THE LADY AND THE PREMIER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 77, 24 December 1907, Page 5

THE LADY AND THE PREMIER.

; "WHERE IS,SYDNEY?" ■ '■.; At. ...the. Sydney Women's Liberal Cilub the. ,■ other afternoon, Mrs. Molyneux Parkes, the President, amused her hearers* very much by an account of an interview which slit; had while in Melbourne with: the Victorian Premier,' Mr. P>erit. Her object in seeking to see him was to find out some particulars aboiit the finances of tho Australian Institute; of Domestic Economy, which'is run on.such admirable lines in the southern capital. Mrs Pnrkes had some difficulty in .arranging, for an-interview with Air. Swinburne,..and Mr. Craven said that she had better wait for Mv. Bent to come along the corridor at-'Parliament House,'when they wore also there. On meeting'him, as suggested, Mrs. Pnrkes introduced herself, saying she came from Sydney. , ' ' • "Sydney!" exclaimed the Premier. "What is Sydney? 'Where is Sydney?" \ • . ' "Sydney," explained Mrs. Parkes kindly, "is, a. little village ■ some hundreds of miles north of Melbourne'. But never mind where I come from. I'd like to ask you, if T.may, some questions about the Domestic College." "Are you -married or single; I ■ can't see your rings through your gloves?" : "Never mind that. My private affairs have nothing to do with it... About the Domestic College." t. -■'.•.-''' "Oh, the Domestic College! Oh, yes, there are some very nice girls in training there.You see, I'm a widower myself " ■ "That is your' private affair. Might 1 ask for. spmriinformation?"

"Oh, your place is in the creche there/ , jocularly'replied'Mr' Bent, notldiug his head over' towards the other side of the Exhibition.' ' '.■'•■. ' ' "But'l've no babies of my own, and therefore T think the next best thing is to study cooking," urged the interviewer, who was riot to be benten off. "Cooking!" cried Air; Bent. "No girl can tonch me .anything about that. .1 can criok cabbages with nny one. I was chef on board ship'once." : . "Then-yon must know how important it is that-yon men should be properly fed, so that you don't have indigestion, but are able to. kp.op your beads clonr nnd legislate properly.' Will you tell mo, please, what becomes of the money they make at the college by the lunches. Does it go into the revenue? -, "The losses, madam," said .Mr. Rent, lifting, his silk hat.impressively, and bowing himself off, , "the losses go into tho revenue." it;is true enough, the Melbourne College, 'giicccfssful. though it is in every other respect, is run n't' a financial loss. The Government Have- been most generous to the institution. Mrs. Parkes got tho information she asked , for, and her, passage,of arms wjth Mr Bent made, at any rate, a niqst: laughable incident, es'|she': related uv -*" ■•-..'.