TALE OF TWO CITIES

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1347, 26 January 1912, Page 5

TALE OF TWO CITIES

PROGRESS OF SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE. "The city beautiful is what they are aiming at in Melbourne," says the Rev. I). C. Dates, who returned from Australia on Wednesday. I can remember the banks of the Yarra when they were dumping grounds for the city's refuse. Now a change has como over the scene— the banks have been ornamented with rockeries, walks, lawns of buffalo grass, and beautiful flower-beds, which charm the eye in every direction. It is the same with the streets. Wherever opportunity has offered, gardens and grass plots have been laid out. There are no fences to these eye-rest s—the people take a pride and delight in them, and tho destroyer is.unknown.

"In Sydney there is .'lie same trend, bill (here you have a great city in a state of transition. There aro beautifying developments at Centennial and Moore Park?, but the streets—well, many of them are worn out. I haven't wen worse roads for many a day. There they have five bodies with power to tear, up the roads—the controlling authorities of gas, water, drainage, clcctric light, and telephones—and they all foem to bo doing it at the same time. Added to that the City Council has embarked on an enormous fctroot-widening schcmo. They do not buv tho frontage as we do, but 110quire the whole property, and do it without the knowledge of .the owner. I will explain. An owner will be informed on January 1 that the property was oequired 011 October ], three months before, and that he is answerable for the rents, charges, etc. Ho is told the purchase price, ahtl if 1 he objects the e-aso is settled bv arbitration. At first Hie council let the properties (after Iho street-widening) 011 long leases, but finding Hint the speculator was nt work, the.v decided to shorten the tenure in order that tho city would benefit by any riso in values. "T think Sydney is developing over rapidly, that is, out of proportion to the development nf the back country, on which the seaports depend. There aro vast empty areas that want fettling to justify the mushroom growth of Sydney town." All over th<> country there is a shortage of bricks, timber, and labour. Regarding timber, I was told that they could do with any quantity of our lumber. but the 2s. per 100 feet duty was prohibitive." Mr. Bates said he was quite satisfied with New Zealand's climate after his experience in Australia, "I wes burnt during tho day and stewed at night. Here ono oan oat, dTink, and sleep in oomfort—in Australia it finds irith being able t» >Hnk in oomfort.."