JOTTINGS from WELLINGTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4428, 26 May 1893, Page 2

JOTTINGS from WELLINGTON.

' ( By Our Own Correspondent,) : Land al last \ A "loom"ahead! {-Unemployed from Australia l—Tk jenterprising Bursar!— Parlmmml 'Buildings; mm fresh air—The Government Printer l—Thi Publicans and Sinners prepared I—Ministerial Meddling !—A Lady Medico I—The Birthday Ball; produce your tickets! -The Game of Golf!— Plain John, Duthii, M.ll.ft, -- % I heat that thero is a considerable revival in land speculation throughout the Colony; more espeoially as regards town and suburban sections. In Uhristchnrch Louses and land properties are selling freely and in Wellington the demand for this kind of investment is steadily increasing. Somo very good sales locally aro reported during the last few weeks, The enquiry tor shares is limited, do doubt owing to the fact that speculations of this nature are mors or less directly affeoted by financial crisis on the other side. Trada speaking is dull, and merchaura'rciport that sales of the usual, commodities are very slow. ; This may, however, be expected, as it .is now the very dullest season ot. th^year, and no doubt matters will as the win* tec months draw to a olose. I am told that large amounts of Australian capital lrnvß ..arrived or are oil their way to this Colony,, seeking safe and remunerative investment. That the crisis in Australia will act favourably towards this Colony is uudoubed,and in that case it is an ill-wind that blows : no one good. It is to he hoped, however, that a " boom " will not set in, for our motto should be " slow and sure," till we are well out of tbo wood. With a thumping big surplus, in our revenue, wool and frozen meat at a fair figure, our odour in the London mark^flSC 11 gradual restoration of public confidence, it may reasonably be expected that this colony lias prosperous days near at hand. Let us only pray that we may be safely delivered from tho dutches of land sharks and "boomers". if the " big time," which is predicted, does set in. There is one New Zealand industry which, however, has received a rude shock lately, and that is the manufacture of hemp. Owing chiefly to the failure of that enormous syndicate, the National Cordago Com' pany of the United fjtates, the price of dressed flax has receded nearly four pounds per ton, and this is a bad look out for those shippers who have con* trncted for a supply of Sax from the mills at a much higher price than they . can now obtain for, the article in the European and American markets. It is quite true that what this 1 country requires chiefly is popula- . tion, but at the same time #o do not exactly require to be flooded out with the unemployed of Australia, as there seems every chance of happening, . owing to the depression existing over , on the other side. As it is, although i New Zealand is undoubtedly the most . j prosparous of the Australasian oob. nies, there is barely sufficient at pre* sent to keep all tho able-bodied men of this colony fully employed, and a rush here just now would ontiroly swamp tho labour market. In addition to a glut of woiittWi seekers for employment, it would alro-meosirli l *' the oharitable institutions will be over-run with applications for relief, and thus tho influx, instead of lightening the burden of taxation, would e very materially assist in making tho o burden much heavier. The Trades r and Labour Council and the Knights It of Liibour aro quite right, therefore, 0 to take steps to prevent, if possible, it any sudden influx, by warning the :e kindred unions of Australia,that work d is not by any means bo plentiful over e- bora as might be supposed from the a improved condition of the colony. - The Government should also take is steps to prevent any pauper immigrair tion—for the poor we have always ~ with us—without importing it. As it is, a most undesirable class of ||rants seems to have reached Shores, most probably from tho ■side where no doubt business Sir particular line is dull, in the | of the " enterprising burglar," . Is than four attempted burglarwe taken place during the past Band although the police state . Slave a pretty good idea who the ■dual or individuals may be, yet ■rests have been made. The people of Wellington in conseje retire an evening & and trembling ofm'tlfiffSfron lers and life preservers has al« exhausted tho local ironmonglocks. The family plato and ■cheat is laboriously lagged upI every night, and 1 many a jiimilias spends an anxioustiine Sen sleeping and waking,in keepBard over the household treasures, Idvent of the burglar has created la scare in town, although up to Iresont' tho "burgling" has not |l particularly remunerative to jntleman engaged in it, ■ another scheme of ventilation losedfor that unfortnnateedifice, RarHament Buildings. Session Session sees large sums of money Bn abortive attempts to improve . Bntilation, and yet the foetid there and the horribly musty jremainsjust as palpable as ever. I only a short time ■ ago that 19 Chatfield and Jacobson, Iteots, prepared, at much cost an pte scheme of ventilationtgjich [duly given efleot to, Iliomas Turnbull, at the requ&t l Government, Last submitted a soberpe which it is estimated post oloso on £IOOO to carry out. pubt this scheme also will prove [3B and by far, the better plan i be to pull down the whole ot ambling, rabbit-warren, rotten crumbling wooden front portion rebuild entirely in brick. It 1 be money saved in the long It is dciubtEu], however, if iament will agree to oven erect a brick ning for the safo housing o almost prioeless library which rod within the walls of perhaps the t and most inflammable wooden • fag in Wellington, to say ng of a new house, d a fire occur in the present ipg, and it is a mercy that such a lityhas not happened ere (his, as uld be almost an impossibility to the whole erection. Ages' of 3 dust, dirt and exhalation from imper- • r feot drains have so soddened; the ! venerable wooden walls that nothing t) but complete rebuilding wjll improvS b tho ventilation and dispose 'of uii- - - pleasait'odcurs 'fojneh permeate t{fo J wbole'oj theo|derpoV'ti(]tjof ijie ; ing in which is'sitiiated' the Ceunoil 1 Chamber, The draught in the jiuild- « ing is terrible, in faot one may say it is always blowing a heavy gale inside, a and further tinkering with the venti--3 lation will only serve to produce more a blasts of cold, but not fresh, air. - ■ Members must really have constitutions of ifon to gp through session - after session without catching their

deaths. As it ig there 13 always more or less sickness amongst members and olliciala every year directly tiaceable to the imperfect ventilation and freezing draughts in tho building,

Tlioro lias been much talk about tho appointment of a new Government prinlor and tnany people have been seleoted as possible aspirants for the post. As a matter of fact no decision as lo how the vacancy should bo lilled up, has as yet bei 11 arrived at. It is quite 011 tho cards that tho present acting-printer, Mrßurn3, will receive twippointment permanently, nB lie, lias, from years ofexporiencp, Acquired a thorough knowledge of- the multifarious duiies ol tho office.. The position of Government printer .is one ol the moat responsible offices': in'' tin; public service and during sessiontime tho billet is anything-but : a bed of roses, with the printing cf. oider papers, resolutions, Hansards",- notices' of motion,, returns,' bills and tlr thousand and one matters that r-qmre insiant and cireful attention, in addition to which ; tho .Departmental, printing is niwH.ri heaviest at this tiniJßjjWie year.. No one l.ut a man thoroughly experienced; and trained to the work could take up the portion satisfactorily, and tlicrcfonnl is quite unlikily, no matli-r hq«- nnny Ministerial suppirteis h-'iig after the appointment, be they ever >0 co;npc tent as practical primers, tliat an outaider will riceiw: ihe appiintm>nt The Hon John Uigg, an ' x-emplo-e of the Government.. jrin'tjirg. pffii-e,. would no doubt lather have lia,'! the billet than a seat in the Upper licuse, but alas! he is out ol the running now,

Tho publicans (if Welliugton arc qnito prepared to s!ebd ;he chance of the present"priifailtr in II:!' causn of, Prohibiiion and tlieUinc! Yeio, be-j fag Piicci Tliev intend to maintain of armed neutrality, to. be to armsslion'd any men-ice of a serious nttluro to tlieir iij>h(sand liberiii-sbentt'enipled, Tl:vy fancy that armed anil. led by ■ New Zealand's only poet (Mr Thomas Bracken) their |iosiliqiv I r-liii.d tlu-ir bars and barrels is unassailable. Tli.ey vapoured a lot tho otin-r night about the rights and lihertiis of the ?u>.ject, and the.iniquity of canccllatiofi pf' licenses niihout compensation, .(jut. nevertheless they showed they were uneasy, distinctly • uiieisy, i\! r Bracken, the organising Secretary for New Zealnml, for tho Licensed Victualler Association, is in town just now looking as fit as ever and if it comes to a wordy :warfa're the Rev. Mr Isitt will.find lie has. a fa-man worthy of his steel fii New Zeulaiiil'ir Laureate. One., could havo wishrd the talented ex-M.H.H ~r better fate ■ than Secretary of tire Association, but. fato has no doubt better days in Etore. for him now .ho has got his foot on ; tho ladder again, Tiia liev, Mr . Isitt lias not been doing his cause much good up north lately l>y. his indiscr. et and uncompromising remark's'' regarding tho late Premier, • Apparently - moderation. in other thingn besides beer and." strong waters "is not Mr" Isitt's fork. Mr ; Lonnen remarked. in " Faust up to date" when giving away rewards to his:.followers with laughable topical allusions" here Mr Isitt, is what you requite,a litllo spirit °WlfliffMi iar i |v " banding .the a lemonade bottlMHUs perhapsgust' what 'Mr, Isitt really does require. Like most enthusiasts be is'carried away by zeal ■ for his cause,pndconßtquentlyi'eg-ir'dV. all those not directly in accord with ' his extreme views as being utterly incapable of any lionet'.) - of purpose.

Apparently we .have now got to the bottom of the Midland Railway Company's tern's when they ns< by sable, through the Agent Gr-r.er„l,ilia' the colony should parch ih«j only the Belgrove-Motueka K-tfiou of their proposed lines, which practically means that the colony shall absolve; them of the construc'iop of this part of the line, I. hear, however, that the Company intend to approach Parliament bv petition again ibis session,: in order to hp.vo the whole matter fully ventilated once .more.

It has been often remarked that the Cabinet Minister's of this colony perform too many of the departmental details of .administration, details; which could very well be left to the permanent heads to. carry out, In other words, they interfere unnccesearily in the;-,internal ■iadnjiaistrationv ofdepartmentsfiistead; of confining their. ance policies, ■ trans-: acting council and during Eession, attending solely to their legislative functions.. They wear'themselves out with perpetual and uiitieci ssary toil and consequently are unable to give the people of their best in their legislative capacity,. . Not only does the Minister fail by this petty, interference to do. full justice to matters of grave moment, but he also taxes his bodily and mental powers to their utmost, and the result must inevitably sooner or later be a constitutional break-down.,, Henct): it is perhaps that .our leading siatesriieu have of iate been carried off when in the full zenith of their powers, It stands to reason that no Minister, no matter what his capacity of. work, or his bodily and mental strength may be, can stand the strain of depart mental and council business, long hours and exhausting debates in the House, added to which, are visits of constituents, receiving deputations, local J&oh making in electorates, and ifirworry and work of approaching elections, Something should be curtailed, and tbab-cui tailment should bo less interference with the thousand and ono departmental details of a nature so comparatively unimportant as to be easily dealt with and decided on by the permanent heads.

A lady doctor, Dr. Frikart, duly qualified and registered, .has set.Hip in practise in Wellington," The lady' in question is the first, I believe, in ' this Colony to submit her diplomas for the Registrar-General's approval, and the result of her entry into practise in Wellington will bo watched with much interest, The male medicos, I understand. look somewhat askance at thiiffiuMcious intruder into their midst, but I am told that her qualifications aro bo undoubted as to secure unquestioning approval from that stern "and uncompromising censor, the Registrar-General, It is an interesting experiment which, if successful, opens up a fresh career of usefulness to the women of this Colony, \vliOj ajnopgst the varied avoca : tions they now pursue in competition with men, have' not hitherto dreamt pf taking iip medicine as a profession, op the road in l.|.' Who knows "hpt that in a few years we will as in other countries, sport our lady lawyers, our lady doctors, and even our lady merchants I Those fortunate people who have been favoured with an invitation to

tl, c Birthday Ball at Government 'Vi?o on the 2ii.li, have been reQuested by Advertisement in tho Unity pufcrs to bring their invitation cards with them for production in the entrance hall. Everyone has been wondering what it all means, as it smacks somewhat of the" free list entirely fiiispcndod " piinciple. Are the Government House authorities afraid of admitting a wolf in sheep's clothing, otherwiso a burglar disguised in tho immnculato evening dress, or are some people so horribly mean nnd lost to all sense of decency as lo presume to aiti'iid a function #f this.nature without in invitation, Qnim ? One hears strange tali's of people having the audacity to venturo within the sacied precints of Government .House during ut former Governor^. regime without having gone through th« (to them) uanecps sary. formula of being invited, ofbeing found out anil'politely shown tho door by:a : stahv.irt. j'oollll an:; .Perhaps the iilVa'v.is. itoVnipi'.tliif little game' in the bud .'on this. occasion. doey however, seem •: incredible that people could have the colossal cheek to he.li'ive.iii'siich a manner, yet;l ftm. infornieS.that it is lin .nbsolute fact.. What a nice idea some of our former governors must, have obtained of h seliioh of .us Colonial.

',.. " The Piiyalnnd Ancient game of Golf" snetns tn h ive taken -a. firm root, in Wellington, iir.il upon a fine Sa'amhy i.fti-monn it h a pretty sightto. visit.the links,: which are M'.iiati-d on the Iliiuliicecciir.e, -ir.-! to watch tlie golfers a'.trcd-d In small lioyswiiii hundliH of sticks playing their shots wii.li. the greatest z.'Bt and wi'lr wonderful sl;il! and .ptyiewav •.-Piitieeee ami judgment lire a s'Mii'.m'non iii golf, for tie; hob-sin wliioh the halls hue to liii:;pliicod arej^mn.-; ateil.-fii'r apart.. Of coiiise one leqiiiies to be Beolch to tboi«ug!:ly; appreciate ilie gain-, although I. believe when an Englishman does once learn llie art ofgoliing lie becomes jnst.as much an i htiius'iist as lii 3 kinsman from across the border.

Mr Dulhio at his meeting at the Opcia House last night to'd us noiliinj very iiarticiilarly i:ew, but on'the oilier hand he put More (he oleotors of 'Wcilint'ion a plain unvarnished statement of facisfroin his pnint of vifew, couched in clear and sensiblelanguage. lie indulged iii no heroics nor was he abusively vehement in his condemnation of the Government's policy, the meeting was cold in the extieme, and Mr -Mine's remarks we're for the most part received in chilling silence, there was. ; neither ,approbation or disapprobation,' Wellington audiences .''are, however, singularly undemonstrative. Amongst tlie 500 odd people present: it was a veiy singular thing that no one thought of . moving a voto of thanks for! die: address.■■', Perhaps "they' were not thankful, I know 1 was liot, it is very trying to sit out a speech by Mr Dmhie, despite his great worth, for the graces of oiatory and the tricks of; ekeniion. have' not been vouchsafed to him. ' ,v r";'