SYDNEY'S TRANSFORMATION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 83, 9 April 1910, Page 5

SYDNEY'S TRANSFORMATION.

SUCCESSFUL MARKKT SCHEME. WELLINGTON TOWN CLERK'S IMPRERSIOXS The ma.velioiis progress of Sydney during recent years i« one of the first things to strike a visitor from • this side who kuows, say, the Sydney of a decade ago. According to Mr. *.T. R. Palmer, the Tot\n Clerk of Wellington, who has just leturned from his annual visit to Australia, the city of Sydney has been quite transformed under the vast municipal scheme set on foot some time since. New streets have been made, and old ones widened. Slum areas have been demolished and; rebuilt with decent house*, and good thoroughfares. Particularly has this been the case with Wexford-street and Athloneplace, which visitors to Sydney would hardly recognise now, so great has been tho metamorphosis. Then again Ox-ford-street has been widened for a considerable distance, the corporation resuming the property all along one aide, and setting the buildings back. And at the same timp, magnificent buildings of the sky-scraper order a»e springing up all over the city. A, BIG SCHEME. The- feature, however, of Sydney, that specially ' commended itself to Mr. Palmer, was the wonderfully successful market scheme. This involved the abolition of all existing markets, and the centralisation of the fruit, vegetable, stud nsh markets in tho vicinity of Darling Harbour. Everything is arranged for convenience of handling produce, whether it conies by sea, rail, or is brought in by the producers themselves iv their own caits. The vegetabb market is now in full swing, while considerable progress has been made with the fruit and fish markets. There is, too, the corn, hay, and straw market, also in a separate building, and in addition, thore *s an egg and poultry market The scheme, which involves an expenditure of something like £300,000, is already paying its way, where the markets arc open. The council is deriving many thonsand pounds a year profit from the markets, and here it should be mentioned that the Queen Victoria Markets, so-called, are not, and never have been, markets at all in the proper sense. The buildings are hardly used for market purposes at all, so their success or failure cannot properly be quoted as any criterion of the pottaitialities of the municipal marked The City Council derives its profits from the rents on the stalls in the markets. These are reasonable, amounting to Is 6d a day in tho ca«e of the smaller stalls, and higher in proportion to space. A man secures a stall by payment of the required sum, and brings" in his produce. He can back his cart right up to the stall and unload quite comfortably. In the fish markets the fish are spread on long tables for sale, and rent is charged according to space taken on these tables. None of the buildings are, elaborate, but they are all substantial and well-designed for the particular purpose for which they are used. AN OBJECT LESSON TO WELLINGTON. "They are an object lesson to Wellington," said Mr. Palmer. "Yes, 1 am sure municipal markets would succeed here. It in only a matter of the public getting used to them. An immense saving would be effected in the cost of livmg. For instance, a man buys a case of frmt at auction now, and pavt on an average,, tay, £d a lb. To get the same apples in the shop he will have to pay as ranch at 4d a lb. In Sydney, the municipal market is an institution 8«»"]r •PP«M«tcd br the public." The Town Clerk added that ho had received a letter from Councillor Shirtcliffs, who wat present travelling through the Old Country. The councillor described the system of markets prevailing at Nottingham. The housing there was of a somewhat temporary nature, and . uot suitable to Wellington^ winds. Still, the markets were quite succcssfnl. Mr. Palmer thought a trial ahonld be made in Wellington, when the public wculd soon become familiar with the system of buying there and saving middlemen's profits. They would nnd it a groat boon.