WHO WILL VOLUNTEER?

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 110, 11 May 1909, Page 8

WHO WILL VOLUNTEER?

♦ FOR A NEW SCENERY SOCIETY. "The King is dead. Long live the King. That should be. the cry in Wellington to-day," remarked a visitor from Christchnrch after reading about the decease of the Scenery Preservation ■Society. Fully aware that he came from a city which possesses a very live beautifying society, he added : ''What you want here is a Scenery Manufacturing Society rather than a Scenery Preservation Society. I should say you have plenty of raw material for the production of scenery — and Industries Week is upon you. I have travelled far, but 1 have never seen so much unused raw material staring a city out of countenance as you have here. Does the Town Beit hold Wellington, or does Wellington hold the Belt? Is the Belt worthy of Wellington, or is Wellington worthy of the Belt. .Industries Week is beginning ; is, it not time that the citizens thought of putting a few emerald gems on their severely plain Belt?" Then the gentleman from the city which has that vigorous beautifying society went into ancient history about that organisation. He told how enthusiasts found a city beautiful, and decided to make it more beautiful. Therefore they clothed the Mill Island with flowers and verdure, they reared hosts of golden daffodils and pale narcissi on> the banks of the Avon, and in the end they had almost nothing left to beautify. There was one mighty gumtree, a noble gnarled specimen, with a vast spread of fragrant foliage, but one member wished to beautify it out of existence and sow flowers on the site. "This suggestion," said the Christchurch man naively, "was made because the field for the society's labours was narrowing down to the vanishing point. They were being reduced to painting the lily." However, the enthusiastic member's proposal was defeated, and the tree was spared. But the member had to find vent for his energies. Therefore he led armies of children up on to the hills, and they set trees beside the pretty road that curves gracefully over the summit. The Beautifying Society flourished because energetic public men closely associated themselves with it, and the beauty culture was made to "catch on" because the promoters were filled with zea) which nothing could discourage. Similarly the Dunedin Amenities Society has nourished through a score of years, and can point to much good evidence of its virile life. Wellington citizens, have two good examples before them. Will a new league rise from the ashes ot the one that has perished?

The. Benevolent Institution has property on Gladstone-terrace, which is leased to Mr. Martin Kennedy. It has been insured, in the name ol Mr. Kennedy aloue, for £7150. Messrs. Young and Tiipe were written to with reference to the matter, and they replied suggesting the necessity of the insurances being in the joint names of the institution and Mr. Kennedy, as, if the houses were burned down, the insurance money would have to be expended in rebuilding. It was resolved to direct Mr. Kennedy's attention to the matter. The late Mr. A. E. Kendall, whose death was announced by cable from Sydney yesterday, had been in charge of the Sydney branch of Messrs. Huddart, Parker and Company ever since the firm extended its operations from Victoria to New South Wales, nearly thirty years ago. The deceased gentleman was very well-known and popular in Sydney. He leaves a widow and two grown-up sons. The Wellington Loan Co., Ltd., proceeded against Geo. F. M'Girr before Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., to-day on a claim for £10 Is 3d, representing an alleged dishonest promissory note for £7 4s, and £2 17s 3d interest thereon. Decision was reserved. Mr. Neave was for the plaintiff, and Mr. Blair for the defendant. Grown-up children who neglect to contribute to their parents' support are to have their attention formally called to their responsibilities by the trustees of the Benevolent Institution. Mr. D. Hobertson, a member of the Board, today moved to that effect. The action arose out of a report upon the case of an elderly woman, with a grown-up family, who liad been in a starving condition, and yet, it was alleged, her children did not even go to see her, much less contribute to her support. Mr. Robertson regretted that it should be necessary for a public body to have to remind people in these days of their filial obligations. An old man in Wanganui went down to the river the other night to fish by moonlight. lie felt a tug at his coattails, and, turning round, saw a boy, attired in a white sheet, who contorted his face and emulated the mooing of a cow. The moonlight was too bright for the "ghost," and the old man easily recognised the boy, whom he brought to court on a charge of assault. Other boys who had watched the progress of the joke swore that no assault had been committed, and the case was dismissed, but the magistrate warned the defendant that similar experiments had resulted in life-long injury. He strongly advised the boy not to play such jokes again. Tourists are not to be encouraged by the Benevolent Trustees, according (o Mr. D. Robertson, a member oi the board. An application was made by an indigent person for railway fare to Lower Hutt. The trustees considered the matter, but decided not to grant t,he application. "We can't afford to assist people to tour the country," observed Mr. D. Robertson, on it being pointed out that the applicant had relative* who could have given assistance.