FIFTY YEARS AGO

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 145, 16 December 1933, Page 17

FIFTY YEARS AGO

ITEMS FBOM-" THE POST "

WELLINGTON COLLEGES

"Yesterday's proceedings at the annual celebration of the Wellington College were more than ordinarily interesting," remarks "The .Post" of this date fifty years ago. "The college was in such a deplorably languishing state two years ago that it is exceedingly gratifying to note its present flourishing and < progressive condition. The contrast between then and now is due almost entirely to improved administration. We often pointed out that defective administration was the woak point in the college Ijpder the former regime, and our criticisms were not taken in very good part by the board of governors. They were taught, however, by stern practical experience and grievous straits the errors of their ways, and under its present management the college has attained a very high degree of efficiency and success. A roll of 201 pupils, an increase of 50 during tho year, cannot but be regarded as very gratifying when one remembers the miserably attenuated lists of former years. The educational progress of the institution appears also to have been extremely satisfactory. Wo heartily congratulate the college authorities, and particularly the able and energetic principal, Mr. Mackay, on the result of their year's labours, and we equally congratulate tho people of Wellington. on possessing at last such a valuable and creditable institution." •''Some public institutions begin life as tender, weakly infants, and gradually grow up, and attain magnitude and strength and solidity by slow degrees. Others make a fair start, and encounter various vicissitudes, and after chequered careers either attain a long-deferred . prosperity, or else, more commonly, die a natural death. In a few cases, but very few, a young institution bursts forth at the outset into full bloom and force and vigour and success, with every sign of permanence. The Wellington Girls' High School is a striking instance of this last class. The youngest of all our local educational institutions, it. has leaped at a bound into the proud position of being the most successful of all. !Froni the very start, pupils have poured in, and already the demand npon the school' accommodation -exceeds its capacity by about 50 per cent. The most sanguine anticipations did not count upon an attendance of ■more than sixty the first year, but the actual attendance is now round and about the hundred mark, and the result has been overcrowding in a marked degree. NOAH'S ARK. '' "Becently a story went the round of the New Zealand,; Australian, English, and American papers to the effect that a-gigantic structure of dark wood had been discovered in a glacier at the bottom of a deep ravine on Mount' Ararat by 'Captain Gaseoyne, the well-known scientific investigator.'' The dimensions and arrangements agreed with those Scripturally attributed fro the 'Ark in which Noah and his family navigated the waters of the Deluge.' This story was implicitly believed by. ,many people, and-we ourselves received earnest requests from clerygmen that we should publish this interesting and valuable intelligence. We felt, however, exceedingly sceptical as to the truth of tho story, and preferred.,to wait for some confirmation. Confirmation has. now. come, but it is confirmation of our disbelief. Not a syllable could, be .foundlas to the alleged discovery in any paper of. earlier date than .the evo of last All Tools' Day, on which date the full Istory appeared in the Auckland 'Herald.' And now the sinful author of this wicked'hoax has written to that journal and openly confesses that hp concocted the w.hole affair as a piece ' of'- humbug, for which proceeding he now expresses the most profound contrition. Well he may! We fear that he will not be easily forgiven, by the > host of worthy and credulous people whom he has thus ruthlessly hoaxed." SUNSETS AND THE WEATHER. "The remarkable sunsets which have attracted:so much notice in New. Zealand ' and Australia, and which have been concurrent with, the most stormy, cold, and inclement spring experienced for many years, still continue. Dr. Hector and other scientists have stated their conviction that the colouring in the sunsets is due to.the aerial suspension of volcanic emanations ejected during the great eruption of Java. We, Ihowever, are inclined to the "belief shared by some scientists, that the cause is suspension of watery vapour in the higher aerial regions." UNEMPLOYED IN CHRISTCHURCH. "It is not at all satisfactory to learn that a meeting of unemployed has just been held in Christchurch, at which 200 men were present who declared themselves willing but unable to find employment. Still less agreeable is it to be informed that there are from 500 to 700 unemployed in ■ Christchurch. and its suburbs. This 13 a matter which the Government ought to see to at once. If so serious a state of things really exists prompt measures should be devised for its remedy. But a searching investigation ought to be made before special charitable aid is given to Canterbury at the expense of the rest of the colony." "FORTY DAYS." "The Tongariro, the pioneer boat of the New Zealand Shipping Company's specially-built steam fleet, which arrived at Port Chalmers last night, has accomplished the extraordinary feat of Teaching New Zealand from Plymouth in 40 days 9 hours steaming time, or 2} clays less than even the lonic's best run. This is equivalent to a passage of about 36} days, from England to Melbourne. It is unquestionably one of the most remarkable feats of long and.fast steaming yet achieved. Such a material shortening of the Anglo-New Zealand voyage ought to exercise a very appreciable influence on the progress of this colony. Indeed, the Tongariro's wonderful achievement is an event of no little moment in our colonial history.'' INCREASING- POPULATION. "Some very striking and interesting information is contained in the returns of New Zealand immigration and emigration for last month. It appears that the arrivals in this colony from 'foreign ports' during the month of November, 1883, numbered 2380, as against only 723 departures. The arrivals thus exceeded the departures in tho proportion of more than three to one, and the balance in favour of arrivals was 1657 persons. The Wellington arrivals were very nearly equal to those of the rest of the colony put together, being no fewer than 1132, as against 1248. There were only 138 departures from this port, consequently the balance in our favour was/ as nearly as possible, 1000 for the month. Auckland stands second in number of arrivals with 755, and the Bluff third with 339. With regard to the localities whence the arrivals came and whither the departures went, we find that 1603 persons arrived from Great Britain and that 142 went thither; 695 came from the Australian colonies and 540 left New Zealand for Australia. These figures are on the whole the most satisfactory we, have had for some time under this head. The arrival of the steamships Tongariro and British King'from England, both clue this month' ahct 'both' full of passengers, should'enable December to make an equally good, if not better, Bhow in ■ the-returns. ''