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New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19219, 7 January 1926, Page 12

Then Mr. Punch has a grievance about being torn away to Canberra froiii a perfectly good capital to a capital which does not exist. He sketches merrily the relations between Melbourne and Sydney—- " Melbourne says that Sydney is sinful and Sydney says that Melbourne is asleep; Melbourne says that Sydney is a hell and Sydney says that Melbourne is a hole. Nero fiddled while Rome was burning, but when Melbourne burns there will be such an orchestra at work in Sydney as never was 011 sea or land." As to Canberra, Mr. Punch says: "Canberra is (or was) a smiling valley, a wide and undulating amphitheatre set high in the hills. There used to be at Canberra four people and one church. There are now an army of builders, joiners and fitters (coining money), half a Parliament House (unfinished), three-quarters of a Government Office (under construction), three hotels, and a Jiundred-and-one foundation stones. And for my part I plump for Sydney every time. A Smiling Valley. " Anyone who has, seen the rains of Carthage will remember what fun it is inspecting buildings which are not there, and it is still more thrilling to be . taken over a stately city which never has been there. As we drove down Adelaide Avenue (which is at present a dusty road through an expanse of grass, and has no trees) Mr. Honeybubble, who, when he is seeing sights, is determined to see them even if they are invisible, besought me to use my imagination. And I did so. And it seemed a great shame wantonly to populate this empty valley with Civil servants, politicians and pressmen. In the natural course a community develops these complaints when it is full-grown and can stand them, but what must be the character and end of a city vvnich begins with them V Vision and Courage. Then follows some fun about the buildings in course of erection in Canberra. Toward the close of the inspection of the buildings Mr. Honeybubble interposed a few remarks concerning the vision and courage of a tiny population of six millions which, having five or six capitals already, could afford to erect a brand-new capital at an estimated cost of a number of billions, with a stately Parliament House which was merely temporary—and, George added naughtily, with a National Debt of about a hundred million pounds and rising steadily.

" Mr. Honeybubble," I said, " you have spilled a bibful. This is indeed a great little nation. And whatever they think of God's own. country they are certainly determined to have God's own towns."