AN ALTERED CITY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 27, 1 February 1912, Page 7

AN ALTERED CITY.

SOME OF THE NEW FEATURES INTERESTING SIDELIGHTS. Wellington's population is now walking much and talking much. Some of tho talk is bright and dapper for tho present, and the walking is sprightly to match the merry manner of waggish tongues. Some of the. talk is sour and dour, and the walking is little liked. Ihese latter talkers rail at the strikers and at the councillors. They have hot thoughts and scalding words for all of u em a J persons guilty of an unpardon- '. able offence against their comfort and convenience. So far, however, tho air of . gaiety is ln the ascendant. The weather, perverse for Christmas, was friendly for the afternoon of the strike, and the morning after. Many people had opportunities to discover beauties of landscape and seascape in the toft light of yesterday s sun and in tho brilliance of this morning— such glories as they had missed, in the times of hurry-scurry in tho cars. Suburban folk have leisure to think, to meditate on all the complications of this wonderful old world while walking to and fro on the reads where once they rode in huddlement. borne may be getting vexation from thin unwonted compulsory exercise, even if they do grudgingly admit that tho tramping tan improve their health of body and mind. THE FIRST CART-LOAD. In the middle of yesterday afternoon. Wednesday hall-holiday, but some were open, and l&dies were in town, with and without children, to do some shopping, ihe newspapers had prepared them to look out for the unexpected, but, they had hopes of "fourteen days' notice. When the cad truth was forced on them (those who could not afford a private vehicle) that they were faced with a trudge home in shoes mow,'designed for car-rides than two or three miles of footpath, they tpok the comfort of waiting about to see how the new dis- ■ pensation would affect other people. Before 4.30 a van lumbered along Lamb-jton-qua,y with a load of woimen and children and luggage— ;the firet striking notice of tho non-motion ot the cars. The occupants of the van had arrived by train, and tliey had "pooled" the expense of a vehicle. People smiled at them and thoy returned the compliment heartily, for they knew that s&me of the amused folk on the side-walks might not be co jovial later on. OPENINGS FOR PROFIT. A few minutes later more evidence of the new order rattled along the woodblocks. It was an enormous open chariot, with a man gaping for railway pasI sengers 1 luggage, and seats flanking that j ample space. The driver's smilo was alI ready fattened by tho. thought of hi« ; prospective profit. In the meantime small boys, who keenly rejoice in all j things which disturb tho ordinary roxiI tine oi city life, whether the cause is ! flood, fire, earthquake, or strike, were playing hide and seek in tho cars which stood idle in Ait ken-street while their owners Walked and walked, 1 and talked and talked. The little fellows had much joy in playing motormeu and conductors, to a mighty clanging of belte. FATHERS AS "CARS." Many a head of a household had to go to the rescue of mother and a little one, whoefi plight wa> revealed by telephone. So many a father played horse, with a child on his back, along the city and suburban footpaths, and he tried manfully to be cheerful. Before 5 o clock the streets in towit had a record briskness for a Wednesday afternoon. One could be even thankful that there was not the roar of the cars on the wood blocks to swell the chorus of hoof-beats and the whirring and tooting of motor-cars and taxi-cabs. Then after 5 o'clock the scene suggested that the people were migrating en musse to found a new Wellington. All along the main car routes the people surged. Those who lived in Newtown hoped to be overtaken by aicar returning for a " lay-up " in the sheds, and many of these walkers did eventually get a ride. The words " Act," " Arbitration, Court," "union," "strike," "Federation of Labour," "Trades Council," and others passed up and down' the tlirong. Baritone and bass mingled with contralto and soprano to make a strange . chorus. There was chatting and laughter, there was muttering and imprecation. All these sounds bknded iv.a note to carry to people remote from the linos of .march. BATTLING' WITH A BAG. One great trek was southward, and now and then some unhappy man went northward through the army. Ho had a large portmanteau, which ho shifted wearily from one hand to the other. He was making for the railway station. His plight was a memorable reminder to many (amused for tho moment) that such a time of painful " travail might present^ come for them. Those pedestrians with bags tried to look unconscious of the roguish lack of sympathy which abounded about them, but their efforts to hide their embarrassment merely incited the crowd to fresh laughter. RADIANT VISIONS. Before the laughing sun had vanished behind the brown hills, visions of loveliness came upon the white slopes of hillsides converging on the town. They were ladi.ee, armed cap-a-pie, in fascinating armour, for the Opera House. Unable to spare funds for a "taxi" or "four-wheeler," and lacking a fairy godmother to change a pumpkin into a coach, they were loroed to walk, daintily, carefully, to "Hamlet." They had booked their seats, and were not disposed to allow the fear of a walk to shut them up at home for the night. These visions brightened the streets} which s>oon filled with people out to we what the nighjb might bring forth. The absence of the cars gave the wayfarers an opportunity to hear themselves speak, and th«y did not lose it. SIGHTS OF THIS MORNING. Many a carrier's cart had uri"usual freight this morning. People bound for tho early trains did not diedain an nl fresco ride in a modest express van, and some workers came in to their toil in all sorts of vehicles. Threo or four had a precarious passage on the top of a load of t.imber, and from their exalted position of doubtful ease they gaaed superiorly at walkers, one of whom raised a laugh in Courtenay -place by exclaiming: "Have you paid your faro?" Most of the men ana women of tho suburbs had to walk, and when they reached town about 9 o'clock it was plain that they had walked. Girls had cheeks aglow with the exertion and tho ardent attention of the sun, and somo of them wove footsore before they reached the shops and offices. IN THE SUBURBS. GREAT INCONVENIENCE CAUSED. CHIEFLY TO WORKERS/ — vT From reports received at this office, it is clear that the strike k inflicting much inconvenience and not a littld hardship on many suburban dwellere, who complained audibly. They are mostly of the worker persuasion, too.' Those in the more distant suburb* i paid the heavier toll. A gentktuoa m*

'*- siding at Karori said that the majority ' • took the Kelbume cable car and tramped tho remainder of the journey to the accompaniment of ill-supprneeseid anathema. All sorts of improvised conveyances are being used, but, of course, the traffic cannot be coped with. Crowds of people were seen on many Karori roads this morning, many people having had to rise much earlier than their usual hour. The absence of tn© ' ' 7.18 and -7.33 workers'; cars was keenly ' . felt. This was particularly hard on /, -workers who had to commence at 7.30 or 8 in the city or other suburbs. There are a lot of labourers at Karori, probably unionists, commented The Post's informant satirically^ and they are not thinking too highly of their fellows "for the inconvenience they were r, causing. An unfortunate feature is. that ■ ■ there are some old workers, aged between 50 and 60, and some of these may f> $rove quite unable to face the long tramp in the hot sun and then commence a day's work, to ' be followed by such another tramp in the evening. ( People have been seen on bicycles-^-veritable boneshakers in some instances — who ' would never have been suspected of such an accomplishment.' WADESTOWN. , „ A similar state of affairs prevails at - 'Wadestown, the hilly suburb. "We are . reduced," said a resident, "to our state • of ' misery prior to the advent of the), trams. We had to walk then ; we have to walk now. Last night I met about twenty Workmen ,who use the cars habitually at a penny per ride' and they did not appear to be enjoying thenwalk. This morning I saw the men engaged in pipe-laying laboriously climbing the hill. They would be tir.ed before they started work." MIRAMAR AND SEATOUN. "There may be a novelty iff walking •even or eight miles, but it has no _' diartn for me." This was a declarati6n by a Seatpun resident to -'a' I ' Post reporter to-day when asked how he and "' nis neighbours were faring. "A large number," he added, " have had to wjilk the whole distance, and I can assure " > " you it has caused a great deal of hearti burning.. This morning, the majority of- ' ike' usual tram passengers came by boat, ' but more steamers will have to be ' put on if the traffic is to ' be handled. ' A number tramped it in this morning." ' BACHELORS AT LYALL BAY.. During v the summer months many , young- men "bach" in houses at Lyall . Bay, but now there is consternation in the camps, and .many have been h'ur.iiedly. broken up Or deserted as they . 'stand, and city accommodation-houses ' _ are < reaping- the benefit. Acute incon- - yenience has been" caused in this : suburb. BY THE BLUE SEA.' Round .Oriental Bay, at a veryy early hour,, from the highways and byways of Rbseneath and from even as far as Eatatitai, the people were tramping citywards. For once the winds were kind, and the long_ walk, in the brilliant ' morning sunshine, beside the blue spark- ', ling waters of the harbour, was both exhilarating arid^ refreshing. Two sum- j mer-clad girla did not disdain a lift in ' a carrier's Van, and evidently enjoyed the ride in wh*t was, to them, a novel conveyance. .Two small boys, very emall^boye they were, starting school for the first time,' rode together on a sturdy pony, duly impressed with the seriousness of the r occasion.- Father rode alongside, carrying the Echoolbags. Many quaint vehicles passed along the road, each with a human freight. Bicycles carried double fare, and a motor-cycle and a basket chair-were called into requisition. One could have wished a lift for an old lady, cityward bent. The humours of the strike would not appeal to her old bones\ Paterfamilias also passed by, armed with a string bag, with home commissions to execute doubtless.