JOTTINGS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4270, 16 November 1892, Page 2

JOTTINGS.

(By Our Wellington Correspondent,)

Welungtos, Monday. The prospeots for the forthcoming Agricultural and Pastoral Show on Wednesday and Thursday next, are at present exceedingly encouraging. If only this capricious climate will condescend to give us fine weather, a great success is in store. The entriea are good and compare most favourably with all the other large shows, the Metropolitan at'Oliristohuich of course excepted, Tlie slieop entries number 220, cattle 110, horses 270, aud miscellaneous including pigs, poultry, • dogs, dairy produots, agricultural implements, etc.) total up to about 400, making at the time of writing,over 1000 entries iu all. Thiß total, it is expected, will be considerably increased by special entries made during this week, The tram arrangements for town and country have been made as complete as possible, and as the public purse and convenience has been carefully considered a record attendance should put in an appeaiance on the Petone Sbow Ground.

The great Band contost, to use a slang expression, Las been a regular " frost." The faot is, the promoters hare had lo run opposition against the Opera Company, and that was enough to kill anything in Wellington during the past three weeks, for this excellent company has drawn packed houses every night, Then again the contest does not sep to have been monaged in a bußinesalike manner, more especially so as regards keeping the public well posted with particulars. It is no use hiding one's light under a bushel now-a»days-the modesty man goes to the wall-as someone re* marked " advertising is to business what steam is to machinery." The public here are also Somewhat annoyed at the manner in which the Band Contest promoters treated the Opera Company over the lease of the Opera House. The last four per-, formances of tho Opera season had to be given in the Theatre Royal,beoause the Band people refused to come to reasonable terms and waive Iheir prior right to the Opera House. The Opera Company offered the promoters £SO for the house, but this ofler waß refused, Consequently the Opera Company migrated to the Theatre Royal, where the accommodation is totally inadequate for Buck a large concern both as regards the stage and auditorium. Tho Opera people, howover, scored heavily, for the Theatre was nightly packed, while the Opera House was very sparsely attended, except on Saturday night, when the charge for admission was reduced. It would have paid the Band Contest i promoters very well to have taken tho £SO and gone to the Theatre, where the rent is much lower and where the attendance would have been quite a3 good, if not better, than in the Opera House,

The result of the contest was a foregono conclusion and was looked on as a "moral" for tba splendid Oamaru band, but the fact of Obristchurch running a dead heat for first place was rather a surprise, although their excellent performance fully justified the.judges' deoision. The Wellington Garrison Band made a very creditable show, but they have a lot to learn yet before they can approaoh on equal terms the Oamaru and Christchurch Bands. It is a matter for regret that moro country bands did not enter for the Junior Contest, the Otaki Maoris being the only band having sufficient enterprise to face the judge, How the Maoris do enjoy this sort of thing. They played energetically about the town nearly every day and with their smart uniforms and jaunty appenranco, although their musical knowledge was somewhat limited, they attracted more attention than any of the othera, Mr Georgo Fishor is very energotically canvassing the town for tbo impending Mayoral eleotion and it is whispered that his chances of winning are more than probable. Mr Bell has, however, a very large following in the Thorndon and Lambton wards, Mr Fisher's strength lies in To Aro, and I think therefore that the chances are about equal. In the opinion of many people Mr Bell's Committees are far too confident that their candidate will win with the greatest ease,-and in consequence they are not exerting themselves as much as they should do if they want to put their man in, Mr . Fisher has upon the occasion of every eleotion, whether for the House or ' for Municipal honors, been always thought to have not the slightest chance, but strangely enough he has managed to bead the poll every time, Surely a lesson should be learned from experience,

A great deal of destitution exists in Wellington at the present time, .u* chiefly amongst people of the educated W classes, suoh as clerks and ex-civil servants. This olass of people is continually flocking to Wellington in tbe hope of obtaining employment as temporary clerks in tbo Government Ilepartments. No leas than ono hundred applications for employment, I ari told, were received at one'prominent department tbe other day. Son}e of the cases were very and the taßk of selocting suitablo men for • . the work was rendered,very painful by the fact that many applicants urged as a reason for their employment poverty of a most pitiable nature! These are ndt'the class of people who trouble'the Benevolent and other s Charitable Institutions, such as the Labour Bureau, bo Jhe real aUle ot

nflaira is not brought prominently before tint public; but that ibey exist is only too true.

Thero is a feeling of universal regret hero amongst all classes of the community that that highly respected

and di'servedly popular public servant, < Mr 0. 0. Graham, Ofhoial Assignee 4& and K.M., has received bis marching ~ ordora for Dunedin. No man could have disohnrged the responsible duties attaching to the position of Offioial Assignee, with more ability and tact than Mr Graham has; as a Magistrate also be has been a distinct success. The legal profession is about to present a memorial to the Government requesting them to re-comidor their determination to transfer Mr Graham, and the mercantile com' munity intend taking similar action at a meeting of tho Chamber of .Commerce to be held on Wednesday, flAs a matter of fact Mr Graham is one of the most valuable officers the Governnient'bas, and to transfer him from head-quarters, where his knowledge and experience is of groat service, appears to be a very short-sigbtod proceeding,

The opera season is over at last, to the mingled regret and relief of nearly everybody, We would have welcomed their slay here for another month, w our purses only been longer, but wo'regrct tho departure of a company

whose equal for all-round talent has not been seon upon the Now Zealand stage before. Not only is tho talent of the very highest order of merit, but the operas havo been most superbly Btaged, the scenery and dresses being quite a revelation to Wellington audiences, " Pepita" was a striking example of stage splendour in the matter of dresses, somo of the many and varied costumes being really magnificent. The jeunem dorce of Wellington may lament tho departure of the Company, but their tailors and other confiding tradesmen will hail the event with the liveliest satisfaction. Financially, the season was the best on record in Wellington. I am told, on good authority, that the gross receipts amounted to close on £3ooo. Thero is no doubt that the Company could have played a much longer season hero with profit to themselves, hut I am afraid it would have caused the baukruptoy of innny if they had, there is a probability of the Company coming bore again shortly, if so, after a much-needed financial rest, the good people of Wellington will give them the warmest of welcomes.

The Walter Bentloy Company opens to-night in the " Silver King,' 1 and if extensive advertising and newspaper notices will do anything, to say nothing of Mr Bentley's great ability as an actor, a successful season should result. But lam rather sorry for M r Bentley, following right on the footsteps of the Opera Company, It is bard to soar up to the height of legitimate drama again, after descending to the delightful depths of comio opera. However, Mr Bentley being a warm favorite here, and the show and races eventuating this week I have no doubt the public will rally round and give him a hearty support.

Tho Union Steam Shipping Company is determined to make the Hud«lt Parker Company pay for their ierity in daring to oppose them in this Colony. The "Mararoa" has been put on specially to" worry" the " Warrimoo." The" Mararoa" only arrived here to-day at twelve o'clock, after a run of a little over tlireo days from Sydney, and left again at two p.m. for Fort Chalmers direct, in order to pick up the "Warrimoo" and " run" her up the Coast, The "Mararoa" expects to reaoh Port Chalmers in nineteen hoars, leaving to-morrow evening once more for Sydney via Northern ports, Sharp work this to reach Fort Chalmers in nineteen hours, when one considers the distance is 332 miles, entailing an average speed of about fifteen knots an hour. It will be interesting to wateb which of tho two steamers is the best " stayer," for a fast rate speed like this knocks them about very much,

The Montague-Turner English Opera Company, y"TheMemianGirl,"

The second appearance of the Mon-tague-Turner Opera Company in Masterton, last night, was greeted with even more enthusiasm than on the previous evening. The piece put on was Balfe's charming opera, " The Bohemian Girl," Mibs Annis Montague taking the part of Arline. There could beno mistake about the genuineness of the applause which followed every number. In Ihe song, " I Dreamt that I Dwelt in Marble Halls," her sweet and powerful voice was beard to full advantage, and in the third act when she interpolated " Home Sweet Home," sho fairly took the audience by Btorm, her truly pathetio rendering of the beautiful ballad reducing the houso to a state of breathless Btillness, and ber admirable expression and the wonderful control of her voice gaining her prolonged applause. In the concerted musio, too, Miss Montague was particularly successful, hor dramatic action Hpjigliout being perfectly natural and entirely free from restraint. Mies E, Lambert, as tho Gypsy Que«i, made a good deal of her part, notwithstanding the fact that she was suffering from a cold, both her acting and singing being powerful and effective. Mr Charles Turner (Thaddeus) was in capital voico, his fine rendering of"'Tis hard to leave ono's Fatherland" and" When other Lips'' £ being much enjoyed by tho audience. * His great success, however, was in tho soul-stirring "Fair Land of 1 ■ Poland," in which number Mr Turner achieved a veritable triumph. Mr F. England, as Devilsboof, ably sustained a difficult part, and in the third act convulsed the audience with his drolleries in the drawing room scene. Mr F. Sceats as Count Arn«Loim, proved his ability as an aotor and his singing, particularly in •' The Heart Bowed Down," gained him *oll merited applause. Mr Percy Stuart (Florenstein), the frivolous suitor for the band of the fair Arline, delineated i l%art faithfully, each of the minor I characters being also wtsll sustained. A noticeable feature in last night's performance was the beautiful and costly dresses, admiration of which was freely expressed on all sides. A very great assistance to the success of the opera was the faultless accompaniments and overtures played by Mr Theo. Mansilian. To-night Verdi's popular opera " 11 Trovatore " will be produced and should attract a larger aiifaco than over,