ACROSS THE STRAIT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 97, 22 April 1909, Page 5

ACROSS THE STRAIT.

GOSSIP FROM THE EMPIRE CITY

[prom our correspondent.}

WELLINGTON, Wednesday

There are some dozen or so messengers in the Government Buildings who, having .reached the retiring age, feared they would be "fired out," a very serious matter for most of them, for the retiring "allowance Avould be not a quarter enough to live on. The work is light, and can be done by an old man just as well as by a young man, and I am glad to hear that Cabinet has decided that they shall be permitted to remain in the Service.

The use of the new Osram filament lamp for electric lighting is a bad thing for the Corporation, which, as you know, bought out the Electric Lighting Company, but its advent is blessed by the householders. By using an Osram lamp you can get a 20 candle-power, and yet you pay only on a 5 candle-power basis. Result, a great reduction in the monthly lighting bill, but for the Corporation there is a steady diminution of revenue, which is a very serious matter. Of course, the city gains in one direction, that of being able to give a 50 or 100 candle-power bulb in lieu of the old 20 candle-power—a great consideration where street lighting is concerned, but the general result all round is a loss of revenue, the possibility of which was not taken into consideration when city ownership succeeded private ownership of the works.

John McCall, who is said to have been drowned in the wreck of the Penguin, is surmosed, by his relatives in Scotland, to be still alive. Mr James Moore, of the Wellington Missions to Seamen, is anxious that publicity should be given to the fact that McCall's address is asked for by his relatives. I therefor© oblige. It is strange that if the man was not drowned his whereabouts should continue to be a mystery. At the meeting of the Benevolent Trustees, held yesterday, the Hon. Mr Hogg spoke in scathing terms of the impudence of some of the sturdy beggars who approach the Trustees for assistance. "-When a man with a face like a bruised bulldog thrusts his nose between a man and his wife and breathes an aroma of a whisky barrel, in my opinion he is not a desirable case for help." These words, by Mr Hogg, were by way of comment on the chairman's remarks that the system of granting interim relief was unsatisfactory. Mr I). Robertson remarked that Mr Hogg must not talk like that or there would be an indignation meeting held. Mr Hogg replied that he did not care, and was aware of many deserving cases which were sometimes prejudiced by the granting of relief to the- undeserving.

There is another point in connection with the indiscriminate granting of charitable aid to which the attention of the public should be drawn. This is the indifference and selfishness shown, by many people in good positions, to their poor and needy relatives. Mr Hogg remarked, at the meeting just alluded to, that there were cases in New Zealand of people who were swimming in wealth, but yet left a poor old patriarch of a father to draw an'old age pension. No doubt the old age pension system is abused, but it should be, I take it, the duty of the department to check such abuses, and to publicly pillory the well-to-do class who allow their parents to draw State assistance. Mr Carroll is back in town from a journey with Mr Ngata in the Waikato, where, I believe, a very important and far-reaching understanding has been arrived at with the owners of some very extensive blocks of native land, who have now agreed that they shall be thrown open to European settlement. Nothing could be better, as a means of stopping and preventing depression, than the throwing open to settlement of some of the immense blocks of native land in this island. As matters stand at present it is most difficult for anyone who is^not a capitalist to get hold of a bit of land. More settlement spells more labour, and more labour less depression. That popular institution, the Wellington Savage Club, commences its winter session next Saturday. The versatile "Tom" Wilford, M.P., replaces Professor Easterfield as Chief Savage. "Tom" is now an M.P., Chairman of the Harbour Board, "Boss" of the Savage Club, and President of the Yorkshire- Society (he comes of Yorkshire stock), and is very confident that he is going to pull off the Mayoral prize. He's becoming our Wellington "Pooh Bah," and the wonder is he ca nflnd time to fulfil all his public duties, to say nothing of motoring, golf and bridgeplaying and trout-fishing—as well as attend to his professional duties in the local Law Courts.

The squatter subsidised organ m Wellington is squeaking bitterly about not getting certain Government advertisements. But it really has not a logical leg to stand upon. Why should the Government be asked to spend a large additional sum in advertisements simply because someone starts a new paper where two old-established journals already existed ? The paper in question is always crying for economy, but when a policy of economy hits its advertising revenue, then, of course,, it is quite another matter. As a matter of fact, there are far too many newspapers in New Zealand, and so far from increasing its annual bill for advertising, the amount might very well be decreased, and that without any seriotis inconvenience to the public.

Travellers by the Main Trunk lino enjoy a fine sight when they pass Ngauruhoe—that is, of course, if the weather is clear. The volcano is now more active than ever, and a whole host of new mud springs have broken out along its lower slopes, where previously none existed. Local observers seem to have a fixed idea that Ruapehu will also break out. For some years it was a matter of doubt whether the '' big fellow '' was really dormant or active, but Mr Field, a Wanganui naturalist, set the point at rest by ascending the mountain and seeing steam arising, not only from the lake in the crater, but from various holes in the rocky sides thereof. Wanganui people were at one time somewhat disturbed in mind as to the probable effect upon the Wanganui River of any big outbreak at Ruapehu, fearing, if such event occurred in early spring when the mountain is still covered with snow, there would be such a volume of water in the river that a disastrous flood woiild result. But the scare died out, and Wanganui is still where it was twenty years ago.

Messrs Hamer and Donne, Avho are going to London, and several leading officers who are retiring on superannuation, are being entertained at dinner this evening by the Prime Minister and his Ministerial colleagiies.