Gossip from Sydney.

Free Lance, Volume XIV, Issue 724, 16 May 1914, Page 22

Gossip from Sydney.

DrcAß Chbistabel, — SIR Hartmann Just is the star visitor of the week. As Under-Secre-tary of State for the Colonies, he is travelling round the fringe of Australia to get a glimpse of' the country which to the average Londoner is still Terra Incognita. * * * * Nothing shows the strong desire of the Motherland to get in closer touch with her overseas dominions more than the modern: perambulating habits of British officials, and the frequent jaunts to Australia of members of the House of Commons. Even the haughty Lords — less certain of the Divine Right being a socialist-proof wall round Kings and Peers—come this way fairly often. * * * * The flood of Australian sunshine that will stream through Sir Hartmann Just's formerly foggy notion of this continent, ought to be worth a good deal to the political • situation. * * *, * # Admiral King-Hall, the only democratic Royal Navy big-wig we "have ever had on this station, is doing us yeoman's service in England. His cabled speeches plead that the Commonwealth shall have a louder voice in Imperial affairs. ' He threw all the weight of his official influence, when he was out here, on the side of the Australian navy. Jingo squatters who owed everything they possessed to this country, were often privately "almost persuaded" by Admiral King-Hall ' that some good thing, even a magnificent navy, might yet come out. of this onetime Nazareth of nations. One very rich man (native born) actually gave £10 to the Australian Navy League. Whether the loss of this money to a cause in which he only half believed preyed on his mind, one cannot say. He died a few weeks after parting with this princely donation. * * * * The Shakespeare festival committee has not yet declared its balance-sheet. There was a good deal of expense, and perhaps unavoidable leakage in running this four days' fete in the Town Hall. It had been hanging fire for months, as the •original date had been fixed for. the first week in December. Public interest wanes over long deferred events, and it is doubtful whether more than £200 will oe cleared as the result of interminable committee meetings and many months of initial work. * # * * Shakespeare is too well known to ex•cite any sympathy as a' deserving charity. Another weakness, in our Tercentenary pursuit of memorial funds, is the divided opinion as to how they shall be spent. Every literary, dramatic, or academic- society or clique has its own little axe to erind —-in the shadow of Shakespeare. And the Cult that wants to :spend a big sum on a costly statue has also to be reckoned with. * * * * The French aviator G-uillaux has certainly obliterated the aerial tracks of •any former bird-man in Australia. Australians recently back from Europe de- \ clare they saw nothing at Hendon (England) to quite come up to the sensational ' "feats of Guillaux in Sydney. The afternoon chosen for his public demonstration here was almost perfect in its weather •conditions. The light north-east breeze ■was not of any account to the neat

waisted aeroplane which soared and dived over the heads of thousands of spectators like a winged acrobat. * * * * Mr. David Nathan is"evidently pleased with this part of the world, for .he still lingers here in holiday mood. * * * * Your ex-football don who used to be famous for his place-kick—l mean Mr. Alex Campbell— has been, with Mrs. Alex, drinking in deep draughts of mountain air (a very old vintage) at Katoomba. ' * * * * v ' Some Palmerston. North visitors, Mr. and. Mrs. Hayward are here - on a holiday. Sydney is at its best just now. Emerald green herbage in every park •' and suburban garden, and soft sunshiny days with a- pleasing nip in the evening air, make a pleasing environment for even the most pessimistic of us. * * * * Mr. Harold Beaucnamp returns to Wellington in the Moeraki. There' seems to be considerable doubt as to .whether the New Zealand"" Government Tourist Agency will or will not shift its quarters. At present, as you know, the Tourist Office is located in the Bank of New Zealand Chambers. _ If the Bank authorities decide to sit down under their own roof, then will the Agency pack up its maps and information for some other address. There is said to be either a lion or a mouse in the way of this move, .so far as the Bank of New Zealand is concerned. * * » * A well-known Auckland land and estate agent named Smith (a name you may have heard before) has been over here with his wife. Their trip was to have had a business lining. Mr. Smith intended going on to the Islands, where he has some commercial interests. I think there was a difficulty in getting a passage as small-pox had broken out at or near the port of call, so a disappointed man from Auckland turned his face homewards. Mrs. Smith, however, is staying on here for a longer holiday. * * * * Our recently returned New South Wales singer, Miss Ella Caspers, has more than justified the bygone predictions of her beautiful voice. It is about six years since she was last heard in Sydney. Since then she has travelled far along the' road' to artistic success in excelsis. Miss Caspers won a three years' scholarship ate the Royal Academy of Music (London) before leaving New South Wales. She has therefore not only had a fine training to perfect the good teaching of Madame Christian here, bue she has sung at leading concerts in England and on the Continent. Her voice is a rich contralto, full of the mellow quality of youth. As the money to isend this talented girl abroad was raised by benefit concerts, we have special reason to feel proud of an Australian who has so seriously studied the technique of her art. Miss Caspers has to be in London in October to fulfil her engagements there, so her present tour will be a short one, and I am not sure that it includes New Zealand. -• * * * * The startling news that Lord Seafield, recently of New Zealand, had successfully landed a fish weighing 441bs from the is recorded iua London paper with

the gravity of an event of international importance. ' . " * •* * * I see that Mr. Arthur McCrae, a Christchurch man, is going to pursue the inky way. in Fleet-street, London. The very name of Fleet-street has to us, in far-away Australasia, an inspiring; sound as of the rattle of many tons of copy. Also* it reminds us that at least 90 per cent, of journalists from this end of the world, put up a yery fine record even in that stronghold of British brains. •a * * * . Mr. and Mrs. Willie Tait, of Auckland, are apparently making a genuine grand tour of their trip to Europe. From the last file of London papers, I cheerfully steal the news that the Taite are likely to spend a year inspecting the nicest scenery in Scotland, Ireland, and on the Continent. The. latter is the place where you lose your luggage, and find foreign languages. The lone Australian woman who tackles it without undue nervousness, and carries nothing of any value, in a suit case, is likely to get more compensation in the French and German she picks, up than loss in the baggage she may have stolen from her. Yours discursively.: Eona.