DUNEDIN NOTES.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2787, 4 October 1910, Page 4

DUNEDIN NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

The death of the Revd. Dr Nisbet of the First Church was one of those startlingly sudden and unexpected happenings which all communities at some time in their history are called upon to spare. I use the words •«sudden" and "unexpected" advisedly. \n outsider, doubtless, might tell you that it was not sudden and it was not unexpected. Such a one would be wrong. Had the death of ■ Dr Nisbet been reported any other time within the past 12 months the words would have been true. He was sick, he was not expected to recover and he waa away from the Dominion. But, as heflived to come back to Dunedin, as he was announced to preach next Sunday, and as he was on the streets of Dunedin laughing and saying he felt well at four o'clock of the day on which a few hours later he lay cold in death, the accuracy of my own words will be apparent. There is something inexpressibly sad about these sudden dramatic takings off. Dr Nisbet was only 52 years old, a man of exceptionally striking appear anee, over six feet tall, and broad in proportion. The sort of man one turns to look at in the street and start guessing whether he is a commercial traveller, a merchant, or a tourist, He certainly did not look a minister and I am old fashioned enough to dislike the bands and gown and collar in the pulpit on Sunday and " the man of the world" style about the streets on Monday. Yet with all this brave showing and fine figure of a man the seal of death was upon him. He had been a marked man for long and the exhilaration of the early part of last was but a temporary flash before the final dissolution.

Dr Nisbet had not been long enough with us to make a permanent mark on the life of the city. Out of his six years of service he was absent, what with one call and another, nearly two, and his pulpit work was not his strongest side. But ho was a very versatile, clever and attractive man. Not a scholar, nor even a deeply read man, but one who knew his own worth and by virtue of his personality could not fail to make an impression and attract an audience wherever his lot was cast. The First Church has had its share of trouble and vicissitude in this regard. Three Ministers in thirty years have been taken off by death, and the financial burden though at all times cheerfully borne, has been somewhat trying. The scandalous waste of time and money and of other people's patience that too frequently characterise the many deputations and delegations of borough and city councillors and members of public bodies to Wellington where, in the majority of cases, they do nothing save annoy worried Ministers, was glaringly exposed at the last meeting of the North East Valley Council. Two Councillors in a moment of levity were appointed delegates to the Municipal Conference at Wellington (a largely useless gathering) and they took the proposal seriously. Although they were not wanted and had nothing to do when they got there they actually went, had a nice outing, and on their return sent in a bill of expenses for £9 10s each. The Council for very shame's sake had to recommend its payment but the Mayor (a nriw broom) point blank refused to sanction it (he threatens not to sign the cheque) and by his action ventilated the business in the press. Personally I am inclined to think that the Council (soon to be morged in greater Dunedin) having appointed delegates will have to pay their bill. The money, however, might just as well be thrown in the Bay for all the good it did the borough. The incident illustrates in vivid form custom that is but little removed from a scandal.

Dominion day in Dunedin was somewhat flat, stale and not very profitable. There are several local objections to keeping this holiday and celebrating thereon. Among these is the widtly held belief that there are too many singi* day holiday* already, that no adequate cause has been shown why the transition from the fine old word Colony to the brand new title " Dominion " should be made a day pf rejoicing and that what is wanted is not the cultivation of a parochial nationalism, which is apt to give us an extra touch of an already highly developed swelled head, but of a sane Imperialism. We New Zealanders are absolutely dependent for our continued existence as a free self governing community on the British Navy and the more we drill this fact into our apathetic minds the better will it be for all. However we had a few Church parades and Church services on the "unday and on the Monday we closed the Customs, Telegraph and Post Ollioes just to make merchants and others remember that it was Dominion day, and at night we had a military procession although not twenty per cent of the sightseers knew what it was about.

In the Ocean Beach Dunedin has an asset of almost inconceivablo magnitude. We have a splendid stretch of beach, a fine sweep of sand dunes and tussock covered soil, and at either end two magnificent, headlands. In any other city than Dunedin there would, in all probability, be a widf, firm, buttressed and walled esplinade running from end to end, with seats and rests and chairs dotted along its length, with walks and ornamental niches on the land side and winding pathways (fenced and railed) cut in the very face of Lawyer's Heid and CWgiU's Cliff and, of course, a pier running out into the ocean having a large pavilion at the end for concerts and amusements. This is what has been done in the Old Land and even in some of the Oversea Dominions. Why not, then, here ?—Because we have not the energy, the inspiration and the cash. Wo are too much concerned about lieriot Row and the gasometer and L«e Stream costly fooleries to pay heed to St Glair. A

small number of enthusiasts agitate for something to he done and deputation!** the Oity Council (who refer the subject to a committee) every now and again, but during 20 years we have not got one yard farther forward.