CHAIRMAN S ADDRESS. XXIII. 



being, both from a sanitary and commercial standpoint. 

 The division of authority now existing between the many 

 municipalities, the Harbour Trust, the Water and Sewerage 

 Board, and the Public Works Department, makes any 

 attempts to stamp out the disease perfectly futile. What 

 is wanted is a consolidated municipal authority with 

 extended powers. Any form of municipal government 

 which nominally gives power to the municipality, but which 

 in reality leaves it in the hands of the Government is of no 

 use; the people must be trusted absolutely with their own 

 domestic affairs. Why cannot our civic government be 

 based upon the experience of British and Continental cities? 

 When a change is made, we have a splendid opportunity to 

 adopt what is good and to avoid what is bad. The 

 phenomenal growth of the city is only intensifying the 

 difficulty of solving the problem, and the longer the delay 

 the greater will be the multiplication of difficulties. 

 Enlightened citizens are unanimous in condemning the 

 present muddling, and demand a powerful consolidated 

 municipal government. 



The engineers of Sydney, so far, have not been heard on 

 this question, although their special knowledge and high 

 intelligence would entitle them to speak with authority. 

 A faint protest has arisen on a few occasions from the 

 architects, but no combined expression of opinion has even 

 been enunciated. The public are waiting for and would 

 welcome an expression of the views of the allied professions 

 of engineers, architects, and surveyors, and I feel sure that 

 the necessity for some such patriotic and self-denying 

 work on their part needs only to be pointed out to be 

 immediately acted upon. 



In close connection with the problem of municipal con- 

 solidation is that of the beautifying of our streets and 

 public places, not only in Sydney, but in all our country 



