Dunedin Gossip.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XLIII, Issue 2283, 5 February 1912, Page 5

Dunedin Gossip.

(Fkom Oujk Own Cokkesi'ondext.) Dunedin, February 2. Tlio electors of Dunedin West have been a little disturbed by the reports that their representative, the Hon. J, A. Millar, intended to resign from the Ministry and leave the Dominion to take up a position in New !r*outh Wales. There were so many stories current during the election us to what Mr Millar intended doing that at first his supporters paid little attention to the new rumor, but it became so persistent that the hon gentleman had to contradict the report. He implies that he was offered a good position but he has at present no intention of accepting it, or of leaving the Dominion. It would have a blow to his supported had he declared his intention of leaving them, because it was his personality which won the day at the second ballot and Mr Millar doubtless recognises that many of those who supported him were far -from agreeing with his political views. There is a general impression that everything has been very Hat and stab; since the advent of tbe New Year. Business certainly appears quiet and as for news that is a very scarce commodity, judging by the newspapers. We appear to have quite the average number of tomists judging by the numbers of strangers to be seen about. But then each year the townspeople are attracted more and more to seaside resorts ami while the men are back to their businesses their wives and families are still away and will only return for the opening of the schools. This naturally has the effect of making the city less busy and necessarily curtails gossip unless it is the gossip of the seaside village. There is a good deal of the desire to got back to the simple life in this patronage ot the seaside. Many aie foolish enough to rent a house, but in that errse tin-re is really no holiday so far as the housewife is concerned, merely a transfer of her activities from one place to another. If the family go camping there is more change and adventure in roughing it hy living mostly on tinned provisions and confining the cooking to boiling the billy. But the wise family man seeks board and lodging and then all are free to spend the day as they like and thoroughly enjoy life. The weekend cribs of the young bachelors are everywhere, but they are rapidly becoming a class apart. For good or ill the life (if greater freedom is becoming more and more widespread. Boys and girls, young men and young women, now spend their holidays at the seaside in a spirit of comradeship which would have shocked the older generation and the young woman of to-day spends so much of her time in coni; peting against the young men at tennis, hockey, and other games that they have much to talk about in common and there is no need to resort to tbe so-called gallantry on the part of the young man which was regarded as quite the correct thing in the past, nor is it necessary now for the young women to be languishly sentimental. They can both talk sport, books, etc, and- now that mixed bathing is becoming so common they will have swimming, diving and other aquatic feats to discuss In so far as the new freedom has dismissed the false convention which assumed that young people of opposite sexes when together must as a rule drop into sentimentality there is no doubt it is a good thing. But whether the disadvantages do not outweigh the advantages time only can tell.