ACROSS THE STRAIT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLI, Issue 226, 24 September 1907, Page 2

ACROSS THE STRAIT.

GOSSIP FROM THE EMPIRE

CITY

(From Our Own Correspondent.) The "biggest wooden building" in the world has become even bigger still, the new wing at the rear of the northern end being now practically completed. Curiously enough the Government is allowed to break the local building by-laws, which # provide for brick or concrete edifices only in this part of the city. For a Government which makes laws to calmly set the ' bad example of breaking them seems a paradox, but to all a brick extension on the "8.W.8." would have been foolish, for the " 8.W.8. " is still in excellent preservation, and i vthere is really" very little danger of ! fire. Even were a fire to destroy the whole edifice there would be no great danger too ther properties, and so tho Government has coolly disregarded the City Council's protest, and in a few weeks the new wing will be tenanted. Talking about Government buildings, we had a, surprise the other morning when it was announced by the Times that the new Colonial ' Museum (National Museum the new name is to be) is not to be erected on the site of the old building in Sydney Street, but is to grace one of the slopes of Mount Cook. The sooner the new building is erected the better, for any night the old museum, which, along with much rubbish, has some'j very valuable contents, might be destroyed by fire, for a more match-box structure and greater fire-trap does not exist in the whole Colony. I understand that the great and special feature of the new building is to be the attention to be paid to the Maori collection. Mr Hamilton, the* Curator, is well-known to be a keen , enthusiast on Maori curios, and his fine work on "Maori art" no doubt, and very properly, was the chief reason for his appointment. He is essentially the right man in the right place, y and if the pursestrings are not pulled too tightly, he ought to make the new .museum really worthy of the Capital City, which is certainly more than can be said of the existing institution in . Sydney Street. By this time next year, also, the Parliament Buildings, on the Sydney -Street side at any rate; will present -an appearance very different from that they bear to-day. A four-storey extension in brick and concrete, on a aiftudo Gothic design, in keeping with the existing buildings, 1S being erected, and into this is to be movea the re- * freshment department.. Also there are to bs severe new committee rooms, which are much wanted, and which will prove a great convenience to persons interviewing Ministers. All tire Ministers and their private secretaries will occupy adjoining suites of offices. The old Bellamy's is, so the rumour goes, to be converted into a bilhardroom. Some purists may scoff akthis, but after all there is no valid reason why our legislators should not "knock the balls about" in the intervals, say, of knocking the "bills" about as they jso frequently do. As it is they play chess, and euchre, arid even bridge, within the sacred precincts. In Sydney the State-legislators can play billiards, and why not here? All the same, I quite expect to see a big rumpus made by some of the ultra- " goody-goody " element. The Government is making excellent i progress with the first of the Land \ Bills, arid two important divisions have shown exactly what the party strength is on both.sides. The Opposition cannot muster more than about 15 votes against the main proposals, and the much-threatened Radical " cave the other night contained only about a dozen occupants. In my opinion it is Mr Millar's Labour Bill, if it ever gets into Committee, which will >:■ ■ provide the toughest "scrums orthe session. There will, of course, be some good "going" on the second Land Bill, which deals with tenures, conversion, and all the numerous side ' issues of the main problem, leasehold or freehold,, but both this Bill and the Endowment Bill will surely go on to ! the Statute Book this session, and that, too, without very material al- j i^ration. . , j Our.—and your —University College j is in trouble over the resignation or ; Professor Maclaurin, who, it may be remembered, succeeded Dr.. Salmond as Dean of the Faculty of Law. Professor Maclaurin, who previously held the Chair of Mathematics, is oft to Yankee Land, haying accepted a position at Columbia University, New: York. The, salary, I hear, is 5000 dol- j lars, or £1000, which is riot much in j New York, considering the heavy ex- ■ pense of living in that city. But the . scope is greater, and the Professor, will, it is understood, have less actual teaching to do, with more time for research work.' It*is a high compliment to Victoria* College that one of its professorial staff should be sought by a university of the standing of Columbia, but it is very rough oh the College ~'%o lose- Dr. Salmond's successor so ! quickly, and I shall not be surprised to' hear of a little trouble over the matter. Whoever and . whatever goes short there is never a lack of money in Wellington for amusements. With the exception of the Albani concerts, which were poorly attended, every entertainment of late has drawn crowded houses. Next week we begin a ' 'Mother Goose" boom. To show the rush of many to spend their money, I may mention that the first day^he boxplan was opened close upon 1500 seats were booked, and be it remembered that the prices are ss, 4s and 2s, and only the five shilling seats can be reserved. How some of our people can stand the steady' strain involved by this mania for amusement is difficult to understand, but the shopkeepers could. no doubt some interesting, if delicate, information on the subject. Blenheim people over here often grumble because they get so few opportunities of seeing a good play, but they can console tfemselves with the thought that they are so much better off in pocket. Here in Wellington it would really seem as if people couldn't • rest at honie and be content with simple family pleasures. Everybody must gad about, and the extravagance on amusements, coupled with the extravagance on dress, for which we are notorious, must seriously embarrass not a few people. Living within your income is not the most salient charac-. teristic of, life " Across the Strait," and many a paterfamilias with a smile on his face is worried enough when the mask is thrown off and he thinks of his monthly bills. But this is not meant to be a Sunday column, and so I refrain from further moralising.