CAMPAIGN OF ECONOMY

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 218, 3 December 1927, Page 26 (Supplement)

CAMPAIGN OF ECONOMY

THE s T.V.v .-Vn\EY LETTftT^

NEW PREMIER’S MOVE SYDNEYS CIVIC COMEDY (Special to THE SVX.J SIDNEI, November i The lust oC Uu missing bodies k, been recovered from the Greycliff and the marine inquiry into the | adjourned till tho Tahiti return* P I that Sydney may now relax a that tense concern which has held a* attention upon this shocking disa« since its occurrence three week* During all that time, the flags o f\hf°' ping have been flown at half-masLi Will be a relief to the whole commune to be able to turn its thoughts to n-W matters, of which there is no shoiW in both political and social circles Hard Row to Hoe While he holds the hopes of a.li Labour people in this State t h’ Premier, Mr. Bavin, has lost some of his friends through his ceaseless jeer j ing at the now defunct Labour Govern’ j ment. One action which contributed toward this was his outcry over tvl j state of the public finances, made a! soon as he was elected and before S i or any of his Ministers could possiblv have had time to investigate affairf Now he is starting out on a campaign of economy w hich is always unpopular with the rank and file. Likewise there is no talk of pushing on with bi* urgently-needed public works. This State is now in a prosperous condition and all sections of industry desire to seo a forward policy actively followed so as to help to make up the leeway which has given Victoria such a lead owing to Labour laws having driven industries thither. It is strange that while some big industries are closin'* flown or shortening hands, others are setting up factories in this State to manufacture articles at present brought i from overseas. Increase of Rail and Tram Fares The proposals to increase rail and tram fares is regarded with stoical fatalism. A railway man with whom I discussed the matter was emphatic in his belief that if the concessions given to certain individuals and sections of tlie community were reviewed and many of them withdrawn, the department's services would be profitable. This man’s contention sounds reasonable, for the concessions granted here are amazing. Not only in the 34-mile radius of the city limit, but for the longest distances in the State, school children and youths and girls receive tremendous concessions, amounting to two-thirds of the usual fare. Another thing is that it is a common happening to public men who retire to be given a free rail pass for life. There are scores of wealthy men who have not bought a rail ticket for over 20 years. Comedy in City Affairs While the Government is pushing through the House its Bill to place the control of Sydney under a commission, to be appointed by the Government, th© Railway Commissioners are selling land in the most congested area of Sydney to men who state they intend building a theatre on it. All pleadings and threats by aldermen have been in vain so far; the sale is said to be ratified. This causes thoughtful people to ask, what will be the benefit of the proposed government by commission if this sort of thing is encouraged by a Government department, especially one so autocratic as the Railway Department? The amount of building work going on in Sydney is causing ar ever-increasing strain on the trafic i capacity of the streets, and the erec tion of' a theatre at the place proposer would simply cause chaos when tho I building was emptying.