AUSTRALIA FURTHER AWAY.

Shannon News, 27 May 1924, Page 4

AUSTRALIA FURTHER AWAY.

RELATIONS WITH DOMINION "Australia to-day is further away from New Zealand in sympathy, is sentiment and in actual travelling time than she was 20 or 30 years ago,” slated ‘Mr A. G. Henderson, of Christchurch, speaking yesterday on his return from a visit to Sydney and Melbourne.

The decreasing community of interest and outlook, Mr Henderson attributed to poor communications, both in the matter of shipping and news service. Thirty-two years ago, he said, he was able to make a return trip to Australia for less than half the present single fare. The Monowai crossed tho Tasman then in Zi days, while the Maheno on its latest trip to Auckland occupied 41 days. Such a service made Australia more distant both in fact and sentiment. He had been assured while in Sydney 1 that if New Zealand could be reached in 2J ■ days, many m,ore Australians would visit the Dominion, and naturally tho converse would be true of New Zealanders.

The class of news service exchanged between Australia and New Zealand was the other reason postulated by Mr. Henderson lor the loosening bonds of sympathy between the sister Dominions. He said New Zealand received very little information of the serious movements in the Commonwealth and,' on the other hand, a great many stories of crime and* sensations in the large cities. This gave quite a wrong idea of Australia and was responsible for the many misconceptions of hor people held in New Zealand. The same cldss of news was sent to Australia from the Dominion .with the same result. But of serious issues, the bread and butter of daily life, there was very little. For example, Mr. Henderson said New South Wales pastoraliste were anxious to be informed, of stock market movements in New Zealand, but of such news there was never a line in the newspapers. The railway stlrikewas in progress while he ws in Australia, but the news supplied from New Zealand conveyed little of tho actual issues and the progress of the strike. t "These two sister Dominions of the South Seas.” said Mr. Hendarson, "should be growing more closely lii touch witlh each other, more sympathetic in outlook, instead of the re-’orsa process being in opeiation. Tlio remedy, to my mind, lies in improving

communications.” “ONLY 10S. NOTES!”

LOSER'S GREETING TO A tall man walking along Queen Street, Auckland, the other day became the centre of interest near Fort Street. He was carrying two fairly large hand bags, when one of them was knocked open. The wind immediately stirred up.the contents, and what appeared to be handbills began to flutter to the ground. ■ . ' A. short distance behind, a visitor from the country, Mrs. Davis, of Birltdale saw the papers, and glancing at them she was amazed to see they were ten shilling notes. Greatly excited she grabbed as many as she could and shouted "Hi You are losing all joui money!” The man with the bags st'Opped and Mrs. Davis, who had collected 17 notes, shoved them into the open reeeptable, which to her amazement, was apparently Lull of paper money. "Here is another.” |aid a passer-by who had also got hold of one of the notes. “Oh thank vou,” acknowledged the owner,’in a matter-of-fact voice; "they are onlv ten shilling notes.” And lie turned on his heel and walked on. ‘.‘Well,” remarked a bystander, nt might have given the lady ten bob for luck!”