JOTTINGS from WELLINGTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4747, 14 June 1894, Page 3

JOTTINGS from WELLINGTON.

.' v' ~, J ! \ V" ' —. \\ • • '/..«< ■ (By Our o\Tm Cori-capoiiddnt). : . I i ' "/ '' ' - ; Tuesday. 'lady HwjctisU' and appropriate dm-lMingki inlSSOminpmd wi'k Wellington 0/1894 —f/i< Photo ■ graphic Exhibition,-The slaughter of the innocents.—The nm Commissioner , ofTms.—AnMidemic of fires.—The >. , tk Ztoisinj Com- ■' . . mittee.—A town hall. —"The Celestial triplets." Lady bicyclists liavo not hitherto . been seen about tho streets of Wellington, except perhaps under cover of the, sheltering shades of night. At last, however, ono lias had the courage to disregard public attention and "to ride her "biko" about in broad daylight, Wo arc here fairly well used to lady bicyclists, for a tricycle i can bo ridden by a lady /ith perfect propriety, and 110 i' v ; cessary dis- ■ play of ankles, W a bicycle it is - u .- ft vory different a It is almost ■■ . a matter of impossibility for a lady to rido a bicycle dressed in the every -*.... • day skirt without making an exliibi- ;■ x sVWon of herself,-and delighting the ft fine display of a/stoclTinE. Jcommenco with, I don'jtj.qnito seo why it is necessary ' foii®ies to ride bicycles at all, but if they must do so let theni for modesty's sako dress themselves in a suitablo manner, I believe there is . ft dress worn by lady bicyclists which is not only modest but becoming. Tho woman who gets on a bicycle withont being properly attiicd exposes herself not only tu ridicule but to something porlnips worse.

At the Photographic Exhibition now being held undor the auspices of tho "VVelliiigton. Camera Club thoro aro somo extremely interesting photographs of Wellington as it was thirty-four ycarsago, It is instructive to compare the appearance of Wellington in tho early sixties with tho appearance of the Wellington of to-day, There is nothing that I have seen lately which gives one such a good idea of tho rapid growth of tho city and of the important improvements which have been effected, as do these old photographs. In 1860 these faded old sun-pictures show us LamJjton Quay with the coming up almost to the shop doors (I believe withftvery high tide it actually used to do this occasionally). Now, the sea is perliaps.a quarter of a mile away from any of the Lambton Quay establishments, The reclamation has worked this change. In 18(16 the hills crowding round Wellington were clothed with luxuriant vegetation, now they are bare of even tho smallest shrub, We have in fact to plant Uses not cut tlicin down now-a-days. Why the bush was ever cleared off the barren hills surrounding the town side of Port Nicholson, is a mystery. In 1860 Government House was a low onestoried bungalow cottage, with a broad verandah running round three sides and the vice-regal (lag pole on the lawn in front. Everybody knows what the imposing-looking Government House of to-day is like.

To Avo in 1860 wasavery desolate looking spot with buildings" like angels' visits, few and far between." To-day, it is crowded with buildings of every shape and form and intoriimtwl l)v ivrtnlarlv laid,out streets, wifflMißSre than it was in 1860 when the Maori pah on the To Aro foreshore, near where tho gas works now stand, was a conspicuous object. Adelaide Road and Newtown in 1860 were howling expanses of desolate swamp in which the flax and the toi-toi apparently flourished exceedingly. There is not much sign of the swamp now and tho little boys have to go many a weary mile today to get the flax wherewith to spin their tops along tho pavomcnts of Newtown. The. Basin Reserve was there in 1860 and then the idea of converting it into a basin wherein vessels could be docked, was perhaps feasible as it was nothing more nor less than a lagoon in parts. This is how our only cricket ground received itssomowhatperplexingname of tho "Basin Reserve. Tho portion of the city-where the least change is noticeable, is at Thorndon, where many of the old buildings, old when the photographs wore taken in 1860, aro still standing. These ; include some old buildings, on Thorndon Quay andMulgrave Street , and portions of tho present Parliament buildings, notably that part just opeuyhip to full view by the "improvemeiits" which the Premier • has recently authorised. Altogether, HBl havo said, it is very interesting nnd very instructive to compare the ' city of Wellington of 1860 with that of 1894. Thirty odd years have, in truth, wrought a wondrous change.

. I spent a very pleasant half hour indeed at this Photographic Exhibition, and certainly a profitable one, Tho idea of holding a public exhibition of photographs was excellent, . and wo, who liko these things, aro ' much indebted to the Camera Club. From ft hasty, impression formed by myvisit,and speakingquite as an outsider, I should say that unquestionably the nmatours cany all before them for landscape photographs, while for portraits tho professionals are not approached within-measur-able distance. Some of the portraits • from the studio of MrsHemaim, the ■ Work of Mr P. B. Mnir, the operator, could not be equalled in any part of the-world for delicacy of execution and perfect finish, combined with nvtistiijkising—this latter being a fine qwim for a really successful portrait. I suppose there is no bmrich of art in which such strides '•'have bcMimide (juring the last two "decadera'in photography, and this ' ]e plainly manifest by the examples of. photography at the exhibition ' undcr The Exhibition will re-open again on Friday next, and - Visitors from the Wairarapato town .will bo instructed and ; interested by looking in for (ialf an hour. It is .one of those things which should not! bo missed.

i . " }i is flic practice limy in Welling<{ori,' under a, recently enacted City Council by-law of Draconian severity |v ; : . utray dogs about town to the Corpor-§X-'V ■ ration yards at Clyde Quay,where r 'the/ are confined in cages, and thon ' those that a 1 ! 0 unclaimed at the Bl . pxplration of a certain time arc sold ' »by auction., Somotimosall the dogs ; ' 0 n hand lire solcland sometimes they "are not. : Kad is the /ate of the 1111-. gold canines, for they are inconti- .. nently IjiMed into hamper and taken out™' a boat and ruthlessly drowned, At least I should say the ™ , -dogs aro supposed to btf drowned; ' ' bat somebody came across a hamper |0?!..-/; ! ,Uie' ; other ■ day.' which had • ken si--?' • 'plugged into the harbour for a stated find then dragged asLoro. TJpc(n examination ■ tlio gentleman W'// in, jiueslion found that ' amongst

which exhibited umnißtnkoahlo signs of life,..: This gontleman.tobk tliu puppios homo and succeeded, in restoring animation, and now they, aro alivo and kicking. Tlio attention, of tho Corporation authorities was' drawn to tlio fact, and there was some talk of a prosecution-by tlio | Society for tlio Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Tlio Corporation Inspector roported'tlmt tlio dogs lmd been under water for moro than half an hour, and ho naturally supposed an immersion of this length was sufficient to drown any dog in Christendom. In cousequenco nothing was done by tlio energetic Society for tlio Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, lmtperniissioinvas granted by the Council for tlio Society's Inspector to ho present at tlio executions in order that lie may bo sure tlio dogs liavo really been drowned. Sinco these facts liavo been made public n medical man lias written to tlio paper stating that puppies are not so easily disposed of, for they can be kept under wntorforhnlf-an-hoiir anil yet show signs of life wlion brought to tlio surface, while only a few minutes immersion is necessary to drown full-grown dogs. This being so it seems that destroying dogs by drowning, and puppies in particular, is not altogether devoid of cruelly, and tlio Council should devise somo otlior means whereby these waifs could bo painlessly and quickly despatched.

Although I do not bul i eve there was the slightest justification, for tho I rimmm; yet there is no doubt it was freely reported about town, that Mr Kennedy Mucdonakl was to bo appointed Land and Income Tax Commissioner, in succession to the late Mr Orombie. Tho Government, however, with commendable promptitude gave the lie direct to this cnmnl by appointing' the Ueputy Commissioner (MrMcGowan) to the vacancy, on the very dayMrCrombie was buried. How such a rumour could have originated is extraordinary, for Mr Jlacdonald had no possible claim to the position, Tho a]>pointinentis purely a departmental office, and under the Civil Service Reform Act of 188(5, no person, except he be an expert or professional man, can enter the service, unless as a cadet in the usual manner. It is true "temporary" appointments aro frequently made, and tho Act avoided in this maimer; but it was hardly probable such an important ollicial position as the Cominissionership of Taxes could be held by an outsider under those conditions. Although the office of Commissioner of Taxes is a most important one, yet it could hardly be called a professional appointment, and if expert knowledge is required, who would besolikely to have it as the Deputy Commissioner, who has worked so long under the late able chief ?

■ Quite an epidemic of fires seems to have broken out in the suburbs lately. Last week there were no less than three fires, one at the Hutt, at McNab's gardens, one at Ngaliauranga, whereby the Wellington Meat Expert Company's Fellmongery and Manure Manufacturing Establishments were destroyed, and finally at Kaiwarra, the latter resulting in the total destruction of Turnbull's Tannery and Fellmongery. Tho cause of all these fires is shrouded in the deepest mystery. There is nothing whatever to account for'the outbreaks. What mnkes the matter more peculiar is the fact of these tires happening in. regular rotation in different parts of the same district. It is, to say the least of it, highly suspicious, and the general opinion is that somo incendiary has been at work. It almost looks as if the individual who did the lire raising at Featherston,had made his way down tho line and was keeping his hand in cu mite till he reached Wellington, whero he was contemplating something on a big scale, Let us liopo not.

Considerable surprise was expressed in town nt tlie action of the Licensing Committee in refusing renewals of licenses to llyland's, the Provincial and tlio Jubilee Hotel. It is true theso Hotels do not afford very extensive accommodation for lodgere, but on the other hand there are several houses which afford no more and are conducted in an exceedingly loose manner. I could mention several houses whero the jondnct in the past has been lotorionsly bad, and which could mve been wiped out at a far greater idvantage than those selected, lyland's Hotel, a small house in Jrey street, is conducted by Mr ames Cattell, a licensed victualler f many years standing in Wellingon, whose diameter has always leen above reproach. Ostensibly lie reason for closing this house was hat gambling had been permitted n the premises, but I suspect that lie real reason is that three hotels 11 a street only a hundred yards in cngth was deemed excessive. Mr Jaltell, who is a very old Wellingon resident, will be remembered as icing in partnership with Mr )iainond, with whom for many ■ears ho successfully conducted tlie smpiro Hotel. As far as I can learn , conviction of any serious nature ins never been recorded against Mr Jattell. The same remark applies o the Provincial Hotel, for despite he fact that the situation of the iousc, at tlio corner of Eraser's jane, has necessitated a very mdesirablc trade yet the landlord las never once had a conviction narked on his license. The Provincial lasbeenusedfor manyyears by memiers onaccountof its proximity to the 'arliament Buildings, but as a natter of fact the house is small and qualid, and though well conducted t will bo no great loss to the lieigliourhood, TJio Jubilee Hotel was ertainly not required and although believe one of the oldest houses in Vollington,its occupation has always irought linancial disaster upon its lumerous ' licensees. Everyone grees that the three doomed houses' an bo spared, but nevertheless, it t'ould not have been difficult to'lmvo unde ft more advantageous solection. 'ho Wellington Licensing Coin, nittce have certainly carried out tlio irisli of tlio people .as expressed nt ho polls, but they have not shown a ndicious discrimination in their lioice,

There are a few, very few, attractive spots about Wellington, but Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, with its long avenue of trees is certainly one of them, Notwithstanding this the City Council proposed to uttorly spoil the spot by erecting a hideous fireball tower, with hose-reel station attached, at the Molesworth Street end of .the avonue. ; This is the unsightly cdiiico which has vory properly been removed from tlio' Parliament Grounds but thero is,no rhyme or reason why one, of tiie most pleasant spots in tlio city should bo the dumping ground foii this- monument of, v ugliness> VOl7 properly ,

of "Mierbert"' Terrace aid vicinity, have protested against this dosccrhtiori, - and *in all 'probability the towqr .will find aresting plac.B, in a more suitable .position,,.where jt will not be out of harmony; with its surroundings, Utilitarianism to tlio utter oxclusion of tlio piotriresquo pr the beautiful, has too long prevailed in .-Wellington,'and it'is high' tinie that something should bo'done to' check this tendency, or else in years to como .our city, will bear the reproach of being the ugliest in tlio Australasias.

I am glad -to notice that the proposed alterations and additions to Corporation offices, which it is estimated would have cost about £IOOO, have not been agrefcd to. Everyone in Wellington would much prefer to seo a town hall befitting the'dignity and importance of the City, erected. Tlio Corporation officials can very well manngo to get along in tho present promises until suq[i time as the Town Hall can bo built. Tlio valuable site on which the Corporation buildings now stand must find a purchaser before long, and I am convinced that the ratcpayei'B would cheerfully submit to an extra rate, if it wcro necessary, in ..order to raiso sufficient money,'to" a really handsome-and commodious town hall, with offices attached, The want of a suitable hall grows more and more acute every day, and Mr Brandon would fittingly commemorate hisyenrof office, if lie were to. take action in this direction. There is a line site on the To Aro Acclamation only waiting to be built upon, so it is to be hoped that before long a Town llall may become an accomplished fact.

I forgot to mention in my theatrical news of last week that a visit from the celebrated Brough-Bouci-cault Company may be oxpected before the cud of the year. Those who had the pleasure of witnessing this clever company in their admirable productions during their recent visit to Wellington, will hailareturn with delight. In the great desert of dramatic and other combinations, which visit this colony year after year, there are a few delightful oases. The Brongh-Boucicftult Company is one of the most. grateful of these oases.

Just a very short anecdote and I am done for this week. A young man with a very defective memory, who had heard a great deal about the merits of Sarah Grand's celebrated book: "The, Heavenly Twins," and wishing to peruse it, recently went into a circulating library to obtain the work in question. Once in tho Library for tho life of him he could not remember the name of the book lie required. After racking his memory for some time in vain, he at last hit upon what he fondly imagined was the correct title and innocently enquired for " The Celestial Triplets "!! For a moment the young lady behind tho counter was puzzled, but at last it dawned on her and with an arch smile she' handed the absent minded youth 11 The Heavenly Twins"! Tableau, and total collapse of the forgetful though ingenious young man, N,]3,—This is a fact,