SYDNEY AFTER TWELVE YEARS.

Shannon News, 26 June 1923, Page 3

SYDNEY AFTER TWELVE YEARS.

LEVINITE’S INTERESTING IMPRESSIONS. the Rev. Geo. Frost.) In consenting to go to Adelaide, in order to convey the greetings of the Methodist Church of i\ew Zealand to the Australasian Methodist Church in general conference assembled, it was most convenient .to go via Syuney. It was twelve years since 1 was last in that growing city, and instinctively 1 found myself'looking lor comparisons. In reaching St. Martin’s Place* to send messages of arrival; irom the’magnificent General Post Office, the fact that the fine building, of . six storeys turn formerly aid duty io*r the Bank ol uummeroe was nemg aemulislmu. niefi a train of liiuugni, arid enquiry elicited the inlormauon that *a nen huudliig ■ot ten storeys wa.s to replace it with foundations good enough lor an duunionai three or more stories were to* be laid. On every hand tire huge sky scrapers had repiucaa those oti the modest dimensions of five .or six story. The UniOn building' of the New Zealand Shipping Company in George street, is- a stately pile of 'fourteen storeys, well worthy of the great company that conveys so large a proportion .of the .New Zealand travelling public: across the Tasman Sea. Sydney street traffic is rapidly becoming a tremendous problem lor the city fathers.- The Gov eminent of New South. Wales lias -an underground railuny way ill couiSe ui .conotruCUUlll iiom me central- ran way suuion—wh*n us twenty piatiorms, .anil lh'tfie me busier hours oi the day more than a train a minute 'arriving 'or leaving —to the Circular Quay) m order to cater lor the' crowds who must passironi one to the other.

The shipping of Sydney wharves in cargo value, last year exceeded tne nuge stun of £100,000,000 sterling value. This in itself—packing, handling, booking .and transmitting finds employment for vast numbers. Even when allowances lor this, great maritime. employed population and their, dependents- are made; a grave political problem still remains now to keep a population in the right proportion of producers and handlers of primary products. Half the population of Mew South Wales is. within the boundaries ol greater Sydney. As 1 was enabled to spend a few days, in Sydney beiore proceeding to Melbourne and Adelaide, I enueavuuied to see .some or Ho unique sigma. Sydney Harbour is oi 'woria-w'idt-lunie and truly its iiurie'en miles non. me Heaus to the wharves is a veritable panorama of ever-cnangmg neauiy aim wonderment. To run. down by tram iO Watson’s Bay and the Soum i-i-oaa and -return by steamer is to be enmimced by the many nays and mien the south, 'side* Once when taking mis trip it .was necessary to u early all the Snips or tne Auotraiia-u .fleet, not merely resting fit anchor, but , erny rustmg at anchor. Although a man of peace, T must coniess to a pardonable pride in passing the “Syuney”. iand --recalling - her-aarmg anu buccessiui fight with the “Emdtn’ m the early days of the great war. Your readers wifi rememner that at one time one of . our New Zealand Prime Ministers was enamoured whit th fc idea of a New Zealand Fleet. The sight of this Australian fleet, rapidly becoming obsolete, made one glad that no such exhibition of rusting metal could be seen in our fair harbours.

On the North Shore it is possible now tq cross to Mosman 'and trainright down that side of the harbour to Manly, 'and find all along its many miles *a net work of streets rapidly filling up with houses and dwelling.-. From M-anly up the harbour is 1 always a grand opportunity of seeing the city of Sydney lrom the water, aim picking out its prominent buildings. On'Anzac Day I had the privilege of .attending, with Mr and Mrs Chapman (who were staying in Sydney, en route to England, the united service of the returned soldiers in the Sydney Town Hall. It was a crowded hall and a most reverent congregation that for an hour listened to prayer by Jewish rabbi and Christian minister, an address of feeling sympathy and courage by a Presbyterian padre,- and ; lessons ■ read by Anglican a.nd Congregational clerymen. The Governor-General of the Commonwealth, the State Governor, and nearly all the available staff of the Australian forces were present.

Sydney shops like the city, itself a,re frequently of immense size. I' wa.s a unique privilege to'be-person-ally conducted over the greatest emDorium south of the line, that of Anthony Hordern and Sons, . not only could everything from ia needle to nn anchor be purchased within its walls ■ hut it is a revelation of what-can and should ‘he done for the social &:v' moral good of all attached to Iho staff. The motto of the firm : “While T live I’ll grow” 'is not only true of an ever increasing bulk of business, eind of an increasing staff—now numbering between three land four thousand ; but of growing care for the start A new social hah that will seat 800 for a concert, or a. lecture, and find many couples ample space for a social dance has recently been opened by the State Governor. The library, 60 by 35 ft, and the dining rooms of equal size for both lady and gentlemen assistants are indications of how the problem r.f good relationship and right relationship can he sustained between heads of large firms and the members hereof.

The Art Gallery was a. great joy to visit, all the pictures are well hung and the catalogue can he easily' mastered and in a'few hours the fine! selection can be at least viewed. / The museum, too afforded ia- couple of hours solid enjoyment. Personally. I always think Christchurch Museum is the best in the South Pacific, but Sydney’s is a good second. In its wonderful 1 collection of mollis and butterflies of every hue and colour, many six and more inches across their wings, Sydney Museum is unique. I was fortunate 1 enough to secure a “Reader’s Ticket” for the Mitchell library, and spent an afternoon reading the letters of the Rev. Walter Lawry, the first Wesleyan missionary to Tonga aind who was for so many years the superintendent of missions

in the South Seas, including New Zealand . These letters revealed the true character of the'man—-never intended to be read by a promiscuous public bis great spiritual struggles and his little vanities bring these great men o; the. past quite aloof of ordinary mortals on the church of to-day. On a second visit I had the opportunity of perusing the MSS. of the Rev. , Tames Watkin’s diary,' the first minister to live in the South island of New Zealand, and the man who built the find house in the South island Wo.ikouaiti. This great Methodist missionary named his sons after Methodist divines, i.e., Jabez Bunting Watkin, and Edwin Iredale Watkin. One book —a ismall New Zealand volume that I glanced into—contained an hem of interest to your readers in hevin. The story of the purchase of the Manawatu block —all the land from the-Ohau river on the south to the Rongitikei river on the north, and from the sea on the west to the top of the Tararuas on the east, for the small sum of £25,000, it was roughly estimated to contain 250,000 acres. _ V is very pathetic to read a translation of the old chief. Ihakara’s protest against the sale for so sroa'll a him. he had a seer’s vision and a stateman's outlook.