VISIT TO SYDNEY

Hokitika Guardian, 13 August 1932, Page 6

VISIT TO SYDNEY

DOMINION MAN’S IMPRESSIONS

SOME MUNICIPAL PROBLEMS

WELLINGTON, Aug. 9.

After) having visited Australia, where he saw the All Blacks play, and vainly sought a spell of mild weather, Mr John,' Burns, of Wellington gave some impresious of bis trip and cpni’.tions in Sydney. “It was a real thrill when the Ne.t Zealand team won the final, Test,” Mr Burns said. “The team was not nearly in. true form when the first match was played. The voyage across tie Tasman was a vei'y rough ony and ibe last ten hours were the wjrst of ah, and gave many on-boMd a gmid shake up.” He, personally, however, war, not affected by Gie ii.iple.vuet vent he conditions.

For some t ime nl r, 'r Ins -;i ll c< ntinued Mr; Runs, 111 ■ wi atlu r \\;rt colder than 'iheav-i; ige uqiti-eriti le .in Wellington, and.it was rep >i*ied that ii was' the coldest wintu; yXivi-mred in New South Wales for tlii.iy. years—certainly the coldest I :!> 1 When in Sydney. All' Bums was interested in municipal. in'aoters, and at the invitation of the Lord Mayor, lie attended a meeing of t.'.e Sydney Council, and was very interested 111 the manner in .which the business of that body was transacted. CITY ORGANIST’S RFC[fALS.

In view of. the controversy over municipal organ recitals, .Councillor Burns ,made... inquiries, as to the portion in. Sydney., .where the organ! it receives-. £SOO, a. year. . There, as here, the Qttednnceg at die r. ci-.tls wp* • 80 poor thatnes the ,outcome of con mcnt the-town clerk, had been asked to report. He/came to the sapae conclusion ag til*-Wellington City Council, had done, namely 'to give.concerts on .week nights with the, orga'li;.and. instrumental and vocal numbers, a proced re which in Wellington, Mr Bernard F. Page has. not favoured.; ,In Sydney these 'concerts- Are.. to be given a, three month®’ trial. A GREAT ZOO.

As to the, zoo, there was no talk in Sydney of dispensing with it, said M. Burns. As one of the finest poos T n the world there'nvas probably none to compare with in point, of location. Tayonga Park occupies 'the whole ; of one pf those harbour, promontories beyond Mossman Bay; .011 the npthern side of the harbour, and no matter w-iei’e.one may be, there ,is always the magnificent spectacle of Sydney’s glorious hurbourJund the moving pageantry' of her shipping and' numerous harbour craft. At Taronga Park—which did-not pay—the animals were, wonderfully provided for in places,, dens, caves, rocky eminences, trees etc, as near to . nature as was conceivable.

Sydney, as. other cities, had her unemployed,. corAinued Mr Burns, -.but they were not being provided with work in quite the same manner as was the case in Wellington.. There wsVs? p dole of 6s a'week, and many were content to eke out an existence with that dele as the basis. One rather regretable "fealfcure was that t’Jie men were allowed to .camp'in the parks and..reserves, even to .erect, shacks and tents in part of the Botanical .Gardens. That did not tend to. improve the plac-e; it detracted from natural beauty, and Tfiept,.many- visitors, -Away.;- When Mr Burnis told the Lcrd’Mayor rf £yd_ rey what the Wellington .mupicipality had spent on unemployment lie was astonndecl.;, Sytlney ais ; a' corporation had not spent anything like as much, as in New South Wales ‘the’necessities *of unemployment was considered to be' a resuonihilitv. . HIKING A RAGE.

Hiking-long Aalks .in the country and among the hills—had citught :'the imagination of the young' and .middjqr aged.in N®W; South Wales. Tf pi-lowing the curt '-ip. iy England; there, were -mysterious trains, leaving for north, south, arc! west, every Saturday, and Sunday', The destinations, w.ei'e unknown, and there was always a good walk at the end of each, and ample provision for the hikers. Everyone who participated seemed to get a thrill out of it. It was a very healthy invigorating pastime. It took, people out into the open air in-the country* and was teaching thousands a lot about their own country which they never knew before.