A New Zealander In Sydney Town

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 499, 31 October 1928, Page 11

A New Zealander In Sydney Town

(THE SUN’S Corj'espondentJ SYDNEY, October 26.

Campaigning for the Federal elections is now in full swing. The average Sydney-sider, however, does not take the Federal elections very seriously. A battle for supremacy in the State House is a very different matter. Some day, maybe, the Australians in their wisdom will abolish these superfluous State Parliaments. Then, and not until them, will the Federal Parliament take that place in the mental horizon of the average Australian. to which it is justly entitled. Meanwhile, Mr. Bruce is serenely parading the country with his entourage. Mr. Scullin, Federal Labour Leader, follows in his footsteps. The ex-Queensland Premier. Mr. Theodore, is Labour's campaign director. Forgot To Nominate Imagine a member of Parliament wandering at large with his nomination papers in his pocket, and —forgetting to nominate! This is precisely what Mr. Robert Cook, Federal member for Indi. did. and so gave a perfectly safe Nationalist seat to Labour. The only nomination received was that of Mr. Paul Jones, the Labour aspirant in an apparently hopeless fight. So he was duly declared elected. The new member is a school-tea.cher, an M.A., and before studying as a dominie was a miner. Club Tragedy Lieutenant-Colonel Oisborne, who committed suicide at the Union Club during the week, was a son of the late Hon. William Gisborne, M.L.C., whose name is written in the early political history of our Dominion. Formerly an officer of tl\e Royal Field Artillery, Colonel Gisborne arrived in Sydney recently by the Orvieto from England. He was an honorary member of the Union Club, and it was from the third floor of the Bligh Street building that he cast himself through a window. It was his intention to stay in Australia for the cricket matches, inspect some stud stock, and return to his home, Lingen Hall, Bucknell, Shropshire, by way of Java and the East. Grand Opera Mystery

Madame Xenia Belmas, the Russian soprano, has justly been described as the “mystery artist of the grand opera season.” For some inexplicable reason Belmas was not given a chance to appear in the roles she made famous abroad. It was not until the season had closed and she had appeared on the concert platform that Sydney realised what a treat had been missed by suppressing the beautiful Belmas. A third concert is announced for next week. The others have been successful financially, as well as from the artistic point of view. Her non appearance in grand opera is attributed to jealousy on the part of a prominent feminine member of the cast. Cook In Stone

The imposing Cook memorial in Hyde Park is the tallest statue in Australia. The figure alone stands 13ft 6in. Thomas Woolner, R.A., the famous sculptor, modelled it. There is another obelisk in Liverpool Street- to the memory of the great navigator, whose memory Australia and New Zealand will be honouring later in the week. There is a tablet, of course, at Kurnell, Cook’s landing place, and there is another statue at Randwick. Why Wellington and Auckland have never raised a figure to the memory of Captain Cook has always puzzled me. While Wellington ignores Wakefield and Auckland neglects. Hobson, I suppose it is too much to ask for an appropriate memorial to Cook. Beauty Chorus in Court

The pew-like seats in the centre of the Banco Court, usually reserved for members of the learned profession, have rarely presented so bright and colourful an aspect as they did this afternoon. The reason was an action that Doreen Mackey, a member of the chorus of “Rio Rita,” is bringing against Ernest C. Rolls, the producer of the musical comedy. Slander is the caflse. and the lady considers she is entitled to £ 1,000 as balm for her feelings. It was Mr. Justice Campbell’s sad duty to inform all the ladies of the chorus, however, that he could not take the .case. It was ar-

ranged, however, that it should be heard next week. Ejected from Assembly A curious little man is Harry Meatheringham, Domain spruiker, and exponent of the art of simple living. The other evening he was so elated when he heard a member of the State Assembly complain of the Seditious utterances in the Domain, that he leaned across the gallery rail and applauded vigorously. “Put that man out!” demanded Mr. Speaker Levy, and Mr. Meatheringhaxn very soon found himself again in Macquarie Street. This is not the first occasion that he has made a scene in Parliament. When Mr. Kay. another Domain orator, was “elevated” to the Meat Board (from which a Nationalist Government later ejected him). Meath eringham entered the House and claimed Kay’s seat. He achieved some notoriety, too. a few weeks ago by claiming the vacated police station at Hanly. It took a posse of police to remove Meath eringham and his wife. He then commenced an action for damages against the police! Off to New Zealand Mr. A. Violette, a timber magnate from the United States, has arrived in Sydney on his way to New Zealand, where he proposes tp make himself thoroughly conversant with our resources. The last few months have been spent in Java and the Far East. A Dying Race

Dr. William L. Warner, another American visitor, has provoked some controversy by remarking, after a visit to the Northern Territory, that the black-fellow is doomed to extinction in the hear future, and that the best thing the authorities could do would be to expedite miscegenation. The effects of civilisation had been disastrous, said Dr. Warner, and where there were white settlements the black lost racial purity and social traditions. Nonagenarian’s Pilgrimage

Kay Patrick Hughes, one of Parramatta’s best-known personalities, despite his 90-odd years, is off on his annual pilgrimage to the grave of his mother at Wagga. The old man is an inmate of an “institution” —hateful word —and for years past has walked all the way to pay a tribute of love to a mother dead more years than many can ever hope to recall. He always arrives at the graveside on the anniversary of his mother’s death.