JOTTINGS from WELLINGTON.
(By Our Own Correspondent;. 2W«y. A Fishy Suhjeet.—A Royal Tourist. Who is to reeekehim i—An Enterprising Evangelist.—The Cry of the Cabmen Coatsfrom Newcastle—Breaking up <i Moupoly.—TheWeningtonFruilTradc. —Te An Railway Station. A suggestion. —A Lucky Wcllingtonian.
The exceeding scarcity and the extreme dearness of fish in Wellington of late, has occasioned much surprise. Although tho waters of Port Nicholson are absolutely teeming with fish, and more particularly so just now, yet I would wager it is more difficult to buy fish in Wellington, than it is in Masteiton. What is tho reason for this ? Everybody is asking the question, but no one vouchsafes tho reply. Fish are obtained easily, in largo quantities, at most seasons of the year, around the coast adjacent to Wellington, and there are many Greek and Italian fishermen employed in the industry, Precious little of their hauls ever comes into town, for the fish shops are generally empty, and the prices charged, when anything is offered for sale, are exorbitant. Instead of fish being an article of everyday diet in Wellington, it is positively a luxury. And this too in a seaport town, where it is known for a fact, that a good number of men are engaged in its close proximity nil tho year round, taking the fish in largo quantities.
I am told that the explanation is, (hat one or two fishmongers, with capital, have the whole trade in their hands. The fishermen are theirs, body and soul. The boats, the nets, and the bait they use, are all the property of the capitalists, who merely employ these men on wages. The fish are sold largely to the shipping, or exported to Australia fresh, or to other places dried and smoked. Should an unusually large take be made, the fish are thrown away, rather than be placed on the market and sold at low prices, because it is the policy to keep the prices up, and the demand greater than the supply. In the midst of plenty we practically starve for lish, because of this monopoly. The subject has been attracting some attention recently, and I am glad to see that an effort is to bo made to reestablish a fish market, as this may induce some of the fishermen to free themselves from the trammels in which the monopolists hold them at present. It certainly seems extraordinary, that the present state of affairs lias existed so long, and that the large bulk of people should be prevented, by the action of a few, from enjoying what should be the cheapest, and most certainly is the healthiest, form of food.
Prince Joseph of Battcnbeig, with his suite, have arrived for the purpose of making a tour of the colony. Prince Joseph is a near relative of Her Majesty the Queen, and a brother of Prince Henry, the husband of tho Princess Beatrice, of England. Since the Duke of Edinburgh landed on these shores a more distinguished visitor has not come to New Zealand. Some considerable surprise has therefore been expressed that His Excellency the Governor did not remain in Wellington to receive this Royal tourist. As it is, the Prince will be received by the Premier and the Mayor of Wellington, instead of by the Queen's representative, which is not, it must be admitted, altogether the correct procedure. Furthermore the Prince, willeitherhave to take up his quarters at the Wellington Club or at one of the hotels, for Government House is empty, the servants having been sent on to Auckland, where the Governor and his family are now in residence, Apparently, "someone has blundered," or 11 little more attention would have been paid to a representative of European royalty. We may be Kepublican in our ideas out here, but at least we ought to be courteous. The natives of the "Fatherland," resident in Wellington, arc in a state of mild excitement, concerning the expected visit of the Princeling, in which, however, they are not joined by the rest of the population, who regard the distinguished visitor's arrival, with stolid indifference.
Some enterprising individual evidently with an eye to business, who resides in the Wairarapa, thus advertised recently in the Jsmi\mj 1'osl :•-" Wanted, Christian Brother, with £l5O and limelight apparatus, ablo to play American organ and sing well, for mission tour through colonies; splendid van and two horses already secured. Address Evangelist, Post Office, Carterton." I am very curious to learn whether the " Christian Brother" has been attracted by this alluring advertisement. The £l5O and the limelight apparatus to say nothing of the fact of the accomplishments required of the Christian Brother in the American organ playing and singing line will, no doubt, prevent a partnership being easily arranged, notwithstanding that the Evangelist, as his part of the speculation, has already secured a splendid van and two horses, On the face of it, it looks like a mighty nice arrangement for the Evangelist whose share of the enterprise seems somewhat disproportionate to that required of the Christina Brother. Possibly the Evangelist has the experience and the Christian Brother k expected to have—well the other thing, Np doubt in time the Evangelist will have the experience and the other etceteras as well, bailing, of course, the musical accomplishment, and then the Christian Brother will return home ,a wiser, sadder, and poorer man. I may be doing this whole-souled Evangelist, who is so anxious for the conversion of his erring fellowmortals, an injustice, I hope 1 am, but there is such an air of a smart business speculation about the proposed mission that I feel bound to unburden my soul a [Mo on the subject.
It has often been a mystery to me how all the cab and express drivers in Wellington make a living. They may be seen day after day whiling the time away on the stands from early mom till dewy eve, waiting for , custom which comes but at rare intervals. The trams and 'busses capture the bulk of the riding public, while most of the wholesale and retail establishments have private vans for the conveyance of goods and parcels for shipment or delivery. And yet the cabmen and ' express drivers do manage to live somehow, although with the latter, moreparfci<snWy, it must be a hard matter to make ends meej;, An express driver, told me recently Yhat' hjs average takings for the . last, .throe months hayo not heon'-i more than thirty shillings a week, 1
and out of this he had to provide for his wife and family, and find forage for his horse. The cabmen are better off. They do get a good job occasionally, when, of course, they do not forget to charge to make up for lost time The summer is the slack season with the cabmen, In the winter with plenty of sessional gaiety going on, they are able to earn a trillo more. At the best, however, with both express drivers and cabmen, it is a precarious means of earning aj livelihood. The sympathy of tho public to a large extent will therefore be with the sixty odd cabmen and expressmen who recently presented a petition to the Harbour Board, praying that the restrictions which prevent them from plying for hire upon the arrival of steameis in port, may be somewhat modified. It appears that the mon have a real grievance, for hitherto only a selected few have been allowed to ply for hire about the wharves. This meant naturally a certain amount of favoritism on tho part of the wharf officials, which of course gave rise to discontent, culminating in the presentation of the petition. The Harbour Board is j now enquiring into the matter, and it is to be hoped that as the result of their deliberations, these poor fellows may all in turn, have a chance of adding to their scanty earnings, by participating in tho steamer traffic.
A recent cablegram from Newcastle, (N.S.W.) tells ns that the West Coast colliery owners are regarding with some alarm, the fact that Newcastle coal is actually selling, in Wellington, at a lower price than the New Zealand article, and thereby offering a very serious competition in the coal industry of this Colony. This state of affairs is quite true, and has been so for some considerable time past. Despite the fact that Newcastle coal has to be shipped and carried across 1200 miles of water, it is actually selling in Wellington, at from two to four shillings a ton less than the West Coast article. It seems incredible that the New Zealand mine-owners, with the coal which we have in such abundance, should bo unable to hold their own against their rivals across the water, One wellknown West Coast mine—the Black Bull—has recently opened a depot in Wellington and are making a determined effort to provide consumers with a good coal at a price which will closely approach the imported fuel. In this they and all others who are endeavouring to prevent the coal industry in New Zealand from languishing out of existence, should be supported, for the question is beyond doubt a serious one.
I am delighted to notice that the police, acting on the suggestion of the City Council, arc endeavouring to put an end to the practice, which has become an intolerable nuisance iu Wellington, of holding open-air religious and other meetings in the main thoroughfares. Some of the street corners are almost impassable of an evening from the crowds of lookers on, mostly composed of larrikinSjWhichpfatliei' round tliosostruet orators, preachers, and Salvation Army soldiers, In no other large town would the traic ho allowed to be impeded iu this manner, or night made hideous by the rabid ravings of would-be social reformers or religious cranks. That foot-passengers, find ladies in particular, should be compelled to walk in the muddy roads at imminent risk of being run over, while street meetings monopolise the pavements is v.iiafcl strongly object to. Ido not think that the police can prevent open-air meetings altogether, but they can certainly prevent them being held iu the main stats to the hindrance of the traffic and this they ought to have done long ago,
The New Zealand Lomi and Mer r cantile Agency Company expect to remove tlieir head office staff to Wellington before the end of the present month. The stall will then occupy the whole of the fine building in Featherston-street,n portion of which is now let. Notice has already been giyon to the tenants occupyiug that portion of jtlio building not required by the company's Jocal staff to remove by the 15th instant, in order that accommodation may he found for the head office employes.
The squadron with Admiral Bridge in command, is expected to arrive in Wellington in about a week's time. Many people here remember Captain Bridge very well when he was captain of the" Espiegle," his ship having several times visited this port.
Mr Herbert Jones, F.R.G.S., is still in Wellington engaged, I hear, in the preparation of a hand-book on New Zealand, which it is anticipated will eclipso any other publication of a similar nature. One would have thought that there were about enough hand-books on New Zealand, in existence already, but of course Mr Jones knows his own affairs best. At any rate kt us trust that the new handbook will be somewhat more reliable than that celebrated lecture on New Zealand which Mr Jones delivered in England some years ago,
The importation of fruit from Australia has been larger than ever this season. Every steamer which arrives from the other side carries large cargoes of all kinds of fruit, and thousands of cases aro landed here every mouth. It is quite one of the sights of the town to attend the fruit sales at some of the large produce auctioneers, and there one gathers some idea of the enormous growth of the trade. Despite the codlin moth, and the wholesale destruction of large shipments recently, the import fruit trade seems to flourish exceedingly. We in New Zealand seem to have given up the race entirely, for hardly any locally grown fruit is sold in this market. A large quantity of fruit used to come from Nelson at .one time. Hardly any is seen now. some parcels of New Zealand fruit are seen, but they are nearly always inferior in .quality, and actually dearer than the imported fruit. It seems extraordinary that we sl)<niM be content to leave this splendid trade en? tirely to the Australians, for with pur soil and climate, competition from ontsfdo ought to be impossible. Perhaps one of these days the orchardists in your district will realise wliata magnificent opportunity they are letting slip through theirfingers, for, I suppose there is twice as much fruit consumed in Wellington than in any other of the large centres in the Colony,
There Is a lucky man in Wellington by name Prico, not tlio genial ex-licensed victualler of that name, who has in lens than fqny ypays, (vpn pver £3OPO In !' cpnspty .fans" on the iWnwrkotfla.ndicaii'annually run jo Melbourne, In 1891,
Mr Price was working on the wharf as a labourer, when he drew the [second horse in Tattersall'sSweop on the Newmarket, and won £2,600. He retired from his occupation on the wharf, and blossomed forth as a bookmaker, in which profession ho has, I hear, been very successful. The other day, Mr Price drew the third horse in a sweep on tho same race, and this timo be nets £COO. Not a bad record for one man.. If it was not for tho immorality of the thing, one would be almost tempted to send a modest pound over to Tattersall occasionally, in the hope of emulating Mr Price's achievements.
It is a matter of frequent remark how little the Te Aro Railway Station is used by through passeugers from tho Wairanipa. Upon enquiring the reason the other day, I found that the majority of Wairarapa people who visit Wellington either on pleasure or business, are under the impression that tho To Aro Station is | too far away from the main portion ' of the town to be of any service to I them. Now, this is, of course, a mistaken notion, for nine out of ten ; people who come to'town to do their shopping, do so in Cuba and Man-ners-streets, not five minutes walk from To Aro Station, whereas, it takes at least a quarter of an hour to walk through the city from the Wellington Station. Even supposing they have business to do in the commercial centre of the city, the distance is just as short, if not shorter, across tho reclaimed land, than all the way up from Thorndon, It has been suggested that it would be better to call the two Government Railway Stations Thorndon and Te Aro, as the term Wellington as applied to the Thorndon Station only is somewhat misleading. Or it might be Welliugton-Tborndon Station and Wellington-To Aro Station. This would split the difference exactly.
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Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 4969, 7 March 1895, Page 3
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2,501JOTTINGS from WELLINGTON. Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 4969, 7 March 1895, Page 3
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