SYDNEY SPENT NEW YEAR’S EVE REVELLING BY THE SEA.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 659, 12 January 1933, Page 8

SYDNEY SPENT NEW YEAR’S EVE REVELLING BY THE SEA.

A Sydney Letter.

New Dole Regulations Hit at Swaggers; Pioneer Gatherings are Popular.

(Special to the “ Star.”) SYDNEY, January 5. New Year’s Eve was much brighter and also much noisier than Christmas Eve in Sydney. Most of the people apparently—- " about a million of them,” one paper said—prepared for the evening’s entertainment by going out to the various beaches, which were densely thronged, and not even the necessity for frequent rescues—foe the sea was rough, many of the swimmers were reckless, and the belt-men were requisitioned in over a hundred cases —could quench their ardour.

JN THE EVENING, though about midnight a great outburst of discordant sound spread through the city from hotels and cabarets and private houses, the beaches were still the chief centres of activity. At Coogee, Manly and Bondi the streets were invaded by throngs of revellers who came out into the open air from the various dances then and there in progress and drank with all and sundry a health to the New Year. At these “marine suburbs,” in fact, a large number of people enjoyed themselves so much that they could not tear themselves away and hundreds “ kept it up ” all night, dancing and surfing—with interludes for refreshment—till after sunrise, when they decided that it would be a pity to waste time by going home, and they finished off with a prolonged “ sun-bake.” So far as the dances were concerned, the police politely ignored the regulations, which have been so recently “ tightened up,” and the cabarets were wide open till at least 3 a.m. But this liberty did not seem to degenerate into licence to any serious extent, for there were only about twenty-five cases of drunkenness, to be handled at Central Police Station next day as against 200 “left over” from Christmas Eve. Altogether, it seems to have been a most successful celebration, so far as Sydney is concerned, and a great number of people are thinking and talking about it still. Back to Windsor. One of the most interesting traditions that the people of New South Wales have established is the practice of commemorating the foundation or origin of towns and settlements by prolonged public celebrations. A few months ago the opening of the new bridge over the Clarence provided an occasion for a “ Back to Grafton ” week, during which all the old identities came from far and near to keep up their personal associations with the place and to join in the public rejoicings. More recently we have had a “ Back to Gundagai ” week, a u Back to Windsor ” week, and just at the close of the year, a “ Back to Orange ” week, which has been a great financial and social success. Most of these celebrations have been centenaries, but Windsor, of course, looks down upon most of the other settlements as mere juveniles, for settlement began in this district nearly 140 years ago. Possibly because New South Wales has a longer History than any province or district in New Zealand the people here seem to attach more importance to the maintenance of such old associations than is the case on the other side of the Tasman Sea. It seems to me that such celebrations, carried out as they are here with great energy and enthusiasm, serve more than one important public purpose. They help to remind us of what we owe to-day to the courage and enterprise and self-denial of the pioneers who carved out homes in the wilderness, in those far-distant days, and so prepared the way for us all; they maintain the continuity of the history of the State, and prevent the complete loss of that immense body of historical material which in all

young countries disappears irrevocably year by year as the early settlers pass away, and they help to strengthen that sentiment of unity and of racial pride which is one of the firmest foundations of a strong and healthy national life. Early Days On the Land. Speaking of the pioneers, I have just com e across two personal references that may interest my readers. Mr R. M. Pitt (of Pitt, Son and Nadgery, one of our largest stock and station agencies) has just celebrated his birthday, and Has incidentally renewed the auctioneer’s license which he has held for sixty-one years. Speaking of his early days in the Richmond district, he says that “no one had any money, but they had courage and endurance in plenty.” His father was one of the first two men to take up land in the Moree district, 400 miles from Sydney, and “ he travelled all the way on foot behind the cows and calves he took up from the Hawkesbury to stock the holding.” And four or five years after he brought his calves, now fat bullocks, down to the city market, still travelling on foot the whole way. Mr Pitt’s account of the old days in this part of the world when there was ** no money,” has been amply confirmed by Mr Tout, who is president of the New South Wales Graziers’ Association. His people have been on the land in the Young district for 100 years, and he still lives at the old homestead. “ Most of the men in those days,” says Mr Tout, “ started off scratch, and from very small beginnings they slowly but surely fought their way up to independence, and some to affluence.” The Dole and the Swagger. No doubt the desire of the Government to prevent fraud or imposition in connection with the dole is in every way laudable. Yet it is possible in the desire for rigid economy to lose one’s sense of proportion, and the latest regulations dealing with the dole in rural districts have evoked a great deal of strong criticism. According to the latest instructions travellers who want the dole must produce identification cards. When the new ordinance first came into operation, men travelling the country on foot, for example, from Harden or Cootamundra to Yass, found that when they applied for the dole it was refused. They could not go back to their starting point to secure means of identification. In this instance some of them came from Sydney, which is 200 miles away. In one case several lads employed in a travelling circus found themselves stranded at Yass, without food and without any chance of getting the dole, and they had to depend on public charity for their Christmas dinner. The police had no instructions that would apply to such cases, and contented themselves with reminding the hapless wayfarers that “ official notice ” had been given of the new regulations. However, the Mayor of Yass appealed to the Chief Secretary and it seems that the authorities controlling the dole issue are to be given a little wider discretion in future.