JOTTINGS from WELLINGTON

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4806, 23 August 1894, Page 3

JOTTINGS from WELLINGTON

$y Our Own Correspondent.)

Tuesday. The Giddy Telephone Maidens. Some reflections thereon-The Departure of ■ Eugene and hit Concerts—New Zealand , Shearers/orAustralia.—A DismalFunction.rrjAn mimsonkn Opposition —Tic "" Dmmge Scheme-■Amine of'danger.— Law-hade easy.—The Athletic Parle Company. Wellington athletes.—The price of coal. A leakage.—Mr Courtney's contingent—A New Departure or Mixed pthh.—Afialic marcels. The Beauvtonts,

Quite an interesting couple of hours was spent in the House one day hist wcok in discussing the appointment of young ladies as cadcttcs in the various Telephone Exchanges throughout the Colony.' 'The Government, tlirougli the Postmastcr-Genernl, Mr Ward, very -«<!. rightly refused to lay a return before the House showing the names of the applicants. The statement Mr Ward made to tho effect thnt appointments were mado solely upon the merits of the applicants or upon tho circumstances in wmclrahjr families are placed is no doubt Urns to a very lnrgc extent, I belicvo that Mr Ward in his Department allows no political motives to sway lu'uwn the appomtments he makes. As a waiter of fact some of the young ladies appointed to the Telephone Exchanges are daughters of political opponents, Iu Wellington the practice has been largely, as far as I can sec, to give the cadet tcships to daughters of retired or deceased Civil Sen - ants. As Mr Ward stated, there is considerable competition for employment in the Exchange. The reason for this is not very difficult to find. Tho work is light, the hours are not abnormally long, no particular education beyond the rudiments of the English lauguage "as she is is required, and the pay varies according to the length of service, from £lO to £BO per annum. It is evident that the lot of the Telephone Exchange cadettc is far ahead or that of a governess or a" ladyhelp," and it is therefore no wonder that so many of our girls arc anxious for employment in this branch of tho Public ben-ice, in which no particular capaH^Ui^of ordinary jntelli- * ie H^^^HHH^H^HTnfortuua on my might on girls' employment which HlHHHpWii'm independent of their but I must say that as at present I would a thousanotimes sooner the Telephone operator was the pluincsKmalc in existence than the most bewitching of silvery, voiced" cadcttcs." If you are in a hurry it will pay you to walk round with your message, as a rule, thau towaste time iu the vain endeavour to get tho lady clerk to "put you on" to somebody. However, no doubt, in the fullness of time, all this will be altered as theyoung ladies rcalisetho factthatthe telephones were not invented to waste, but rather to save time. We, therefore, in the meanwhile possess our souls in V j patience and feel glad thatsuch suitable employment is found for so mauy girls, who would otherwise bo wearing their , lives out in hopeless and helpless dependence.

Mr Eugene, the notorious predictor of earthquakes and tidal waves, left on Friday last, by the " Waihora" for Sydney en route for South Africa. Eugene has quite a following with him, of Wellington people who were idiotic enough to throw up good appointments and to sell up their possessions in order to follow this impudent charlatan into exile. No doubt, upon arrival in South Africa, Eugene will sponge upon the resources of his dupes until at last their oyes have been opened as to the real character of the man. It is amazing that people could have been found who would have been so ridiculously credulous, Eugene is a man who in his time has played many parts. He was, I believe, originally a sailor, then he worked on the wharf, after that he blossomed forth as a publican, from a publican he became a second-rate bookmaker, finally developing into a thirvoyimt and magnetic healer, and last of aliasing as one who had direct communication with the spirits. In Eugene's traiu is a gentleman who for years has held an important position in one of. the leading mercantile firms here, and who was well-known and highly thought of as a level-headed, competent man of business.

By the Waihora there also departed a gooa many shearers under engagement to the Pastoralists Union of Australia, These men were greeted with groans by the' wharf-lumpers, who had assembled to see the steamer off. The men appeared to treat these demonstrations with complete indifference, and continued to job and laugh with their friends on the wharf, serenely conscious of the fact that they were going to earn big wages until the shearing season commenced in this colony, when they will nearly all como back again to fill the sheds in this more favoured country. Mr Whitcly King, the Secretary of the Paßtoralists' Union, is now over here for the purpose of arranging shipments of shearers for the disaffected districts, aud despite the hostile demonstrations made against the free shearers on the other side, I learn he has met with considerable success.

The banquet to Mr Eollcston, on Saturday night, was, I am informed by a gentleman who was present, one of the dreariest functions it is possible to imagine. The speeches were lugubrious in tho oxtrcmc, and Mr Eollcston himself in a prosy speech of great length, bored everybody to the verge of desperation. &pbody was glad when the dinner atTast dragged its dreary length to an end. Even Captain Eusscll's cheery optimism was killed by the depressing surronndinus, Mr Mitchclson was plaintively mournful in the vice chair, and Dr. Newman's usually good spirits seemed to have entirely vanished. As has been truly said, it was hardly likely that the dinner could be anything else but mournful) for were not those 1 present assisting at the obsequies of the defunct Opposition Party, and was not tho skeleton at the feast present in the personofMrltollcstonhimself? Therefore, with a sigh of relief, all hailed the close ot the banquet, and each man went home to bed with the mournful eatisfaction of having done his duty towards his late chiof.

Tho extraordinary attitude taken up by certain members of the Government towards Tho Wellington Drainage Empowering Bill, has excited most unfavorable comment amongst their own supporters, and the decisive rcsultof the division on the proposal by Mr Millar to provido for a poll of ratepayers, may be taken as a pretty fair indication that tho House resented such unreasoning and vindictive opposiHon to" a most useful and benchcial measure. Stung into retaliation, the Wellington members aided by a few choice spirits from the Government side of the House, made matters pretty hot for old Mr Mackintosh, the Government wbte'eo, and liis ltiverton Harbour Bill, id an all-night sittingwas the rcsultof the '■'■ stonewall.'" i, Members, however, arc getting disgusted with these late sittings, as they We mute unfitted for committee work In the morning, and threaten, if the Govcrnmcii still persists iu forcing Mis tliiougb, to leave the House, after 2 a.ih/ without a quorum.

.'. The city is,to lie congratulated upon luLvwg got its Empowonng Bill safely

tlirougli the dangers and difficulties of Committee, as otherwise the elaborate drainage sclicrao, which is now being carried out, -would have been practically useless without the power to compel owners of property to make the necessary connections with the sewers. Why, however, the idea never occurred to the framcrs of the original Bill that houseconnections were nil important is a mystery. If provision had been made in the original Bill for this, much lime and expense would liavo been saved, not only to (he city, but to the country. It is to bo hoped now, that matters iu connection with the drainage schemo will be pushed on apace. Although no doubt agood deal has already been effected, yet to the casual observer there docs not appear to be much to show for the money expended. A visitor to Wellington would never imagine anything was being done at all, for there is really nothing to sltow that important sewnge works on a lnrgc scalo arc in progress,

It is high time the breastwork from the linilway Wharf to the Destructor was fenced in for there have been no less than two cases of drowning this mouth, anil it was only by the merest chance that there was uot a third. Near the Star Boating Club's Shed it is the simplest matter in the world, on a dark night, to walk right over the embankment into tho Harbour, as many wayfarers plodding homo across the Heclaimed Laud, liavo found out. For the preservation of life, and as a matter of common humanity, tho authorities, whether they be tho City Corporation or the Harbour Board, should take the matter in hand without delay. The present dangerous state of the unfenccd embankment is a disgrace to the City. What can be Mr George Hutchison's motive, as a lawyer iu bringing down his Law Practitioners' Bill? Surely there are lawyers enough and to spare in this Colony without iurthci adding to the number ? Mr Hutchison's Bill proposes a general knowledge examination in certain spccilied subjects only. If there is to be any examination in general knowledge it would be better surely, to stand to the present conditions, but if Mr Hutchison wishes to render admission to the practice of the law more easily obtainable, why not IkSir George Grey's oft rejected mill tvlo whichrequiresnogoncral edge at all ? Personally, lam into Sir George Grey's Bill so far ug awny with the general knowexamination is concerned, nrovid-b-cver, for a written examination Subjects. I have never yet been tsce that an examination in the ■ry knowledge of Latin, matherand modern languages is necessary to make amau a goodlawycr,|nor docs such an examination stamp the profession as a learned one. The Athletic Park Coapany may be said to be fairly under weigh at Inst, a sufficient number of shares having been taken up to enable the Directors to call for tenders for the partial formation of Hie ground. The scheme has, however, been very poorly supported ui town.aud if it had not been for the energy and determination of a devoted few, all hope of obtaining a new athletic ground must have been given up long ago. The cricketers, footballers, and athletes generally have persistently cold shouldered the scheme, although they knew perfectly well that il "cannot bo many years before tho present atldctie accommodation of the City will be totally inadequate for requirements. These gentlemen like very well to play, but they do not care to pay. They seem to fancy that the paying should be done entirely by the public, who already do more than their share towards the encouragement of manly sports. _ A great many shares liaye yet to bo issued to make the new park an accomplished fact, so the athletes will have to rally up better than they have clone. | If eycry athlete iu town had subscribed i the small sum of 10s each, a little more than the price of a mouth's tobacco, the Company would have been floated long ago,

There has been a great discussion recently about the price nf coal in Wellington and figures nave been quoted to prove that the profit to the dealers amounts to very little more than live per cent, gross, Where is the leakage ? The mine owners say they make very little more than the ordinary rate of bank interest on the capital invested, and the retailer's profit is also small. Apparently the carriage to Wellington absorbs all the profit, That is the only conclusion to be drawn. The shipping charges need revision beyond doubt. That is where the monopoly affects us. It is a fact that in Wellington, Newcastle, (N.S.W.) coal can be obtained cheaper than Conlbrookdalc, This is rather a curious circumstance even allowing for the superiority of the New Zealand coal,

I am reliably informed that the Wellington Woollen Company docs not intend to reduce its employes wages uor do they intend, if they can possibly help it, to shorten hands. The present season is undoubtedly a very dull one but the Company anticipates that with the spring trade will revive, aud all the looms be My occupied. Orders in hand tor futuro execution point to a busy season ahead, aud it is confidently anticipated that a most satisfactory year's business wilt be shown, The people in tho Wellington district cannot too fully estimate the importance of such an industry as the Woollen Company, aud it behoves us all, town aud country, to render all the support we can.

As showing how difficult it is, at the present time to obtain freights, I may mention that the fine steamer" Duke of Sutherland" has been lyingin thcslream for over a week past unable to obtain a cargo cither at Wellington or at any of the other ports. Several sailing vessels lying alongside the wharves aro in the same predicament,

Mr Courtney, of New Plymouth, safely lauded his contingent of immigrants by the" ltuapchu " last night, Most of the new arrivals (there arc 118 adults all told), aro of the English yeomanry class and will form a very desirable addition to our population, more especially as all arc possessed of a little capital. Mr Courtney was shepherding them about, or rather some of them, iu town to-day, interviewing Mmistcrs, etc. As these immigrants are bound for that land of promise—Taranaki—Mr E. M, Smith M.H.H., was to be seen hovering about delightedly _ viewing this influx of population to his "hub of the universe." It is to hchoped that these people, whom Mr Courtcuay by his burning words of cloqueucc has induced to como so far afield, may not have reason to tiiulfault with their success in the new laud of their adoptiou.

The Wellington working man is a sociable soul, he dearly loves to cnterlaiu all and sundry m that line now club of his. He wants to go one better now, however, for the latest proposal is to admit his womankind into the privileges of membership, Anyhow, that was suggested the other night at the annual " social," and as ladies were present it might perhaps have been) politeness which prevented any dissentient voice being raised when the question was mooted. It would not he at all a bad idea to admit women as members and I have no doubt the working men would profit by tho innovation, though perhaps tho funds of the club would not. Long beers would not be so very much en evidence it mater fiimilim with her eye on the family exchequer, were present and her spouse felt jovially disposed. Look at the early | hours that would bckcpfc and how son-1 able it would bo for husbaudand wife to walk home together after the evening's i amusement. With women as members there would be no such thing as leaving! the wife at home while the husband went 1 down to. the Club. Tho young men could take their sweethearts and" their sisfers" and their cousins and their aunts andallwouldbo as nico and jolly as possible, ju6t as flings ought to • be

where tho political equality of tho sexes has been affirmed. The notion is a splendid one, I hope it will bo given effect to. |

I always doubted the existence of mormaidsand mermen before I saw Professor Beaumont and his daughters perform in their tank at tho Opera House. Ido not now. I think such creatures are quite possible. Hero wc have mi ordinary mortal, a man clad in silk tights, calmly sitting at the bottom of a glass tank full of water, 8 feet deep, for 3j minutes at a stretch. Then there nro the professor's two pretty daughters sporting about under water like Naiads, and appearing to enjoy it immensely too. One could almost expect to sec tails and fins spouting on these three people, so thoroughly do they appear to beat home under the water, Surely the water in the tank must have been wanned. Last night was decidedly frosty, and a twenty minutes " turn" in 8 feet of icy cold Wninui-o-mata would be no joke oven to aquatic ■wonders like tho Beaumont family. The lung capacity possessed by the trio must be something tremendous. I do not know what the aquatic feats of the Beaumont family have got to do with 1 Littlo Dr Faust up to date," but I must confess that they arc the feature of tho Burlesque.