Home Base

By Sydneysider

Sydney is the hub of the South Pacific, and its news is your news. Here are some of the things that made August headlines.

Sydneysiders win have to “enter the higher realms of intelligence” to cope with the new plan for substituting seven numeral telephone numbers for the present two letters-four numerals combination. One suburb, Cronulla, already has the seven numerals and others are to be changed over soon. Dr. J.

Mac George, leading Sydney psychiatrist, says it’s going to mean a sharp rise in wrong num bers; letter-figure combinations are easy to remember but people of average intelligence can cope with only four figures—after that you enter the higher realms aforesaid. But the PMG says it is going on with the scheme, re gardless—to pave the way for when we can dial interstate and trunk calls. * * * Business and commerce which moved out of the city to Victoria Cross that is, the north approaches to the Harbour Bridge —to avoid traffic problems, find that they just left the frying pan to get into the fire. The northern approaches are the target for more and more parking restric tions as the Police Department makes bigger and better efforts to keep bridge traffic flowing smoothly. The approaches, from Crows Nest in, are a traffic maze that Sydneysiders have learned to live with. But it is a night mare to visitors, and horrifying stories— most of them apocryphal —are told of strangers who failed to get into the right lane, follow the right tags or bear right or Isft at appropriate places, ending up miles from where they want to go. * * * Unflattering Sydney newspaper comment attended the 1958-59 Federal Budget—w hi c h gave nothing to anyone except a few minor concessions to some pensioners—brought down by Treasurer Fadden on August 5.

Its complete lack of popular appeal virtually on the eve of a Federal election, said The Sydney Morning Herald, shows that Prime Minister Menzies and his Cabinet are certain they will be returned to office for another three years. • * * THE ARTS: Harry Phillips, aged 13, member of the Creative

Activities Centre of Erskinevills, an inner suburb, had one of his oil paintings (white horse, hills in background) purchased by the Governor’s lady, to hang in Gov ernment House. Henry says he’s definitely no square; he only mucks about with painting in his spare time, and he doesn’t think it’s sissy. * * * BUSINESS; Mr. Arthur Butler exploded a bomb when he re turned to Sydney from abroad and said he would start another interstate airline, using chart ered Britannias now and French Caravelle jets in 1960. Mr. Reg Ansett (of Ansett-ANA) whose battle with Mr. Butler and Mr B’s Butler Air Transport Ltd., a few months ago, made Australian commercial history, said he hadn’t Buckley’s —or Butler’s— chance of starting up. No one else appears to think much of his chances either, as Federal Gov ernment seems now committed to a policy of only two interstate air lines. * * * PEOPLE: Sir Charles Lloyd Jones, grandson of the founder of David Jones Ltd., Sydney’s biggest department store, died, aged 80. Prime Minister Menzies gave the oration at the funeral, which was one of Sydney’s biggest ever. * * * FASHION: Sydney’s hottest July day in 25 years (75 deg. on 27th) was followed by springlike early August and brought on a preview of summer fashions, most re markable thing about which is the quandary Sydney females are going to be in about position of their waists. Fashion designers are equally divided on whether it should be under the armpits, around the lower hips or in its right place. It is noted that the prevailing short skirts are most favoured by those whose under pinnings and knees are least suited to bearing the strain. * * * THE PRESS: Mr. Eric Baume (“This I Believe”) has joined Mr.

Ezra Norton’s Truth and Daily Mirror organisation as editorial director. This is the second time round with DM; Messrs Baume and Norton parted company some years ago with, as we understood it, mutual satisfaction all round.