FIFTY YEARS AGO

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 135, 10 June 1933, Page 11

FIFTY YEARS AGO

ITEMS FBOM " THE POST "

A MELROSE SCHEME

"The ratepayers of Wellington have been invited by the Mayor to meet for the, consideration and discussion of the proposal to raise a loan of £6000 for the purpose* of purchasing the residue of thoiMelroso estate as a site for a new cemetery for the city of Wellington," states "The Post" of this date fifty years ago. "We do'not propose at thia< stage toj offer any opinion on ,the proposal, for the simple reason that ,Tro have absolutely no data upon which to base an opinion. Neither have the ratepayers at present, but we presume that reports and full information will jbo f brthcoming; this • the ratepayers Jfave a right- to, demand. .Melrqse may or may not be the very thing the council las been seeking for a dual receptacle if or the'city refuse on tbefone hand, and if or. the cast-off mortal remains of poor (humanity on the other. Tho association ,'eeems at the'first blush a trifle odd and (almost irreverani, but, it'must be admitted, is not altogether illogical. The I Christian regards tho defunct body ias tho mere refuse of what was once !the living man animated by the breath of life and by a human soul and mind. .'.That life and soul and mind having quitted the bodily shell, one is compelled iii logical consistency to regard that she'fl as the mere empty and worthless husk from which the kernel has been 16st. That is logic and common sense, no doubt,'but human sentiment ; is often superior to logic and common ;sense and reason, and it is not at all 'improbable that some persons may feel .a strong repugnance to the contemplated association of things. However, ,that may not be the • prevalent view, and as it is a matter of pure sentiment it may very well bo left to the public to decide. No • professdonal reports are needed for that decision. But they are required N to enable an accurate judgment to be formed as to whether Melrose is really a suitable site, and •unless these reports are forthcoming any time spent, on a meeting will be entirely wasted." TELEPHONE CHARGES. "Fifteen subscribers to the Wellington Telephone Exchange met yesterday afternoon to discuss a proposal to urge tho Government to reduce the existing rates of subscription, and to extend tho houT3 during which the tele-: phone can be used.. It was pointed out, fhat. the. charges for the use of tho | telephone (£l7 10s) were so excessive i ■;as to place it beyond the reach of many ■who would otherwise avail themselves *of its benefits, and that the limited .hours allowed to subscribers wore such as to warrant a consideration as to tho ■advisability of their continuing to sub: •scribe. ' The hours were, limited from .9 a.m. till -5 p.m., thus leaving a period of'l6'hours during which subscribers ■vve're not connected. The Government now offered, conditionally, to extend the .;■ hours to 2 a.m. Fires, however, it was 'stated, generally occurred after 2 a.m., and therefore the Exchange should retmain open all night. After lengthy disfcussion, a deputation, was appointed to '(Wait upon tho Government." .' * A CANDID MAORI. "Te Whiti's opinion of newspapers is not very complimentary to the Fourth vEstate. He says:—'Do you think'the -■newspapers tell the truth when • any igreat event happens? No fear; they (dare not. The Government tell them twhat to say, and they say it. If any '.-particular paper does not publish what jjthe Government want the people to tread, that paper is suppressed, ;r _and (another one which will do as the Government wishes is sold to' the. people; ?The Government are not fools.' We 'have no doubt the Ministry wish, they ;shad the power Te Whiti ascribes to them, but fortunately perhaps for us *it has not." , ' „'.:'_•■ .■£;■ "DIVERSION SWINDLE." : "We are glad to find the Colonial '''Treasurer speaking out very plainly and on the public swindle,which has been performed by certain unscrupulous politicians in the south, who open',ly advocate that ft sum of money which ,' has been expressly borrowed for, the ,Cook Strait extension of the South Island trunk line —borrowed under an exWess and solemn pledge by Parliament f that it should be used for that purpose ,and no other —should be deliberately .diverted to another, purpose, for the' benefit of certain local individuals.. We /have previously shown conclusively how (monstrous a wrong would-be done, not only to the public credit but to this actjlony itself, not the-smallest injury fbeing that which would be caused tn its credit by so gross and flagrant a breach of faith. It is satisfactory 'to find that Major Atkinson in the (plainest terms endorses that view, and [that he has declared absolutely that will not consent. We .cannot {believe cither that Parliament would ITaQ deluded into so suicidal a step." WOOLLEN FACTORY. "There seems good reason to believe that at last a woollen manufactory will be successfully established in Wellington. The company which for some time has been in process of formation with this" object was duly, registered today, Und it has our best wishes for the sue[ccss of the venture. There.seems somevthing discreditable to our. enterprise in (this island in the fact that hitherto, no 'such industry. has .been established in ]the North Island, seeing that two woollen manufactories have long been a provfitable operation in the South, steadily developing their scope of work and pay'irtg their shareholders handsome dividends. The Mosgiel and Kaiapoi companies both have numerous shareholders in this island, and,'indeed, in this city, but so far it has proved^mpracticable r to float a local company for the purpose of carrying on a like undertaking. Wo Hrust, however, that this is now a thing of the past, and that the laudable attempt at present being made may. b,o crowned with complete success; that it may result in large profit to those who embark in the venture, and that it may tend to the extensive promotion of trado in Wellington. FIRE BRIGADE FOR NEWTOWN: "The Newtown people seem to labour .under a very substantial grievance i" regard to the measures adopted in case of fires in that suburb. According to their accounts the Municipal Fire Bri,gade does not arrivo on the scene until long after the worst is over, and then they at once assume a highly overbearing and aggressive attitude towards .those persons who in the meantime have ■ been doing their best, and with considerable success, to get tho flames 'under. , The practical part of tho business is that the Newtown peoplo want a local volunteer fire brigade, and they are making a very praiseworthy effort to start one. We entirely sympathise ■with them in their wish, and we hope .that every reasonable aid and facility will be afforded them by the City Council. Newtown is too far away from tho '.centre of population to be conveniently within the scope of the municipal brigade's operations. It is, in fact, -much more of a distinct suburb than a i .part of the city proper. It would be J ,much better that Newto^ should have 'its own volunteer firo brigade,, composed of men who havo already shown themselves willing a.id able to handle .the hose and grapple with a conflagration, than to be dependant on .a.city 'brigade whose official epntre is miles away and whose members evidently look on attendance ut a Newtown firo as .quite out of their beat."