in its exterior is plain, but studded with windows, so that , its light ought to be very good. Inside, it is of. stoel and reinforced concrete, so as to be as nearly fireproof as possible/ From the roof, a winter-garden and promenade, tucie mavbe obtained one of tho finest views in Sydney. ' - A -Visitor from Wellington. Mr. F. M". Haybittlo, meiohant, of Wcl'liilgton, New Zealand, who is also a prominent howler of the Dominion, is returning from a visit to Great Britain by the Nere-

hana.', Chatting .with a press representative in Melbourne some, days', ago, ho said;:—. The wahtof.a recognised calling place for colonial bowlers on their annual' pleasure: visits to Great Britain has: been, for: sorao time engaging tho attention or Mr. Fortoscuo and alw of ;Mf. \ Fashoni, ;'the- bowling correspondent of I'the; London - fDaily : Telograph and'''Scotsman,' and the' outcome of their energetic and entirely spontaneous- investigations resulted in a meeting being called on November 20, just prior to my departure, and which I was able to attend. There; was a strong' gathering present,; including representatives from the Common wealth .and, New Zealand; High • Commissioner's ■offices; resident and ; visiting Australians and 'New. Zealanders.' It 1 was.resolred toforra ah association, to: he' called-.:' 'Tho- Anglo-Colonial Bowling' Club,', .with'headquarters at Anderton's'Hotel, Fleet Street. •? Those eligible for 'membership embrace resident colonial bowlers' and visiting bowlers for .-tho i season in which'they remain in Great Britain. The objcot is self-evident—r'To- make a homecontre for colonial'bowler's visiting the. Old Country, whereby they may-got into touch with brother bowlers.''' During the season, say from May to October, it is proposed to have' an official of the club constantly in touph with the club-room to meet, and welcome visitors and "arrange friendly tournaments .and?.games. .It. is proposed -to- ask the Bowling Associations of Australia, New Zealand, Canada; and South Africa tc-Tjotify the clubs'under ..their, respective jurisdictions of this convenient' addition .to the pleasures of: the bowler on tour."