SMITTEN SYDNEY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1876, 9 October 1913, Page 8

SMITTEN SYDNEY.

■ 1 MR. W. H. P. BARBER'S IMPRESSIONS. EPIDEMIC & TRADE. Among the passengers who returned from Sydney by the Tahiti yesterday was Mr. W. H. 1\ Harbor, a member of the Wellington City Council, and chairman of tho Wellington Woollen Company and tho Y\ ellington Opera House Company. In conversation with a reporter, Mr. Barber stated that trade was bad in Sydney. This was owing to the outbreak of smallpox, and tho strict quarantine regulations of the Commonwealth Government. Somo of tho oldest country customers of Sydney business houses had been forced, through public opinion, to chango their source of supply, and had gono over to Melbourne firms, in order that they could announce that their goods woro really purchased in Melbourne, and not in infected Sydney. Country storekeepers, too, were advertising boldly that their goods did not como from Sydney, with much omphasis on the "not." All this, of course, meant a great deal to Sydney people. Cast-Iran ,Quarantine. Melbourne was very busy when Mr. Barber was there. Not only was it show week, but the city was benefiting largely by tho declino of Sydney's business in tho country' districts. After all (Mr. Barber thought) the Commonwealth Government was "going it rather strong" over the epidemic. It was only a very mild form of smallpox, and no deaths had been registered. "Olio of our party," said Mr. Barber, "who had been unsuccessfully vaccinated in Wellington was detained the full seven days in Sydney. As ho could not produce a New Zealand certificate, he was caught on the ship, and had to undergo vaccination again. This time the inoculation took, but not until the seventh day arrived would they permit him to leave the city. He had. to report himself every day at the Town Hall. We left for Melbourne, when six and a half days had expired, but the Health Authorities would not allow him to como with us—ho had to follow on the next day. I, myself, had to get three certificates beforo I could, travel about at will. One was from tho doctor in Wellington who vaccinated me, and another was from tho Health Department liere, which I had to produce to the Commonwealth Health Department's officers before I could get about." Mighty Street Operations. Mr. Barber was much interested in the great street improvement schemes that were being carried out by tho Sydney City Council. It is not one work, but many, and all of them wero extensive and costly, but ho was informed that somo of the biggest street improvements, whero tho city had resumed whole blocks, widened out streets, and then re-sold or leased, had cost very little, and, in somo cases, the City Council had actually made money. They were effecting vast improvements that could hardly be measured in pounds, shillings, and pence, as tho improvement was for the benefit of tho public for all time. Sample of Sydney Rents. Mr. Barber went on to say that the cost of living in Sydnoy had risen greatly, and rents wero now very high. 11l such densely-populated suburbs as Marrickville working people wero paying £1 and £1 2s. Cd. per week for small cottages. Similar cottages could be rented for 12s. at Petono. At Marrickville lie inspected tho Australian Woollen Mill, whero they specialise in the manufacture of blue serges, mostly for Government contracts. Mr. Barber stated that they do not turn out nearly tho varioty of goods that are manufactured at tho Petone Mills, but the works wero large. In Melbourne, Mr. Barber had tho pleasure of witnessing "Tannhauscr" and "Samson and Delilah" by the Quinlan Grand Opera Company. Ho understood that the company is to play a nine nights' 'season at Auckland, en routs to Canada this month.