TIN HARES AND AUTHORS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 156, 22 September 1927, Page 13

TIN HARES AND AUTHORS

y*i> SPATS SYDNEY LETTER

“fIOGS” DECIARED ILLEGAL

many oversea travellers

(Fro** Our Ottm CorrespondentJ SYDNEY, September lfr, 19117. Topics of interest in Sydney this have been Authors’ Week and the fl iieiStk>n of whether betting on tin hares i« legal. While the attendances at the auihors’ exhibition falls far short of t hat of the night coursing, the consternation created by tne magistrate’s decision that betting at the ‘dogs’ is illegal, with its consequent decimation of the attendances, could never be equalled by and staggering statement about Australian authors and books, for there are no snareholders in the exhibition, and the Australian authors have no money to lose.

The radio and newspapers have, however, kept their show before the public and it appears as though some amelioration in their affairs may be expected. The attendance of thousands of school children alone must bring before the rising generation the need for supporting Australian writers. And the children will go to the tin hares in any To Boom Tourist Traffic

The Sierra which arrived from San Francisco yesterday, brought some interesting people, three of whom are closely connected with tourist travel and accommodation. In the first place, Mr. Roy Murray, city passenger agent of the Matson Line at San Francisco, has come over for three months, and Mr. J. Peterson, the Sydney passenger man, will go to San Francisco. Each will disseminate his knowledge of overseas among the people of each commaaity. Then Mr. J. Bonardi, who was out here some time ago in connection with victualling the ships of the line, has returned 1:0 buy or build a hotel of rooms. He has severed temporarily his connection with tie Matson Line and will act independently till lie gets hiif hotel scheme going, when the Matsoi people, if they approve, will come into the proposition. The hotel will be run as the leading hotels in America are run, aid will be ':he last thing in hotels net only in Australia but in the world, for Mr. Bonardi has had experience in Europe and U.S.A. running hotels, anc the Matson Line has the money. New Steamers

Other news of importance brought by the Sierra was the possibility of the Matson Line building two new steairers, capable of covering the distance from Sydney to San Francisco in 15 days, cutting four days off the present schedule. They will be something between the Malolo and the Maui of the same line.

To complete the storming party which is attacking the citadels of Sydney in the tourist traffic, M r. T. A Graham, who represents the Southern Pacific Railway, is here to learn the reason why so many travellers go by way of Canada to Europe and so few by way of Sar. Francisco. Mr. Graham was with the Pacific Mail Line when that company ran the mail and passenger service between Sydney and San Francisco, and for many years with the Southern Pacific Company. He recalls that in the ;iO’s the S.P. had an agent in Sydney to book passengers right

through to Europe, just as the C.P R and Canadian National have to-day. Hugh Ward’s Son As Naturalist

Mr. Hugh Ward has travelled so of-en across the Pacific that when he is seen on an incoming steamer one does not know whether he has arrived or is meeting someone. Yesterday he was meeting his soil, Mr. Mel. Ward, xvlio promises to become one of the leading naturalists of the world. His father did not realise until recently to what extent his son had succeeded. Then he was invited to listen to a lecture by Mr. Mel. Ward before the Sydney branch of the Royal Society. His calm assurance and intimate knowledge of his subject—the Great Barrier Reef—amazed Mr. Ward senior. This time, the naturalist returns from the United States, and Central America where the white ants eat through 7 inches of concrete as easily as they do through lead piping. He had many exciting times and brings home scores of interesting specimens as well as stores ot knowledge. America’s White Ways

A member of the Sydney White Way Committee, Mr. E. J. Coote also came home by the American mailboat. He had been to California to see if they hs,d any ordinances governing the open-UR-UP of streets. Sydney is so pestered with this perennial trouble that he went all that way to find this out. He found that there were none, but Americans and Canadians did work faster, and when a “bust’’ street was in re ived they put up a notice 'This Means Progress.* ' Californian cities are counted as the best-lighted in the world. So Mr. Coote found, and the system on which the extra lighting in provided interested him. The council supplies an adequate amount of light, and those districts desiring more, rate themselves for ten years to pay for the cost of installing the extra brilliance, whiich, is so noticeable In California. After that they pay only for the extra, power for the lights. Maybe in this; direction, too, Sydney will beco.me, Americanised. WILL LAWSON