A SYDNEY LETTER.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 197, 24 September 1914, Page 6

A SYDNEY LETTER.

AN HISTORIC DAY. From Our Special Oorrrnipondent. SYDNEY, September 18. Last Saturday was an historic day in the history of Australia, for it was then that the news came through telling of the capture of Hcrbcrtshohe and Simpsonshaven, in New Britain; and on that day the drought broke. There-were, heavy rains in South Australia, Victoria, and parts of New South Wales, with Jiglit rains elsewhere. Only the Biverina remains dry. And all through the week just ending, there have been torrential rains on the coasts, good rains out west, and in all parts 'but the Biverina,'which'is parched and burned, with the wheat crops withering day by day. But, so far as Australia as a whole is concerned, the position is a thousand times better than it was last week, and the people can rejoice at the conquest of German New Guinea and grieve over the loss of life entailed without having in the back of their minds the -Jjaunting fear that a great disaster in ! the form of a wheat famine was threatening. The crop will not be a record one, but it will be a fair average yield, [now that the rain has come.

AUSTRALIA'S FLEET. The writer of the leading article which appeared in the ""Sun" of September 9, hit th« nail on the head, particularly when he wrote, concerning the Australian fleet, "under the circumstances it, was a very generous action on the part of the Oommoirwealth to allow the Australia to go aivay for some ilays to assist in an exploit for which New Zealand was to get all the kudos.'' It was. And while New Zealanders are not likely to ' forget ' a sportingaction like that, it is important that they should not forget it. And it is to be sincerely hoped that when this trouble is over, New Zealand will collaborate with Australia in the maintaining'of an Australasian Navy. A prominent Sydney business man voiced this sentiment to me recently. I He said:—

"I know there's a little jealousy between the two countries, and there would be no necessity for such a navy to be under one control in time of peace. Only in time of war would that occur, and then, as in the present case, the ships would be under the control of the Imperial Navy. With such a joint fleet there woujd be no need to fear raids on ports or shipping in these waters in time of war." .

A COASTAL SCARE. Passengers by the P. and O. steamer J&ooltan, which arrived-at Sydney yesterday, had an exciting time on the night after leaving Adelaide. Que of the passengers told the story in this way:—"At about 11.15 three or four of us were having a final smoke on deck, .before turning in, when ...the look-out man shouted, 'Hard a-starboard!' , The Mooltan swung out of her course, and on her starboard side we saw a solitary white light dashing, almost under our hoses, it seemed, although in reality about half a mile. awav.

'" 'That's a Morse lamp;' said someone. 'ls it a German warship steaming without lights to surprise us?" . '•■- "Many were the conjectures ere the Morse lamp stopped it's* ■ flashing. The Mopltan resumed her course, and presently the green and mast-head, light of a cargo-carrier showed. She was going in the same direction',as the Mooltan.

"Enquiry showed that the smoke of the cargo steamer was trailing astern, and obscuring her stern light, with commendable thoughtfulness, her captain, seeing the mailboat coming up astern, signalled by Morse, 'This is the Nardoo, bound for Sydney.' " TEE VOICE OF RUMOUR.

The voice of rumour has been heard concerning the supposed doings of Australia's fleet, and such of the rumours current in Sydney as appeared to come from reliable'sources have been mentioned in this letter.

The report of the capture- last week ot-New.Britain,' and with it German New Guinea, might appear to show that the story told by the officers of the French mailboat Sydney concerning ,«i •night attack by Australian destroyers, was only.another idle rumour. But that is not so. !

On excellent authority it is here written that on the night of August 11 three destroyers attacked a German wireless station in the Pacific. A cruiser accompanied them, and kept her guns: trained on the station while the destroyers crept in under the shadow of the smoke of a volcano behind the town. A landing party took the Germans by surprise, and the wireless was smashed.

Senator Mil Jen, i?i his summary of the operations of the fleet, issued on Tuesday last, said, in passing, that several Gorman wireless stations in the Pacific were put out of action before the fleet convoyed the New Zealanders to Samoa. This was one of them, and it is a fine story, and one which will make the pulses *■ of Australians beat faster .when they hear it —the story of the first active service of Australia 's fleet.' No doubt it will shortly be oftichilly given out. FEEDING THE SOLDIEES.

'No one knows exactly how many soldiers there are in Sydney just r.ow. And .nobody knows just' how much wheat there is available to make broad to feed the people with. But if there is any shortage of food here, it certainly is not occurring in the-military camps. • The Government rations are liberal and plain in fare; there is a good canteen, and the men are paid 6/- a, <lay; so there is no occasion for the complaints which sometimes are heard. But that is not all. Every day, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of women and girls visit the camps to see their boys. Ami they all go loaded 'with food.

It has been roughly estimated that it Svould take three times the number of men to cat all the food that is offered to them in and out of camp, while the amount of drink that :is of-

fered to them out of camp is astounding. The Sydney patriots are intensely practical in their gifts, and many an Australian doing sentry dtity on the Yosges or on the Rhine will look

back longingly to the glad days fee spent in Sydney before the troopships HOSPITABLE AUSTRALIA. This isy and n.O doubt always will be, an hospitable land. And the* resources of Australia's hospitality, are never - strained, so great is her prosperity. When her hands seem full'in a noble effort to send men and horses and food to the Empire, Australia is yet able to say "Yes" when, it is suggested that 2000" widows? of-soldiers who> died in the ranks of the Allies shall be sent here. And one bush woman has even gone further. She suggests that many married people who are childless should adopt the'children who have been orphaned by the war, be they British, French, or Belgian, and rear them in.Australia to be good Australians.

It really appears as* though this war,, with all its sorrows, is going to bring good to Australia by.awaking.her more fully to her responsibilities as a nation, in an empire of nations —aye, audNew Zealand too. GOVERNMENT SEIZES WHEAT.

When the Necessary Commodities. Control Commission was appointed & month ago to enquire into the best, means of regulating the prices of foodstuffs during the war, it was expected that drastie action would follow upon the Commissioner's report on the matter of wheat, flower, and bread.' Audi the expectation has been realised. A few days ago the Commission fixedthe price of wheat at 4/2 a bushel,, twopence a bushel higher than it wasat the end of July. In doing this, the? Commission had to carefully separate-; the increase in prices due to war and. to drought, which had made wheat soarup to 5/3 a bushel.

As soon as the holders of wheat, heard of the Commission/s decision,, they flatly refused to sell any, wheats their excuse being -that they had aumo.. But the Railway Department - keeps; track of every sack which comes overits lines, and the Government's replyto the men who are trying to cornerAustralia's food supply was to seiz.),. yesterdaj', 140,000 sacks of wheat which} was lying at Darling Harbour awaitingshipment, abroad. Only prompt action by the police averted the shipment, taking place. The Government will sell the wheatto the millers and hand the proceedsto the present, owners, of the wheat; this action will prevent any raising oi~ the-price of bread in Sydney, and a similar course is to be followed in theother -States if* necessary. The pri»-e' of the-21b' loaf lias'been fixed at. '•H<i, and of flour at £9 a ton.