SYDNEY HOLIDAY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 31 December 1938, Page 4

SYDNEY HOLIDAY

j MR G. F. MACLEAN’S EXPERIENCES ; THE CURRENCY PROBLEM Mr G. F. Mac Lean, manager-engineer of the Marlborough Electric Power' j Board, has returned home after a forti night's holiday in Sydney. When inter- ‘ | viewed by the “Express” yesterday •morning Mr Mac Lean stated that he I • had crammed a great deal into the short 1 | time available, and his trip had been* most enjoyable and instructive. He deI voted the greater part of his stay to j inspecting the City Electricity Department's equipment, and this he found, most interesting. Asked what his experiences had • been with the currency question. Mr j Mac Lean said that he had taken . with him a letter of exchange from; ! the Bank of New Zealand and experienced no difficulty in securing Ausj tralian money. When he left Wellingi ton on 6th December the currency prob-j j lorn had not manifested itself and he I had noticed that passengers travelling I on the Awatea had no difficulty in getting New Zealand money changed into i Australian currency. Shortly after this, ] however, it was impossible to get money changed, and he saw an example of this I in the Bank of New Zealand in Sydney i when a woman who attempted to j change her New Zealand notes was re- 1 fused. A similar state of affairs pre- I vailed on the Awatea on its return to ! New Zealand. The day after Mr Mac Lean’s arrival j in Sydney the city was struck by a j heavy gale. The temperature in the l shade was 95 deg. and a 75 mile-an- ! hour gale swept the city. “It like j walking into a blast furnace when you stepped out from a shop into the street," \ he stated. Havoc was wrought on the i harbour and the liner Maunganui which ! had just arrived from Wellington had! considerable difficulty in berthing. With her engines going full out and three I tugs alongside, the vessel could not be j not be manoeuvred to the wharf and

| blown to another berth, where it was ! secured. Tices and buildings in the outskirts ,of the city were flattened, and Mr Mac Lean said he was amazed at the j way newspaper reporters and movie 1 cameramen carried out their work at j the height of the gale. They were right ! on the spot, and with movie cameras | recorded the falling of trees and structures. . I Asked his opinion of Christmas business and travel at Sydney, Mr Mac Lean I said he was unable to say as he did not know what business was like in ordin- , • ary times. ‘However, it's a fast-movin.f place, and I think they arc endeavouring to emulate New York,” he conj eluded.