Sir Conan Doyle as Critic

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Sir Conan Doyle as Critic is an interview of Arthur Conan Doyle written by a journalist of The Argus (Melbourne, Australia) on 1st february 1921.


Sir Conan Doyle as Critic

The Argus (1st february 1921)

Public Services Attacked.

"Telegraph System Shocking."

Sydney, Monday. — Sir Conan Doyle in a farewell interview to-day, said:— "I love the Australian people for their naturalness and unaffectedness. Where my impressions are unfavourable is in regard to your public services. The postal service is bad, and the telegraph service is simply shocking. The railways could be improved vastly. I have heard business men say that it is almost impossible to conduct business here because of the wretched handling of public utilities. These should not be matters of politics for it is to the interests of a democracy to have cheap and efficient services. I found great capacity in the management of private concerns. The Sydney ferries and the Melbourne trams are conducted as well as any enterprises in the world. The reason for the inefficiency of the public services, as far as I can gather, is that there are no direct permanent 'bosses.' Australians who stay at home have no standard of comparison, but I can assure them that the services referred to are ineffective."