OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13487, 14 May 1907, Page 3

OUR SYDNEY LETTER.

[FROM OUR OWN' COSRESrOXDEXT. ] '; , Sydney, May 8. THE XORTH SHORE BRIDGE. For '.years the project: of . constructing a bridge across the harbour" and so connecting North Sydney the city, has-been the subject of great discussion. In fact, one Governmentwent so far *': as to have elaborate ; plans prepared .*■ for ? a costly structure, but the Government went out of office, and the plans have remained in ; the pigeon-hole." -; The .work,'; however,, , is coming every day within the sphere of practical . engineering, by reason, of the enormous spread of population on the northern shore of the ; harbour. Thousands of work-people cross the water every -day by ferry steamers, and the traffic lias become so extensive that it is impossible to say what limits it may reach;:! On Monday the Premier, , Mr. ;Can*uthers,; speaking to a deputation representing Municipal . Councils, said that the Government would have sooner, or later to connect the city side of the harbour with the North Shore, j because it, was a monstrous thing':that) they had simply a sheet of "water:a? half a mile in width breaking up the railway, system. SETTLERS FROM NEW ZEALAND. Complaint** have been made to the Intelligence Department here about the* high price ;of land in New ■ Zealand and its character. The Department has .been informed by a farmer when : went ■ from America to New; Zealand, to secure suitable agricultural land, that he was " surprised at the hilly nature of the country, and that ho stayed in New Zealand only- a fortnight. Coming on ':■'• to New South Wales he was sent to the Wagga district, where he got some nice level land within 24.."hours at a cheap price, and now feels so satisfied that-he has sent i for his relatives in America. : *He has brought £1200 capital here, and the area he has taken up comprises .747 acres. . Another man, who has come to the notice of the Department, owning .1000 acres in New Zealand, : had sold it for; £16 an acre, to come over here, and has bought 2000 acres at" £8 an acre. According to Mr. Anderson, the Director of the Intelligence Department, there is a steady influx of , immigrants into New South Wales. They come: monthly from England. Of course there are many also from America, Canada, New Zealand; Victoria, South -Australia,: : and ? South Africa. THE LAND SCANDALS. The land prosecutions, it may ;be ; as- ; sumed, are done with! finally now; for ! the jury in the Crick-Willis trial at Darliaghurst have : disagreed, and were discharged | this morning. : =; It: is * possible; of., course, that the Attorney-General ; may : order -a new trial on the second and 'third counts; but it is hot;considered likely that he will. However, Crick ; and Willis ■: were formally bound .over this morning,■'./,- despite their protests, ■ to "• appear : again ! .»should a" new trial .be directed. : Any ~ way, ,tho,;!.disr" agreement of the jury to-day: means.: that the long proceedings • before :: the : Lands Commission and in: the Criminal :- Courts have had no tangible result so far, \ except the ' accumulation of an enormous mass of evidence, ! and the' compiling of a Considerable % bill of costs, which the uncomplaining taxpayer : will pay, as usual." ;i: Of course the Lands*, Commission ! has' hot yet j finally adjourned, and may sit again 'to I hear the evidence of Willis,.now that he j is back in the State. ' \ THE HOSPITAL COLLECTION- .'. Hospital Saturday, observed annually in Sydney oh the first -.'.'Saturday in May, established this year a record in takings The splendid! .sum of £5600 3 us, was v collated, an. increase of some hundreds oyer that of last year. From early morning until midnight the :'; indefatigible collectors worked, and.seemed as fresh with enthusiasm'-'when the theatres-were emptying at eleven p.m. as they .were in the forenoon. There were about'32oo ladies enlisted in the. cause,! and these were 'directed'; from stalls" or-kiosks placed at intervals over the city. These kiosks were bowers of drapery—red and white—and were artistically : decorated. - The organisation was ; perfect,'!' and the public i and many, business firms readily contributed -j to make the collection the success it was.,l The great army of ladies.invaded every part, of :theC city with their collection boxes, boarded the trams and: ferry l boats,', swept' into ;: warehouses, drapery, ;. stores, public I offices;; followed playgoers into ! the vestibules of the theatres everywhere, in short, and bailed up rich and poor—the merchant : prince and the beggar, ! : the Supreme Court judge, ,' and . the u labourer. One of the coal strikers; standing listlessly on ' Circular Quay, handed ; a shilling to ; a collector, saying, "I'm out on strike,.miss, or I'd give you more, for you were 'good to my little girl; in the : hospital." , Hundreds of instances'of this kind are recorded. i=A notable feature was the fact that two young Chinese ladies— Muriel Yen and Miss Nellie Diy—were , among the .band of • workers;:; and. visited the Chinese quarters" and the market gardeners at Belmore Market on Saturday; morning. Their efforts resulted m the sum of £16, 9s 5Q being collected in a few hours. This is considered especially . satisfactory, as the Chinese in the city are responding, very liberally ;to an i appeal for funds towards the relief of those suffering by the terrible famine in their own country. S J NO COALITION. ; .So the effort to abolish the third party in State politics lias failed after !all; and Mr. Carruthers and his followers - will go • to the country without an' alliance with the! Progressive: party, led by Mr. ' Wad-: dell. For some time it was believed that the proposals for coalition were not working so smoothly as could have been wished! by the Ministerialists.;. .There was a feeling ;on the : part of the ' Progressives ! that they were being asked to give too much and get too . little in - return, for!,though the: Ministerialists deprecated any bargaining oyer the matter, ,< it is always easy} for ! the party which is gaining the most profit to make a condition of that kind. This at least was the feeling of .some of! the Progressives. Again, certain members"of Mr. Waddell's party are • frankly sympathetic! with the Labour cause; notably Mr. E. W.I ,o'Sullivan, who from the first repudiated: any part in a coalition designed manifestly: with the object of" dishing" the Labour party in. the, approaching contest. At a ! meeting of the Progressives on Tuesday to i consider the subject, a motion that "the j party should remain intact other words, ■ that the coalition with the Ministerialists, j should not take place— put and carried-! by seven votes to four. j The expression of feeling clearly showed that some would not join the coalition untler any circumstances. Mr. Waddell (who, as he was in the chair, did not vote), handed in his' resignation as leader of the party, but withdrew it at the request of members, to consider the matter for a few days., *