MOVING A CAPITAL

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 35, 11 January 1926, Page 10

MOVING A CAPITAL

AUSTRALIA’S NEW CITY. A TASTE OF PIONEER LIFE. Utter tho word “Canberra” to a member of the Federal Government snugly lodged in tho comfortable city of Melbourne, and lie becomos a prey to melancholy (writes Sir Percival Phillips, who recently visited Australia). Ten months henco tho capital of Australia will bo plucked by tno roots from its historic site and replanted on the slopes of Canberra. Parliament will bo housed in a flimsy white structure still in the hands of carpenters and plasterers; Ministers will find their splendour diminished by tho environment of humble bungalows, and instead of the delights of Melbourne’s big shops tho wives and daughters of bureaucracy will have to content themselves with a co-operative storo. The heroic return to tho lesser amenities of pioneer life represents the first stop towards realising Australia’s dream of a “neutral” made-to-order capital. INTER-STATE JEALOUSY. In these days of continual borrowing and a steadily increasing public debt the wisdom of founding even a temporary capital has been strongly questioned. But inter-Stato jealousy is more powerful than tho counsels of a cautious minority of advisors. Tho days of Melbourne’s ascendancy are numbered. Better a bungalow town on neutral land than a ready-made capital wholly surrounded by quarrels. When rebuilt in permanent form by a future—and more prosperous—generation Canberra will bo one of tho world’s finest capitals. Tho site is a beautiful green basin rimmed by hills near the village o; Canberra, with its old church and convict prison. Some of tho surrounding heights reach 6000 feet; tho slope itself, cool and wind-swept, is 2000 feet abovo sea level. It is 204 miles from Sydney; 429 miles from Melbourne; 912 miles from Brisbane—far enough removed from tho nearest jealous city to maintain its own individuality. No prospective capital has ever been planned with greater care, even the question of trees and plants has received scientific attention, and for some years a Government nursery has been testing the hardihood of various exotics and eliminating thoso unable to live. There liavo been exhaustive tests as to. winds, climato and soil. When the construction of permanent homes begins there will bo absolute certainty as to the proper way to face each house.

The permanent capitol building will crown a hill, and from it will radiate boulevards lined with deodars and piano trees. Tho river banks will be flanked with green lawns. Gardens, parks and public buildings will bo in absolute harmony. Afforestation has begun on a large scale and 530,000 trees have been planted in Mount Stromlo.

But Canberra’s first stage will fall far short of this high ideal. Comfortable but very modest bungalows are ibeng built for the Governor-General, the Prime Minister, the President of the Senate, and tho Speaker of tho House. The members of Parliament and officials are to live in hostels —a bleak outlook for tho pampered habitues of Melbourne.

AN ENORMOUS TASK. There will be GOOO pilgrims in this first migration next spring. With the transfer of Parliament must move also the Prime Minister’s department, tlio Treasury, Attorney-General, Home and Territorial Ministers, tho staffs of tho Customs, Health and Public Works Ministries and tho PostmasterGeneral, leaving behind a meagre rearguard, including such temporarily fortunate public servants as those in meteorology and statistics. Moving-day will find 111 members of Parliament and their families seeking house-room in bungalow town. With them go no more than 1000 salaried employees of the Government—a total, with the printing office and other essential bureaux, of more than 3000. Added to this will bo another 1000 for police and health work and the now schools, and twice as many more camp followers and traders.

Roads, bridges, the railway, the water supply, and telegraph and telephone' systems have involved enormous work, and even tho cost to date has been sufficient to stagger the taxpayer. Ho is asking in no uncertain voice whether tho innovation is really worth tho price ho paid. But the voice heard above all others, raised in anguish tinged with despair, is that of bureaucracy about to bo torn adrift from its comfortable moorings in Melbourne.