MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2474, 19 May 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

[V\\n\\ O!!l OWN I'OUKEsrOMIENT. |

At lii*t I In- (luvuiiiiii'.'iit has luiidi! up its mind with regard to tho control of the Yan Yean works. A Bill is to bo introduced into Parliament this scs-ioii creating u Metropolitan Board of Works, and to tlii.-i iii-v.- iniidr'iiuii tin; management of tin* Yim Yean \vat--r supply is to bo handed over. It is ahout time, too, that ii,>;oMn>r set of fouls had tlir emnneorinir of the dopavtnunt, for the way it has b. en managed the 1-ist few years is .simply a disjrriico to thu whole community. Each summer tho suburban residents have had to endure inconveniences that would Imvn turned milk sour. Every dash of hot weather, and the water ran out ; every dusty, hot windy day found tho streets as dry us dust cuuld make them. It lias been simply shocking, considering (lie magnificent natural supply of water wo have close at hand. It is to bo hoptd the new board will do better.

The Exhibition buildincris going ahead in utoam-hammer fitylc. It. it a wonderful siffht to see tho army of workmen— builders, decorators, joiners—that inako the place look liko a bee-hive, and go on hummorinpr, punching, cutting, building, and swearing all day long. It wiil bo something to remember wlipii it is completed, this great Exhibition building of '88. With annexes it will cover tho tremendous area of 33 acres. And it is boginninj,' even now to assume form and shape. The annexes are about half up, thujjrurden is being laid out, and many of tho exhibits have already come to hand. Tho whole thins is going to bo lighted with the electric light, and tho decoratioiis are to be something beyond conception. It will rival anything that has yet been seen in any part of the world, and all of it to como out of poor little Melbourne, barely 50 years old.

One of tho most wonderful developments of recent times in Melbourne is the sudden outcrop of the various mercantile companies that are now claiming the attention of the public. One can now count them by tens—Trustee Companies, Financial Agency Companies, Guarantee Companies, and such like. One would think that there could not be room for all, or business for all, but that the thing is not yet overdone is proved by tho premiums shares go to. Wo notice, too, that one of them, the most influential of all the Mercantile Guarantee and Agency Co.—is actually raising its capital from one million to five. This is immense, and the capital is bigger now than that of any bank in the colonies. It s'iows what business must be done in Victoria.

A novel, and to our mind not particularly acceptable, form of entertainment has lately been imported into social circles boro from America. This is the " lunchctte," for young ladies. At these mysterious ceremonies no rude nialo is admitted, and the entertainment consists of a dainty luncheon, to which are invited only unmarried ladies. The girls protest they like it immensely, and these "lunchottea" aro quite tl>o rage just now. But we don't think they will hold long , , for man, however despised, is rather a necessary appendage to womankind. The rude young men from Toorak, thus thrown on a cold unfeeling world for luncheon, declare srirls like " lunchettes " because they can go in for a gcid square feed, which they do not care to do in the presence of tho men.

We arc promised something good in tho way of pleasure gardens in South Yiirrn. A company has been formed to take tho matter in hand, According to what rumour says, they are to he something unique for the colonies, something more nfter the 'French watering-place "Etablissment" style. Small steamers will run up the Yarra to it from Prince's Bridge ; there is to bo a theatre, dancing saloon, nightly fireworks display, electric tram round the ground, and all the novelties one can desire. It will be a boon to Melbourne if the thing is kept select ; but these kind of gardens generally develop into " bear gardens."

The way things have gone ahead here in regard to mining matters is simply marvellous. Eighteen months to two years ago, before all this great silver rush took place, there was only one Exchange and not a very grand one at that. The entrance fee was £25. Now there are three Exchanges, whilst a fourth was projected but did not go through. A seat in the Stock Exchange of Melbourne, which two years ogo was worth £20, is now worth £1500 and will soon be £2000. The Melbourne Stock Exchange was started eighteen months ago at £5 a member. The fee for entrance is now JL3OO, and will soon be raised to £500 ; then there's the Federal just started, which is to be an open Exchange for the public. Signs of the times these, my masters. Brokers are making fortunes ; this present scribe wishes he were "in it" too. '

It may not be generally known outside certain circles in Melbourne, that we are to have a fine new arcade here, running in a semi-circular shape from Collins-street into Elizabeth-atreet, from tho building oeunpiod by George and George to tho low block next to Cullis Hills. It is to bo something extraordinary fine this new arcade, finer than am tiling in Australia. Besides this, tho present Royal Arcade running from Bourke-strect into Littlo Collins-street is to have i foot running , at right angle into Elizabethstreet, which will make it T shaped, and much imprcvo if. I|, hrm also come to tho writer's cars that, a few capitalists are trying to buy up the biiiMing.s in Collinsstreet West, to havo nnothor bow-shaped iircado to mil from th:it into Eiizabethlitn.'t.t itnd i'aco tlio ona just mentioned.

it. in rumoured in town that tho Ali'xaudra Theatre is going to be offered to Hi.• public in the form of a Limited Liability Co. Judging from results, however, it would not be tho best investment according to our mind, for it has been something of a white elephant since its start—its first owner, Mr Jules Joubert, of Exhibition fame, failing, and none of the companies performing there doing anything very great, with the excpptioi) of Martin Simonsen with his Italian Opera Troupe, who cleared. £JOOO or tliereiiboutc, while ho had the lease of it.

The Argus came out with a long leader On Saturday, on tlio "serviint-giil" question, and told us all that in consequence of factories, shops, etc., etc., employing so many young women, the supply nf "gals" for servants was running short, which was all very true if not particularly novel. Punch too last week hid a funny yarn about a slavey's mply to a lady visitor who had come to invite her mistress to tea. " Mrs iSmiHi won't li'i able to go out, on Wednesday evening," quoth Biddy promptly, "as it's my evening out." But something; the manager of the most fashionable hcitr-1 in town told me a day or two nti't struck me as being as rich as anything I had heard. A lady took a room in the hotel, and proved eventually to he the mother of one of the housemaids employed in the hotel, and oh, confusion ! her smi wis Hie boots.