A SYDNEY LETTER.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 227, 29 October 1914, Page 6

A SYDNEY LETTER.

, RAIN AND WOOL.

From Our Special Correspondent.

SYDNEY, October 23.

The State of New South Wales has two reasons to be pleased with its prospects just now, and the names of the reasons are rain and wool.

The final breaking up of the drought has taken place everywhere, but in the Riverina, where there has been no rain for many months. Sydney and the coastal districts have been deluged, and in some of the western places heavy falls of rain have taken place. The State, as a whole, is infinitely better off than it lias been for a long time, and the wheat crops have to a great extent been saved.

The part played by the wool in the State's cheeriness was shown in the price obtained at the first, wool sales since the war, which were held on Tuesday and Wednesday. AVhile crossbred wool was in great demand, and showed an increase of 10 per cent, over prices obtained at similar sales last year, the merino Wool also sold well —bearing in mind the fact that a few weeks ago many squatters were prepared to sell their wool for about half the usual rates. Prices were about 10 per cent, below last year's prices. One result of these sales will be to; give an impetus to. the breeding of crossbred flocks. Of late years, , the crossbred has become more popular, though the merino is still practically universal throughout Australia. Bradford, American, and Japanese buyers were the purchasers of the 6000 odd bales sold. A special notification . forbade any agent of any German firm to operate. ' , "."■■' The- prices obtained at the sale -should be even more satisfactory to New Zealand sheepmen, since v the crossbred is the New Zealand wool sheep. j UNIVERSAL RAILWAY GAUGE.

Mr Fisher, the Australian Prime Minister, is evidently in earnest in his efforts to secure a uniform gauge, between the State capitals. If anything will awaken Australians to the dire need of this unification it is the present war. To transport troops from Brisbane to Perth (assuming that the Adelaide-Perth connection were completed) would mean that the men would have to detrain and entrain five times. Perhaps the possibility of having to do this will never materialise. But it might. , And, apart from war conditions, nothing could be calculated to more effectively paroehialise the Australian States than the arbitrary railway divisions which nbw prevail. As to which gauge should be adopted, the ''Telegraph*' suggests that, whatever gauge is adoptj ed will be "a-'.matter-of considerable expense and/ some loss, though, other things equal, there would obviously be less in adopting the narrowest standard | than the widestv There would be no tunnels or cuttings or bridges to widen, nothing- but' the shifting of a single rail. Queensland has the narrowest, gauge anil Victoria the widest, but experiencel favours-the medium that has been adopted by New South Wales. And the decision of the Federal Government to construct-the Trans-continental line on that gauge practically settles : the question in. its favour. That opinion is shared by many in this State. But when it is realised that the greater portion of"Australia's railways are built on the 3ft 6in gauge, and when one' is confronted/ with the vast areas of lands which need railwayti, it seems that it would be wisdom to adop\t the 3ft 6in gauge, and run the tracks to all splendid rivers and, ports on the coasts, and so relieve the traffic congestion by letting it be waterborne as mueh as possible. The manner in which Victoria, South Australia,an<l.New South Wales drag all their produce to. one port is quite insane. (Jueensland and West Australia don't dpr-it. And as they are younger countries, the conclusion appears to be that the ..older States are too conservative to change their ideas. They certainly are . conservative, and that'fact makes Mr-Fisher's task a hard one. MISUSED FLAGS. The patriotic fervour and devotion of the citizens of Sydney are undoubted. But their knowledge of music and of flag-lore is seanty. Consequently, when the' German bands, which have now disappeared from the streets, "played ' the German national anthem, the air of whichm strongly resemhles that of the British national anthem, many people stood with hats off before the stolid German players. Similarly, when the troops marehed

through Sydney, there were several German flags displayed. And at a patriotic concert held at the Town Hall the German national eolours were freely blended with the flags of the Allies. Certainly Sydney has one German flag which she is entitled to display — though she will not have it for long. It is the flag which was captured by Colonel Holmes's forces at Rabaul and sent" to the Lord Mayor by that officer. It would be quite all right to show that' flag as a trophy of war. But the other German flags, hoisted in ignorance, were a sight to inflame the British, French, and Belgian patriots of Sydney.

This captured flag is to go to Melbourne,' the Minister for Defence having intimated to the Lord Mayor of Sydney his desire to exhibit it in the Federal Parliament House, and then place it in the Australian National Museum in Melbourne. And that, no doubt, is its proper place. Perhaps the greatest crime, however, in the misuse of flags was pointed out by a correspondent of a newspaper in these words:—' / -

The beautiful. Jack presented to the troops by Mr Hunter was carried all 'round Sydney during the last route march, upside-down, as photos exist to show; and out of seven Jacks I noticed in George Street yesterday, six were shown wrong way up. I wrote immediately to.Colonel Wallack, as it would be a shocking thing if, by any chance, the Australians marched through English streets, where the flag is known, with this signal of distress: (it is so used in the absence of the ensign) flying. War, like other l tribulations, is an educator, and the rising generation of Australians should be able to teach their fathers hbw to fly flags. WIPED OUT.

| Germany's trade with Australia^must j have been much more ir "lense than' [anyone dreamed of, for :- .ae.the war, .; has prevented any" further arrivals' of i merchandise, on every side there are | outcries regarding.shortages of supplies; j and the souree of supply is then, if it i.was not known before:, tracedtb Ger['many. But, if "the present temper of : the Australian people prevails, Gerj many will never resume either her shipping trade or her strong hold on the I Australian markets. An earnest of this is to be found at the wharves formerly leased by the Norddeutscher-Lloyd [ Company at Circular Quay. The lease' | has expired, and the company's name | has been painted out, the Harbour Trust, with a delicacy which is to be ' deplored, considering how the Germans ! have smashed things up in Europe, announcing that as there is some doubt as to~when the company will resume re- ! gular sailings, the wharf is to be used as an open berth.