ACROSS THE STRAIT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 248, 19 October 1908, Page 5

ACROSS THE STRAIT.

GOSSIP FROM THE EMPIRE CITY

[PROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Saturday. Our very latest " association " —a new league or association appears on the scene almost every . week —is the New Zealand Natives' Association, to which I think I have already referred, but' which came out at its meeting last night as the would-be saviour of the Dominion. The president, Dr. Wallace Mackenzie, who at one time was supposed to have Parliamentary ambitions, read a pai>pj-—oh, those dreadful bores who " road oapers " !—on New Zealand and the Navy. According to this authority the New Zealand Volunteers are absolutely useless, on account of their paucity of numbers. "Were a foa to attack us," says the Doctor, "our Volunteers would all be killed." Other more or less distinguished New* Zealand natives talked and talked, but time was insufficient, and eventually further admission on the paper was postponed. Meanwhile the Volunteers " put in their drills and look as cheerful as possible. ■ ' i Bland Holt, the ever-popular, continues to draw packed houses, but his second production, •" The Break of the Drought," is surely the weirdest rubbish ever staged in Wellington. It is astonishing how presumedly intelligent people can suffer such " piffle." Yet they do and actually apear to enjoy it. At the Town Hall and two other places of amusement biograpk shows flourish like the wicked and the green bay tree. Last night there was a final concert by a sterling artist, Miss Irene Ainsley, but her fate was empty benches. Also there was a Liedertafel "smoker and various church entertainments. Wellington people stay at home occasionally in the evenings in the intervals" of entertainments. For many of them ,ither.p is very rarely an interval. *WhW'the n%ney comes from is a marvel to me. . Talking aboirt money the tightness from which the Wellington's chest is suffering continues—for everybody save the " show V people—Bank interest on overdrafts has risen,.so ny morning paper tells me torday, io seven per cent! Pretty stiff that, isn't it? As a sign of. the times it may be noted that the sale of pictures at the recent annual show of the Academy of Fine Arts totalled £100 less than at last year's show, and yet the general average of quality was much better, and more people visited the show. - But if you spend all your money on biograph shows you can't have much to spare to expend on pictures. v ' It is comical and yet at the same time pathetic to read of the poor Melbourne unemployed wanting to be transferred to New Zealand, but just now the labour market of the Dominion is quite well enough supplied. We don't want any Victorian unemployed here. By the way, who and in what capacity acts,.the " New Zealandßepresentative in Melbourne" who, according to the cables, "had promised to inquire if work could be found for them in ISfew Zealand "? I was iaofc aware the Labour Department has a representative in Melbourne. . .

As for bringing any more people here just now, we have it .on the authority of Mr Millar, the Minister for Labour, " that there are no openings in New Zealand for a large influx of Australian unemployed. There was practically no demand at present, except for farm labourers, and even for these applications would not be excessive, as,farmers were not likely to enter upon large developments in view of the condition of the wool market." As d-< matter of fact, it is an open question whether immigration (from Great Britain) is.not being overdone just now. Some 200 geople (assisted) are due at Port haimers next week, the Paparoa is bringing some 300 people to Wellington next week, and early in November the Corinthio some 600 more. Besides these there will be probably some 400 to 500 others (non-assisted) by" these three boats. Not a few people consider the Government would do well to call a halt for a while, to let the newcomers settle down. The North Island Trunk line official opening date is set down as October 27, that is, a week next Tuesday, but it may be altered. There are to be "functions" at both ends and at Makatote. The two days service is to commence. on the second of next month. There is some talk of an official excursion, in which members of the Chamber of Commerce, Ministers and Members of Parliament would take part, but both Ministers and Members are very busy these times, and it is doubtful whether it would be wise to spend more public money on junketting, when money is so urgently required for'really necessary things. '; " Te Kawana," as the natives call ". S'Excellency," is to give the usual King's Birthday Dinner at Christchurch this year. As yet no decision has been arrived at as to where the new Government House is to be, but Wellin-gtoniahs are not particularly excited over thte delay. The Governor is not popular here, and so far as Wellington cares he might reside permanently at Palmerston and no great manifestation of public sorrow would be made here.