MELBOURNE TO-DAY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2191, 2 July 1914, Page 11

MELBOURNE TO-DAY

AESTIIEIIC AND DIGNIFIED ' STATE CAPITALS COMPARED A MODEL MUNICIPALITY [ft? «VtV.TDE."] I don't fancy that Messrs. Davidgo H-ild Keade, the tawing towii-plSnnor-Si will find mucii scope for their well directed eiithnsiasii) in Melbourne. Herd ' s . a city that was planned originally with foresight, and which during tho Pivst quarter of -a- century, hiis slowly but surety overcome tlm awful 1-ionhies its people suffered' through tiin breaking **/ W l -? great boon), untii to-rlay it ranks tte Irsfc city in. ili-is SoHttertt ContinThat quaint, form of jealousy is -said.to exist between Airck. ■laM and W<jliri-).g-to'a is an, jncGiisideraole trifle comjiaved with tho foet-ing ejjgend.erwl between; palriot-ii; residents °l Syrinoy and Mplbonme. Discussions of intefrnHiable lorigth. ft-'liich never reach a. finality in a,ny way Kat.isfactorj' t<s ■ either party,, -e-vor being held in trains, clubs, hot-els, steamers,, and anywhere where t'he two faet-ions can te broug-lit itrto contact. To the stfangf-r tlie cities are so unliko as to bo incomparable oivo to the. tjtlvor, Sydney gleams with an ai fresco ehatni, Sha. sits oa the shores of a, beautiful harbour—spreads '.out srrnfi tolovingly embrace -long lakes, . sinuous r f ers < and crescent-shaped bays of it; clothed iji shimmfiring gold and- azuro «y day and' jewelled with a gems by ni ght. Back frorc the • entrancinff Water.fto.tifc Hi the ei%, aiid further back W the densely Congested residential districts, At Petersham, Surrev Hills, ■Newtown, and the odoro.us Woallocmooioo dwro :s much that is drab, garish, and commonplace (the concomitant of ■every targe centre), but her public garaens and parka are blefsed oases where they grey rlfitflii POO soft ; ly tho XIor(! . ton pay fig-trees, and all Nature seems bß'-t f" ' <mt: m 1 ara ai "my very

% Solid Cify« ; Jfoftourne, as I g€e fa k % dto , „, ' ■ grey and sombre in ctarackiv ty'Jias in m ImM. fo us* a dietary eempaii :.sop,..jt 15 good plum cake on .solid irfa'ta compared .vrifl, %dney' 8 .Fw,eJ> paSrf ; prvetj to Venetian ,felass> ttWb siet- ; bOU f !6 ? PPPStofctaTis l ess tiaii Svd* ney* the etty is ntOKj <rf a. city. It is a«d dignified, and its people .m4gli4 I .ven&re, More genuinely a Vfe . iS. te ? ***» aga o; r so tlie %r& *as a sluggish, rtpodj, muddy, ■ strewn of uwgrtain ■ habits, .and.' & hanks mfinn tj» city limits-i„ noisome fevf" fttan-the W* .^ 9 kWks and iH; St; K'fda Jfoad a' littler. A few »«&«■ #<Wft * few hundred diniiis, ! ; iuJ s 'Why not go further?" • .every* [«!».said ji * breath, and so-for" We ■tftey.gMi& that the Si Kiga Roado? to-toy is a .pamd& for kings to see..' : ' . . JNjev«r was there, ah Jliastr'ation Ot $hc eomsnorcfaj value of city bean* ■*tog. The decoration of "R Kilils J iißderstand;, beljied tojnttfes a, w ty of St. KA&, *nd n& suburb Vso sought after for T-csideiiiial purposes as ttos beautiful snot.- M«boiime gardens \.sna. parks are very fine., but .their eoi CUf dote not awttcji t'Jio glories .of the %dney Bofcaiifettj. <3a.rde:hs\ fh& 'green, ■or the trees, and the g ra $s is Jiß t &, v:!vttl,_tlio,.oQw.et;sdo not blaze and brim !■—all is subdued and restM, fe ss oseiiao !■ m - character, teas ravishing to''.the senses; Still they.hass tieir.'charp, /../£' An l9stb.o}.ic People.. . ': Compared with-tiifr'-pacfc of '"Sydney , Melbouriio people do oiof iinfry' anS ■hustle—they ate more Sedate '$nd : thoughtful. As with tho botanical scheme tlto differences is iafttujoliiial. liho:tazar edgs of MeiWme's'win&y ■itfushetiies .Famind oiw o.f homo and WoliiiigteiH*4no sett fohny air of Syd--iicy; jiAs something i&roga in fa dis> ;jpos.itio(j. JMcliwternq k the iiTtisfc'ie cat'/fcfe of. Auatrarasia. Its National Aft Safety is a r«;li. ttfeas.nrO d iiH that is Wtit'V.'hito; it has ft. gonuiiii n'ppfeciatfijft for good inuaic,' and is not stow to shpw. it. * Nehjj- have I witnessed <n scene such as Misoha Efman craafod at the iaiiH* ■tariftm on te- night of iiis fet cdncori..' iten forgot tliernsSves in staaj>r w$ and applandißg, wonron b.Etanie 'flashed with omftt-joiial cxeiternentj <fnd ft... good many tff'them aoina% wept. The concert ended .at 11.20 .p.m. Od.y an &ma:a iioui'd hold a %%ab aiid'ie.ncfi.'—■ only snob'an aiidieflce sxnrld hold an Elm : an for S'o' long nftet the .tonvcntio'na'i ?fosirig-t"un6 far sndi 'fnnctiorts. H© is a waster.einoMon.afist, tWslittle wizard froift Mr. Harold: SatieiF) the n«w,est viirt.noso of .tie pianQforte to be inirodMced by thja faits, has Srad© .a '■imp.reJision in Me'l-boUrite. He is.a:..inaste'rfiji ■dominating- artist wj'tli q new gtojgr to telii .and he is trnly ffiplftfni* in the'telling tjiereof, 3lr. .Baaer, who is ijp iti the front line of t)je lead.viig pianists of tlie worldt ?s'Bl come to Kew Zeafecnij in a. few weeks' time.. With Miselia Elman out of Melbourne will .doubtless fall ist the feet of the niatfter pianist. ■> . A Model Municipality. Municipally, Melbourne' leads Au : sttaJasia. Ifoe streets ate wide, and; the foo.tpa.tiis of. s«<Jh streets as Oqlljns, ikm.rke, Flinders and Lo.ijs.dale Sttefts are just short, of 20 feet in d'ouolo tie width of. the'average footpath m Wel'Hngton.. fflie <lr*iMge is perfeot. The -sewage is tonveyed to a sewage farqj., wherfe after ftfeatmeij* it 'n iise'd to enrich -a large area of pastoral Jaftd qtnite »c»if M«vk>ou)'»o. The_ Mot caW.o ears..still trirndle along amiably Tijey $r© civil cars, that jjick you u.l> and dro]> you. ivliereVer you like, ffcey are- ■coiiifottable. but stav.._ Attst ■all it- is not altogether, a |aa)t in this Ktrenuoiis : age,. '.- ■ •■ ~. ■Thb Mclbonrno' Jramwaj; 'Company's term runs 'out in,J9l6, when an efectrie sorvjc.e is. to be The systetn already o.btains in fionie. ef tlio S-Stburbs* aftd out as far as Mooneo Pands., but so far Molbo.arn.i> City proper knows not the. clang and. ft'latter of a. Hvo elecWe «.ar systoin. file Tftotorbtosßs axe he.rfr*-nearly all jiainiter.S'— t'wo-deefeod juggernauts) whiebi get along at" double tie .fate of tise caSie ■cars. 'I'he streets are remarkably clean, and witlito tho city are all wofid-bloeted. ( The width of the streets and the excel-; letrt siiburbatt train servicae*, to all t-h.o suburbs prevent the congostian that is ; worrying SydneyFetlerai Pdlttlqs. Politically, the- pending dissolution of ' both the- Commonwealth Houses of Par- : ' Jia.ment liolds the. afcteiit-ion Ffess. The public do&s not appear to ■bfr—at least, there is no outward ot visible sign wat tbey all intej'csted in .te sitita-tianv.alaifwiite a-s_ it is, eonstitutfeiially, The Opposition (liaboisr) duly voseist tbe action of' tho Boven'io4vGonci'fll in dissolution, but- it appeared to bo the only, '' way out from a ifcad'iwk ivhicli has' lasted tpiite a time. . ..From the attitude <rf .Mr. AMrew r'isher and his eol.leagues, one gatlsors that they do not "savvy" the ordeal of going to'the country., whilst Mr. .jossph C-ook and Ms followers look forward to the fray with a coufidsnt glee that is—to their op:|Wiients' i -al : mpst indecent. Sepiembef will reveal whether this joy :is justifiable. ■ ■ | A vitfloWTbrnwar, An individtja] who practises the quiet srt of vitriol-throwing is creating a

bunune sensation in Melbourne. Ho .is a sly Manias—if it m a he. One ivnultl iie almost excused .for suspecting that the guilty party is oik> of the gwifek'v sex, in that well-dressed ladies »ro invariably sfijeeteci far attack. 110 ~ (<?* die) cper.stes in crowds. It, is not u/ltil a lixly discovers that iicr dress, at ■opera cloak, or soalskin jacket is ' Smouldering! that s.he realises that somettlinK is amiss. At first who attributes heir misfortune to the fki\ tip of a cigarette or a wandering match discarded when alight, but examination. fiijows the lady thai she "•had the. acid put. on act", by soni.o person uninemt. it js fr crime fo : flvi'Oi'SGoiit of fcijk opfiraij.Oir& of the clothes-slasher m Wellington of sobio three or four years ago. . go. far. the police havo been tinalsla to detect the vitriol fiend.