WELLINGTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 675, 25 January 1881, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

(from ourown correspondent.) < ' ' "•' Jan. 30. That unfortunate" white elephant/' the Wellington College, is to- the' fore again ! Of course'it is once m'ore'in'a state of impecunjosity, I suppose there never was ;i public institution that has ever known what it is to be hard up to fhe extent that this valuable boon hasdoue, And I ahi certain that no set pf men were ever more constantly abused than the wretohed'Governors of thU institurioa There has been a good deil of mismanagement, no doubt, but still I don't think the whole blame rests on the Board. They have had many disadvantages to contend with—notably the fact that the endowments have not turned out bo valuable & was anticipated, and that they also had to raise a heavy sum on mort gage; for which they havo to pay. a very high interest, Affairs camo to a climax, the other day, when the bank refused to cash any more cheques drawn' by the Governors, and the unfortunate masters found themselves unable to get their salaries; An appeal to the Government 'resulted in the grant nf a sum' sufficient to meet pressing necessities, subject, however, to strjngeiit renditions'as to reductions in the expenditure, &c, The Inspector-General, at.the request of the Cabinet, has also sent in a report on the College, nut it is generally condemntdfis a very milk and watery production, giving no. information that was not perfectly well kiioYh before. ' ~,:.'.;; I daresay most of your readers are familian with the story of the young clerk who once asked, his employer for a day's

leave, in order to attend his motherß funeral. " Very well, Mr Smith/ said the employer, who was somewhat absentminded, '"' You may ; ! go this time, but pray don't let it ocour'agiiin !" bmce tile recent reductions in the Government ~ Buildings the clerks there haye|SUnd the .; .work accumulate to such an eitent that .. holidays are generally reported » out 0f... . the Question this year, arid if'ff,jounfl ; . ... nian-'say in the Public, WorkUMM**...,,. 'hi called upon. t» : "assist" at 'his... father's funeral, it is doubtful whether t0... •would be'spafed a wholo day {or the purv; !_ pose. • The othertifty a clerk to. one .of .. the offices asked if he miuh't"; be absent'.... for half an hour. Permission _jra»', ; given, and the young Civil SeryajnV was , . observed to rush, excitedly down the.'... street as if racing for hia very life. .Pre>, ... senlly he ran' into the arms of a charming .. looking young lady, who seemed in a state , of great trepidation. A hurried coufer- ' ence took pake, the young man lopkedat .. his watch, and thenretracedhis steps to . the Government Buildings, wearing an .- anxious expression on his face. _ he presented himself before his chief, 'Bndi;;. { asked if his leave might be e>teuded\£w, two hours, as he found " he couldn't:. it done in half'ari hour,"•:I 1 Git /what!,':." done I" asked the chief. "If,'jflu:' please," replied -his subordinate,.; with; i.V many blushes, " t proposed' • tp; net- mar»,; '; ried this morning." I wish;!- could adi. . thafthe head of the departj&ctit r . there-; .' upon gave him his' blessing 1 ind'a fort;'.', night in which to spend his .honeymoon. But he did not. The young man got.his- .. two hours, and then returned cbbscien* . toualy to his.desk, albeit 'radian^in. th©','.:' joy of being a happy bridegroom; May .. he and the' young lady continue to : enjoy. all the. happiness and prosperity which ; they deserve, say I. • Another story comes,to me from the'.. Government Buildiugs, of a more solemn and awe-inspiring oharacter tha'n ..the ;; last. Whether it is owing to the ten per cent reduction, the late hours,which the.. \ clerks have had to keep working overtime,'',. to the increased consumption of .whiskey .'•'■ and the detriment of their morals, or the : fant&stio tricks which enterprising specials'.. _ cut in the lobbies I can't Bay, but it is solemnly averred that the ghost of a long .; since deceased official was seen in ."'the

largest wooden building in the world",the ... other night. Oertain.it is that the...' watchman to whom the apparition is said' : to have appeared was bo effeotedby the Bight that he there and then resigned'Hir..' situation rathtr than face another auoh;. night of terror. The defunot official wm.\.j at one time'' not unconnected" (ai Mr'...' Micawber would say) with, the:! OolooialHv Architect's Office,' and' I' rather think he .: must have been disturbed by the drill; shed—monstrura informe' horreudum-._;_ ingeus-rrbr the equally artistio .'railway, station recently erected! Bear the scene df \. his former labors. ( . , . ' We have it on the authority of!' Sor-..'; cerer" that" the working.man is*.'noble.;; fellow-r-when he's reasonably sober,", but _ ' he is not invariably a success when he;•; attempts the conduct of public bueinesi. ;■ The members of an institution here inet :;. for their half-yearly meeting'. tio.olh»r : ": evening, and were occupied till the »n).all \; hours of the morning by a ijriea.of ■ ordinary Boenes. The principal aubjeot of";; contention was the heinous cooauotof two members who had been guilty of lying .'.. on the billiard-table (for fear "of awkward mistakes, the action was' always. Referred to in debate as." laying.") FortSia oqnduot they were suspended/by-the Oflm. mittee, To this charge.the, defendants pleaded, I believe, first, .that they do it all, and secondly, that if tfiey'.jrHdj." they "did it by acoident," .The dispusr. ■ siou was most excited. Bushels'of motions' and amendments were and onffij if not twice, the proceedirißa becariio. 10... • noißy that an adjournment tor- ai quarter.;...' of an hour had to take plaice, .to.btde'r thai:..'; the members might cool down aV little.'," Eventually,, .however," thV. momentous "• question-was decided -in' favof'df the defendants, who " left tha'Court without a stain upon their character.":.-.-.■-.••' .••::' Rotten, thj great pianist,- has corae, •;■ seen, but has hardly oon'quered, bejagjr.es-.:. warded with only indifferent bouses,. ffif: ■. execution is certainly wonderful, - many good fudges are disposed' tq find ■ ■ •fault with his Very free raadirig:of many ' of the classical works he plays." Welling-' .' ton possesses an exceptionally Brilliant .;> pianist in. tb,e'<'person !'o! Ifr Aligelo Forrest, organist of St, Peter's, who vajj a favorite pupil of the great' Halle,. 1 ' haps this M one 1 re'aSon-'-why.'the oitiaens do not rush after strangers, like Mr Ketten.