CASUAL SYDNEYITES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 182, 1 August 1923, Page 7

CASUAL SYDNEYITES.

A PLEASURE-LOVING PEOPLE. j(0 INTEREST IN VITAT. PROBLEMS. JHPBESSIONS OF AN AUCKLAND LAWYER. •TVlat is going to happen ia Austrajk or rather New South Wales, for ti»t ie the most cosmopolitan part or (if Commonwealth, I don't know; but jt Meioe to mc that there is trouble lflM d," remarked Mr. Alan J. Moody, tie well-known solicitor, who got back jjijg morning after a month's stay in Sydney. Mr. Moody was much struck by the apparent apathy of tne B»jority of the people in regard to the fatnre of their country. He had never jut a more pleasure-loving lot of folk in hie life. It seemed that they did not an one jot about the vital question ot dtfenoe. It was inevitable that tnat very question would give the Austr*Ijiaf something to think about, but the general impression he got after moving among ell sorts of people was that they were quite indifferent, in fact ignored it altogether. As far as he could gather tie defences of the country were in a molt indifferent condition—"just about U good as our own," added Mr. Moody.

One thing that could not help pleasing a New Zealander was the high regard in which people of the Dominion were held. Many of a certain class of

the population of Sydney looked on the New Zealander as a "skiter," but after conversation with solid Australians Mr. Moody was convinced that the New Zealuiders had something to boast of. The better types of Australians thought a lot of the New Zealander, and the same thing applied to the Old Country. Talking on the Manuka with a fellow--passenger who had juet completed a Tint to England and Scotland, Mr. Moody found that the same good opinion of the New Zealander obtained there. Over in Australia New Zealandere held remarkably good positions of trust, and it was obvious that they were held in high esteem. *It was rather remarkable that almost the whole staff of a new daily newspaper that had just been started had been (elected from New Zealand.

Naturally, Mr. Moody paid a good deal of attention to the Law Courts, fait he was not tremendously impressed. He was certain that' as far as the jndicinry was concerned New Zealand had nothing to learn. Tn fact New South Wales struck him as being very much behind the times in some waye. 7or instance, in empanelling a jury, instead of swearing in the whole of the jurymen summoned before the business started, as was done in New Zealand, etch jury was eworn in as it was em.paneiled. The result was a peat waste of time. There were other instance? of obsolete methods, and Mr. Moody»e general impression was that New Zealand's administration was "streets lhe«d" of that of New South Wales.

A BAD SIGN. Crime-was very rampant in. New South Wales. Offences were not confined to any one branch but were pretty general. Of course Sydney was a very much larger place than Auckland and comparisons were hardly possible, but at the same time there did seem to Mr. Moody to be a shocking lot of crime about. Some of it was of the most impudent nature. Daylight robbery and assaults were not at all uncommon. 'It was a terrible trait and boded no good for the future of the country. As an instance of the peculiar condition over there, Mr. Moody mentioned that in the case of the Coogee murder about which there has been such a lot in the newspapers, the police were actually advertising in the newspapers asking that anyone knowing anything about the crime to communicate with the authorities Such a thing would be unheard of in New Zealand. Whether the tentences inflicted for bad crimes were sufficient to act as a deterrent, Mr. Moody could not say, bat things were certainly very bad. PRICES TUMBLING. While there was a fair amount of building going on in 6ydney—generally an indication of good times—Mr. Moody*B fapraraion after speaking with responsible Sydney citizens wag that they were expecting tnat less prosperous times were ahead. A feature of the shopping quarters was the wholesale (laughter of price* in the big emporiums like Davy JSnei' and Farmers. , After reducing prices tremendously they announced extra discounts and bonuses in their efforts to attract buyers. Prices of foodstuffs such as butter, fruit, vegetables etc., were higher than in Auckland. Mr. Moody admired the rapidity with which the trams and the femes handled the enormous passenger traffic of the great City. •Hβ admitted the trams were not clean, but they did know how to get th*. crowds in and out. The trains he also admired. Though they were not thought a great deal of by the Australians, the service was much above that of New Zealand.