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By Sydneysider

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

SYDNEY has been undergoing the second of its three annual juvenile Scourges.

The other two happen in the May and the Christmas school holidays.

In this respect Sydney has never outgrown its hick-town background, and to an extent un known anywhere else on earth, at these periods of the year the kids flood into the city, the youngest of them accompanied by mother and maybe grandmother; To use the floors of the big depart ment stores as skating rinks, to ride up and down escalators, to be boxed over the ears in public, to scream like stuck pigs, to con sume gallons of ice cream, tons of meat pies, potato chips and lollies, and —up to the age of six and assisted by mum—use the gutters as urinals.

This latter habit, unknown before the war, is said to have been picked up from our Euro pean migrants. * * * The rabbit which Mrs.

Gertrude Melville, 73 year old grandmother and Labour MLC, started running when she attacked the State police in the Council, was chased avidly by three city newspapers ' but spurned by the fourth, the Daily Mirror, which is making a virtue of being pro-Government and pro-Police at present. Demands for Royal Commissions and as sorted inquiries have been re fused by the Government. The fuss is likely to lead nowhere except to a rap over the knuckles for Mrs. Melville who, no doubt, will be judged to have caused her party embarrassment. * * * Although it has not yet done anything irretrievable in the way of introducing equal pay for women, the State Cabinet has decided to go ahead with its second piece of vote-catching legislation, and introduce three weeks annual leave for all workers under NSW awards from January, 1959. The psychology of it is that there are more people who will benefit from it than there are employers who will not.

Other citizens, without benefit of crystal balls, are already taking a longer and dimmer view and foreseeing its snowballing effects, although admitting that once introduced, n o non-Labour government will ever have the

courage to unscramble the eggs.

Fewer working hours are not likely to make NSW cheaper to live in; nor get more overseas investment, which was what Premier Cahill went overseas to attract a few months ago. * * * CULTURE; Premier Cahill said on September 2 that the cost of Sydney Opera House “could safely be taken not to exceed £sm. to build”. (Original estimate £3,700,000). Public contributions to the building fund have reached about one-twentieth of that amount, but citizens need have no fears—special State lotteries to pay for it will be resumed soon. * * * PEOPLE; Sydneysider Shirley Abicair, who has won fame and fortune in the UK as a zither player and singer on TV, re turned to Sydney to visit her parents and to do TV shows over local stations.

Mr. Brian Travers, 39, who left Sydney Church of England Grammar School, North Sydney (Shore), as a senior prefect in 1937, will return next academic year as Headmaster, in succession to Mr. L. C. Robson. Shore headmaster since 1923.

MEMORIALS: A Fountains Committee was formed after Lord Mayor Jensen called a public meeting of people in terested in providing the city with more fountains. The Lord Mayor, who was abroad earlier this year and was impressed with other cities’ fountains, thinks leading citizens might like to donate some to Sydney and thus have their names perpetuated. * * ♦ BIRTH: To Mrs. Giraffe, of Taronga Park Zoo, a daughter, Parramatta, 3 cwt. Both well. vi a £ on f a now has eight giraffes all bred from one pair and will supply other zoos on request and for a consideration). * * *

Knighthood In Flower:

iv? than four knights attended the annual dinner of ?° A rt Street High School Old Boys Assn. They were Sir Percy Spender on leave from the International Court; Sir Garfield Barwick, QC, MP; Sir Bertram Stevens (ex-politician) and Major-Genera! Sir George Wootten.