AUSTRALIA'S VIRTUES

Evening Star, Issue 14318, 17 March 1910, Page 5

AUSTRALIA'S VIRTUES

WHY MR FOSTER FRASER LIKES COLONIALS. , civicTtride. [Fit on Oon Special Correspondent.]

LONDON, February 4,

Mr Foster Fraser, who has contested a scat at tho General Election unsuccessfull v since his return from your part of the* world, writes cheerfully and breewlv of his trip to Australia and New Zealand. He likes Australians, and he evidently enjoyed his stay at the Antipodes immensely. Hero arc some of the traveller’s snapshot impressions culled from this week’s ‘ Sunday Chronicle ’ ; “ There are men who sneer at the Australian politicians—chiefly Australians themselves. I don’t. I liked them. They were good fellows, usually big, frank, open-minded men. The local barber may ho tho Minister of Defence. _ That is Democracy. And though certain stories did trickle into my oars, I concluded that in none of tho new countries of tho world r.re politics cleanei and move honest than in Australia. Ail the Legislatures were miniature Westminsters, except that members read the newspapers when they did not want lo hoar each other. Iu one House, where I was introduced by the Premier and the Leader of tho Opposition, I eat by tho Speaker. Mr Speaker cent out for an evening paper, so'that iie might read about a horse race. Fancy Mr Speaker Lowlher at Westminster—but no, you cannot fancy any such thing. —The Polite Australian.— “Tho Australian is a long-legged fellow. Ho is polite. I want to keep on saving ho is polite until I get all the world to believe it. I was warned fifty times against going to Australia, for 1 would find him ‘ a Bigger blow-hard than tho man from Chicago.’ That is not true. And I shall say it is not true whenever .anybody says it is. ’J he Australian has his faults—and one of those days I shall write what they are—but he is courteous, gentlemanly, and ho is not eternally ‘blowing.’ Ho has a good heart, and his hospitality—well, anybody from the Old Country whom ho thinks decent ho takes to, and will do anything for. Tho mischief is that we coldblooded, busy Britons have not the lime to do the samo in return. So manv an Australian comes to England, gets a^' Glacl-to-soe-you-hope-you’re-well-good-byo,’ and goes homo disappointed, and thinks we put on airs. He is not given to humor. Ho is silent and rather serious. The Australians are the most serious-minded branch of tho Anglo-Saxon race I have ever struck. They do not laugh much. At St. Kilda, near Melbourne, or Manly Beach, near Sydney, you will see the best dressed and most contented throngs of holiday-makers in the world. But yon will hear precious littlo gay talk, and laughter does not seem to bo needed in this land of sunshine. —Pride of Town-. “The personal joy tho-Australian takes in the growth and beautifying of ids town is something which should stir the Britisher who grumbles at his own town, but abuses any outsider who presumes to join in tho grumbling. Here is a true experience. 1 was dining in Melbourne. The lady at my elbow sought my opinions, and I said the usual polite things. Then suddenly: She : You’ve never seen a finer place than Melbourne? I: Oh, I could’nt bo so enthusiastic ns that! She: What place is finer? 1: Well—er, London is more interesting, 1 should say. S'.ie: What has Loudon got belter than Melbourne? I: Oh—er—well, we’ve got Westminster Abbey, you see. She : I am sure you’re old Westminster Abbov is nothing to Melbourne Cathedral. I (with excessive politeness) : But have yon ever seen Westminster Abbey? She : No, and 1 don’t want to. Melbourne is good enough for me. And t think you’re one of those Englishmen who think it is right to look down upon us. " Dear, dear! She was quite a nice woman—and a very well-known woman in .Melbourne society. She did not. want to be rude. 1 saw that. Only she was going to stand up for Melbourne, and no globe-trotting newspaper man was going to swamp it under with his Westminster Abbey comparisons. Quite right, too. If I. hod been a Melbourne man I would, possibly, have acted tho same. When yon get civic pride like that—a bit blind, but genuine—you get fine towns. And Australia has beautiful towns—not only the big towns, but the smaller towns, nicely laid out, bonlavardod, fitted with gardens, decorated with statuary, and all the rest. I have never made any secret that if I were a younger man/ 1 would like to settle in Australia."