FRENCHMAN'S IDEALS 



thing rather fascinating in selling newspapers — ^there 

 is so much more distinction about it than matches 

 or collar studs and things like that. I consulted the 

 Frenchman I have just spoken about, but when he knew 

 I had no capital he shrugged his shoulders, so there 

 was no inspiration from him. " How I wish," he said, 

 " that my countrymen were better colonists. Look 

 at this superb country, the thousands of acres with 

 fruit growing, what do they do with it ? Send away 

 some of their apples and pears to other colonies '* 

 (it was the day before they had begun to ship fruit to 

 England). " With the rest they make jam, and put it 

 in those ugly tins. The sugar costs them so much 

 that the price of the jam is dear. They should plant 

 thousands of acres with beetroot and get their own 

 sugar. Then again," he continued, " why only jam ? 

 Why can't they preserve it in bottles, crystallise it and 

 in every way use it as we do. I shall go back to France 

 when I can spare the time and arrange a company to 

 do what I have told you." 



It was a fine sketch idea of a good scheme, and so far 

 as I am aware has not yet been attempted, so there may 

 be the nucleus of an idea which might commend itself 

 to someone, and the Government of the Common- 

 wealth might use it. The law stepped in to stop the 

 schemes of my chance acquaintance. It must be said 

 that his most intimate friends in Sydney stuck to him 

 most loyally in his trouble. Well, there we are; he 

 was only an incident, and I bring him in to give his 

 ideas, which were quite excellent. 



The first week's bill was paid at a private hotel, a 

 place with beautiful grounds, where I used to pace up 

 and down thinking out what really could be done. 

 Mount Wellington used to look down as if to say : 

 " Stay here. Surely this place can be hospitable to you." 



43 



