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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 Jan.-Feb. headlines.

Best kept secret for twelve months (up to February 9, any way) is the date for the forth coming New South Wales State elections. It is obvious that if Labour Premier Cahill could, he wouldn’t have an election at all.

It has to be before May, but Joe is backing and filling like a coy primadonna, while his ad visers consult the local witch doctors for the most propitious date.

Some political roundsmen, tired of waiting for the date to be announced, calculate that it will be round Easter. Opposition Leader Morton says that Mr.

Cahill’s reticence about the date is “childish”. Mr. Cahill says the Opposition election policy is “fantastic pipedreams”.

Outcome of elections, when they do come, is anyone’s guess The present mob undoubtedly is a worn and beat-up reed, but unfortunately the Opposition, even in prospect, looks like a weak vessel. Lacking anything more inspiring, voters will be swayed according to whether they subscribe to the devil-you-know philosophy or believe in anything for a change. * * * Food for the Old School who think that the present genera tion has gone to the dogs, was the Press pursuit of movie-actress Ava Gardner, who paid two brief visits to Sydney in February dur ing a lull in filming On the Beach, in Melbourne. Thwarted by Ava, who shut up like a clam, reporters nonetheless got their stories. One enterprising news hound followed her through a series of restaurants and supper spots and Daily Telegraph read ers, next morning, were enter tained to a front-page, bite-by bite description of what La Gardner ate. The girl has quite an appetite, but most readers were not amused by the Tele’s antic. * * * Most Important Person treat ment was ordered for Dr Subandrio, Indonesian Foreign Minister who arrived in Sydney on February 10 and was shuttled smartly through to Canberra.

Theme is that though Australians don’t want to see Indonesians in Netherlands New Guinea, they otherwise regard them with neighbourly affection. * * * HEALTH:For the first time in 46 years, NSW had no polio deaths in 1958. It’s attributed to the Salk anti-polio vaccine, plus

a natural low in polio incidence.

Earn Now, Pay Later;

Immoral earnings are taxable, and the worst sin of all is not putting in a tax return, accord ing to a finding in a Sydney court. When Tax-Gatherer Ander son gave evidence at the hearing, it was obvious that he was more concerned about the non-arrival of Dulcie Markham’s tax return, than about how Dulcie earned her dough. “Our records in dicate,” he wailed, “receipt of substantial income of between £7O-£BO per week.” He submitted that Miss Markham, who ad mitted to belonging to the oldest profession, was trying to get it tax free.

Dulcie was fined £5O for her dilatoriness, although her counsel claimed that she had worked only four months in 1957 and was still trying to average out her earn ings over a full year. (Prostitu tion is not legalised in this State, so presumably an habitual thief is also supposed to lodge an in come-tax return.) * * *

Clive In A Fix; Mr. Clive

Evatt, MLA for a suburban elec torate, whose passion for trouble outdoes even that of his elder brother, Dr. H. V. Evatt, has been given a Greek award because he is president of the Australian Committee for Cyprian Self-De termination. But Prime Minister Menzies refuses to ask Bucking ham Palace if Clive can wear it (Austrlian citizens can’t accept foreign decorations without the Queen’s consent). This leaves Clive with the alternative of asking the Queen himself, or of keeping his decoration (Com mander of the Royal Order of the Phoenix) in its velvet case. * * * SPORT: Former Hungarian Olympic Games swimmer Eva Pajor, became a naturalised Aussie on January 29. Eva swam for Hungary at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956, but was one of that team who prudently decided not to return home to a country then in revolt. Eva is now eligible to swim for Australia. * * *

Kind Heart In Court: A

57-year-old woman who bigam ously married a man when she found he was suffering from TB, in order that she could nurse him, returned to her first husband when he was later found to be suffering from a heart ailment.

Her big-heatedness landed her in court in January.