ACROSS THE STRAIT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 10, 13 January 1908, Page 5

ACROSS THE STRAIT.

GOSSIP FROM THE EMPIRE

CITY

(From Our Special Correspondent.) Saturday. An important vacancy in the Anglican Church here has now been filled up by the appointment of the Reverend A. M. Johnson to be Vicar of St. Mark's. The Rev. Mr Coffey died so far back as March of last year, and some surprise has been evinced that so long a period has. been! allowed to elapse before his successor was appointed. The new vicar is quite a young man, and at present holds the position of vicar of Masterton, having previously, after three years spent as assistant curate at St. Peter's, Wellington, been vicar of the* combined, parishes of Featherstoriy Greytow.ny and ■ Martinborough. St. Mark's Church, whidh is'situated in Sussex Square, .near the Basin Reserve, and in the heart of a thickly populated district, has a large and. enthusiastic congregation, which, includes a specially large proportion of young men. , This b-eing the case Mr Johnson's appointment is a particularly happy one, for the reverend gentleman, when at St. Peter's was idolized by the younger members of the church, as he threw great energy into St. Peters-Young Men's Club and other organisations of like character. He is married to a. daughter of Dr Tripe of Wellington, a niece of Dr Tripe of Wanganui, who is taking up his residence at Picton. The Socialist," party Has .now arrived at the dignity of having a paid organiser, a Mr H. M. Fitzgerald, who will preach the "cause of comradeship' ' arid trumpet foirth the doctrines of Mr Bl^tchford and "The • Clarion," in ' various parts of the Dominion. He starts next week in ari organising tour of the West Coast .of the South Island, and will doubtless receive a hearty welcome I from a large proportion of the coal mine workers. Here in Wellington Socialism'is very popular with a small but rather noisy minority. The ranks of the party include many sympathisers who are not manual workers, and there is too, which is ,jnuch less desirable, a small section of foreign origin, Germans, Italians,, .and Russians. I do not think, however, that the-average trades unionist is much in love with the "Universal Brotherhood" doctrines .of the party. He is much too practical for that, and is more anxious about the immediate increased welfare of his family than interested in such, to him;: abstract problems of native and European equality in India and so forth v Andi small blame to him for his,.preference for practice rather than for theory. It is astonishing what a great headway has been made by Spiritualism in Wellington during the past five years. There are now no fewer, that four separate societies of spiritualists, and their meetings are always crowded. The most important is the Wellington iAssociation of Spiritualists, whose meetings are held at the New Century Hall in Kent Terrace^ and whose president or high priest is Mr Wm. McLean, once well known on the West, Coast and once too a member of Parliament for Wellington, having defeated no less a political big gun than Mr H. D. Bell after a bitter and ever memorable fight. Mr McLean has been a most fervent 'believer in spiritualism for many years, and half-an-hour's chat with him shdws that to him at least spiritualism is no mere phantasy, but a real live bejief which, to the believer, brings comfort and .peace. The Association of which Mr i McLean is the head Is a very strong body financially, and includes amongst its members many citizens of high (education and culture. Experienced, lecturers and mediums are engaged I from \ pxae to time, mainly from America, and it is difficult; to get a; seat in jtha Hall unless onG attends i yery early. Mrs CoMic, who; has re- j cently come from tTie States on a'j spiritualistic minion, is now attract- j ing large audiences. She is a well | educated, earnest, eloquent lady, and although I am not one of the elects |I must confess that Tier discussions are full of noble thoughts expressed :in very beautiful language. I, Another religious ,association which hjas "come to stay," as the American phrases' hath 'it, '• is the viytarian Society,, whose meetings, always i crowded, are 'held in the fineNneW Masonic Hall which has been erected in Boulcott Street. The pastor, 01 minister—l forget which^ is the term used by the Unitarians—is a Rev. Mr Tudor Jones, M.A., a Welsh gentleman, a highly educated and most cultured man, who is attracting to his church numbers of people who have Tiitherto not regularly attended any place of worship. Amongst the Unitarian congregation may be found leading doctors, lawyers, university professors and journalists. In point of educational attainment this church, if I may call it such, possesses one of the best congregations in Wellington. There is a T>readth and /tolerance about the whole service which'makes it very popular. Marlborough visitors to Wellington, wlio are desirous of studying two very interesting phases of modern religious thought, should not fail to attend a spiritualis- | tip. service, and Tiear also one of Mr Jones very' fine evening lectures. The Governor is still on a fishing excursion up in the Rotorua district, but returns to Auckland this week. !So far no start has been made with the alterations to Government House. The exact nature of these alterations is to be settled, I hear, some time i next week at a Cabinet Council, at which nearly all the Ministers will be present. Meanwhile our local satirical Journal The Free Lance, makes the .i ocular suggestion that His Excellency should hand over the keys of his wine cellar and offer "free drinks" as Swell as "free accommodation" to his political guests. I don't think, however, that His Excellency is likely to "catch on.' 1

The return of the Hon. Mr HallJones, who is due back about the end of this month, will necessitate a new shuffling of the Ministerial portfolios. That th,e returning Minister will take up control, of the Public Works Department again goes without saying; but I'question'-vjjr.Jie.ther he would care to take, or wjfesfcjigr.His doctors would allow him to take, ;ajtiy additional burden. However we shall see j what we shall see.