AVIATION IN SYDNEY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 315, 28 March 1928, Page 18

AVIATION IN SYDNEY

THE rUX : H F.YDSEY LETTER

CITY CROWDED WITH VISITORS MOTOR-SHIP COMPETITION . SYDNEY, March 23. Aviation is having a great boo«t these dgy s, with Hinkler still a popular idol and Captain Lancaster and Mrs. Miller speeding across the continent for Canberra. An aerial pageant., a feature of which will be a race for women aviators, will be staged next and will attract thousands of onlookers. It is surprising how many ladies have taken to the air, and the arrival of Mrs. Miller from her successful flight will further stimulate this spirit. Captain Leggatt, who will be the leading judge in the pageant, has a stirring war history and is an airman of note. One has only to visit the War Memorial Museum and see the planes of Australia’s pioneers and read their records, to realise that it is only lack of funds which prevents this country becoming a leading one In aviation. Mr. Parer, running his aerial taxi in New Guinea, may yet be invited to take a post more in keeping with his exploit in being the first, with Mclntosh, to fly from Europe. Gathering of the Crowd* for Easter Sydney’s resort s are at present very well filled, though it is still somewhat early for the people to muster for the Royal Show and Easter races. The months of rain which beset the city throughout the summer have given way to settled weather, and this has brought the country people to the sunny beaches in thousands. All leading hotels and boarding houses are filled and others not far short of it. By the end of the month it will be difficult for strangers to get accommodation in Sydney, which has its limitations in this respect, a fact scarcely recognised when plans were made to hold the Eucharistic Congress here next September. Fortunately overseas liners arriving just now are not bring-, ing so many passengers as usual, and many of those arriving are going on to New Zealand.

Scots Will Put to Sea

In Brisbane next week the Commonwealth liner Hobson’s Bay will take on board the Queensland complement of her passengers, who will form the Scottish delegation from Australia to Great Britain. All told, over 600 Scots will sail on this voyage, which has been organised to advertise Australia in Great Britain, particularly Scotland. Representatives of every calling have been included, so that a farmer or an expert of any kind who is considering emigration may meet a man who can explain the conditions connected with that calling in Australia. Like anything undertaken by the Scots, the organisation is perfect, and, with a Scots skipper and chief engineer, the ship will put to sea from Fremantle the best advertising medium which has ever been adopted by Australia, provided the other Britishers in Great Britain realise that this is not a Scottish country entirely. Foreign Motor-Ships The increasing numbers of fast foreign motor-snips which are entering the trade between Australia and Europe is causing concern, though shippers, as a rule, welcome them, because they keep the freights down. The latest to arrive is the Mirrabooka, of the Swedish line. On board her this

week a luncheon was given at which representative men gathered. The trend of the whole talk was for an open field in shipping, regardless of nationality or rate of pay to seamen. Which suggests that the role claimed by the Commonwealth Line, of being a factor in steadying rates of freight, is being taken by these foreign motorships, which make no stop between Sydney and Dunkirk and run at 16 knots all the way. The carriage of mail by such a route seems ideal, and the question arises, why do not more British lines adopt thifs style of vessel? New Zealand Artist 3 Here This afternoon the Premier, Mr. Bavin, will open an exhibition of New Zealand artists’ work, including works by Nugent Welsh, Archibald Nicol, and others. A more significant move, in this metropolis of art, could not be imagined, and New Zealanders must take credit for this, because their excellent treatment of Mr. Bavin, himself a New Zealander in the beginning, has contributed greatly to his keen interest. His recent trip to Mount Cook and other resorts in New Zealand greatly impressed him. WILL LAWSON.