Gossip from Sydney.

Free Lance, Volume XVII, Issue 924, 28 March 1918, Page 7

Gossip from Sydney.

Dear Chbistabeii, — nnJtLE great campaign, for our Red -•*- Cross was iniated by a big women's meeting in Her Majesty's Theatre. The aiternoon brought the formal opening or the offensive, m an iinpassioneu appeal troni JLady Helen iVlunro v erguson, neaa ox' tne lied. Cross jui jxua aaiia. ibhe looked very tail ana sngnt m her deep, mourning, tor a seconu. orother has oeen killed in action, xnis is within the last tew weeks. Her voice, admirably pitched to suit the acoustic qualities of the large auditorium Q.ti.er Ex. is an accomplished speaker; nad an unusual tremble in its mgn tnin timbre. IT * * ■» Lady Davidson, head of the State lied Uross, had a warm welcome wiien sne rose to support the plea that we could not do too much —nay, not enough—for our sick and wounded soluiers. Even in tar oh iNewloundland, women had heard of the amazing total, £oz7,UUU, raised in JNew South Wales ior tne lied Uross on Australia Day, lylb'. We had a record that was very nigh. But the necessities became greater daily. Would the women of tins State endeavour--to repeat their wonderful organisation of two years ago ¥ .for answer there came a thunder of applause. * * « * Though the innumerable war calls have quadrupled since lyitf, this State hopes, to place £500,000 to the credit of the Australian Bed Cross in the coming effort. * # # * Two years ago Sir Samuel McCaughey, generally known as the father of irrigation in New South Wales, gave £10,1)00 to the Australia Day Fund, in ten monthly instalments. Me is going to repeat this princely gift to swell the total of the coming attack on the public purse. * * * * At 18£ the second son of Prime Minister Hughes has enlisted in Victoria for active service. His elder brother has been at the Front for two years, was wounded, recovered, and has the Military Cross to his credit. * •«• * * One of Sir Walter Davidson's most amusing stories of the attitude of "ancient and loyal .Newfoundland/' oldest of Britain's colonies, concerns the attitude of its simple and mostly sea-faring population when war broke out. When he explained that Britain was now at war with Prussian junkers they said, "Impossible I The King of Prussia has always been a bulwark of Protestanism I" When he enlightened them on that "bulwark's" barbarities in Belgium and. added, "France is fighting nobly with us to save the world's democracies," they said, "But surely that cannot be I We always fought against the French, and we beat old Boney at Waterloo I" 9 ■& » * Shut in by months of rigorous and almost Arctic winter Newfoundland, semi-isolated during its long ice-bound period, and working desperately hard to plant its crops in the short spring and summer, still lived in the politics of 100 years ago. But once its people thoroughly understood the issue, the rush of its men to enlist for active service, and the splendid enthusiasm of its women for Red Cross work, has not been rivalled on a population basis. Sir Walter Davidson was hon. Colonel of a Newfoundland regiment which so greatly distinguished itself in France that the King conferred on it the title "Royal." o ■& #• o Mr. T. H. Patterson, one of this State's first appointed teachers of agricultural training, has been appointed to Rotorua (New Zealand) in a somewhat similar capacity. As teacher of practical work on the Wagga (N.S.W.) High School Farm, Mr. Patterson has proved most successful. * * * *; Our new Lord Mayor (Joynton Smith) presented his predecessor in office, Alderman R. D. Meagher, with a cheque for £1505 on behalf of a number of leading business men and others. The idea behind this generous gift was a public recognition of Mr. Meagher's courageous stand for conscription. Inconsequence of his attitude as a leading speaker in last year'si conscription campaign (so futile yet so provocative of ill-feeling) he lost his seat in a Labour electorate which had returned him for many years to Parliament. Losing his place in the House he forfeited his position and the handsome emoluments of Speaker. * * * * He had no chance, apparently, being re-elected Mayor either in consequence of the section which has now intruded politics into the nomination of Sydney's chief citizen. Though the Law Courts or the judiciary remain firm in not re-instating Mr. li. D. Meagber on the solicitor's rolls, every

broad-minded man and woman must admire the remarkable success with winch the clever Irish-Australian filled for two years such widely different roles as Lord Mayor of Sydney and Speaker of Parliament. This dual and difficult combination has never been attempted here before. Yet in each capacity the most hostile critic could find no fault with Mr. Meagher's manner and methods. The recent presentation included a gold wristlet watch set in diamonds tor Mrs. Meagher. <* * & a Engineer Sub-Lieut. Edward Brown, R.N.ii., of Isiew Zealand, has been promoted Engineer-Lieut. He is on H.M.S. Cochrane. * * * # The new Order of the British Empire fails with much the same promiscuous impartiality on those who deserve it, and those who believe they do, as do other decorations when the names are published. Men and women endowed with the unerring instincts of good advertisers contrive with naive audacity to pull the right official strings and the inevitable "Honor" comes their way. Their persistence alone would win the title or whatever it may be which they covet. Others from the sheer weight of their money bags are destined to be remembered when rewards are going round. * * * «• Disappointment at reading the names of those who have no claim other than influence or closely guarded wealth, to be classed in the 0.8. E. list, is softened by public gratification at the genuine winners of the coveted orders. Amongst Sydney women a most richlyearned decoration goes to Mrs. Edward Antill. The widow of an Artillery officer who died some years ago, she had both the leisure and the circumstances to enable her to devote her life to war work when the bolt shot from the Prussian blue. A good sport in times of peace, a keen golfer and firstrate tennis player, Mrs. Antill has shown the true sporting spirit in her magnificent devotion to duty. As hon. superintendent of the War Chest, of which she was one of the founders nearly three years ago, her organising ability and immense capacity for work make her one of Sydney's outstanding women patriots. * * * * Familiar Red Cross names are Mrs. Helen Ashton, Mrs. Ethel Laidley, Miss Egan, and Miss Macarthur Onslow. And none can cavil at their inclusion in the Order of the British Empire. & o o © The title Dame Commander went, almost as a matter of course, to Melba. Our most famous Australian woman, she has raised over £30,000 by her concerts for the Red Cross. Granting that this has given her comparatively little trouble, the actual organisation being spread over many shoulders, still Melba stands in the front rank from an all-world point of view. Her courage and dominant personality make "Dame Commander" a singularly fitting prefix. « # # # Mrs. G-lossop, the recent bride of the Emden's naval destroyer, Captain Glossop, R.N., made her first visit since her wedding to our Royal Naval House. Here every Wednesday afternoon little entertainments are given for the sailors' wives, who bring their children to these friendly at homes. Mrs. Dunn, wife of the Naval Transport officer, is an ardent worker who takes a leading, part in these affairs. Yours discursively, Ron a.

Australian boy of 16, and already at the Eront two years, who recently had the unusual privilege for a private soldier of dining with the King and Queen of Great Britain. The invitation was called forth by a photograph sent to the Queen by him, showing her holding him wben a baby, in her arms.