The Federal Capital.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 128, 26 March 1901, Page 3

The Federal Capital.

When the limo federal Parliament commences its work, one of the principal questions to be dealt with will be the establishment of the Federal capital of the new Commonwealth. According to the Constitution, the chief city is to 1)3 situated in New South Wales, but at a distance from Sydney of not less than one hundred miles. A commission has already reported in favour of three alternative sites, namely, Orange, Bombala and Yaas, and there should not be any great diinculty in choosing between these. .But when the situation has been finally decided upon, the far less easy task of designing a capital worthy jbf the new nation will retain. tWhen George Washington entered upon a similar undertaking in the United States he secured the assistance of Major Pierre Charles L’Enfanb, a disting.fished French military engineer and it is due to his genius that unerica possesses such a magnificent city to-day. The designer, however, was considerahlyhampered in bis work by the primitive views of the politicians of that time, who wished the streets to be laid out in straight fines, but on the whole he managed to get his own way. During the past hundred years both science and art have made enormous strides, and a city laid out at the present day should possess features which idealists at the time of Washington had only dreamed of. Indeed, never before in the history of the world has there been afforded such an opportunity for the realisation of the highest ideals, both in regard to the ufcilarian and aesthetic qualities, and it is to be hoped that, \^hnovels entrusted with the task will nuPlyyi short of the occasion. The new.,coital should be provided 'with ample lungs, in the shape of open sanitation should bo in accordance with the most advanced ideas on tbe subject, and attention should be given to the architectural beauties>of the buildings. If tbe principles are strictly observed, Australia will possess a capital that" will be both beautiful to the eye and comfortable to live in