ACROSS THE STRAIT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 1, 3 January 1910, Page 2

ACROSS THE STRAIT.

GOSSIP FROM THE .EMPIRE CITY.

[from our correspondent.] WELLINGTON, Friday. Mr Angus McKay, whose 'death at Dannevi'rke at the ripe old age of ninety is reported, was well-known, in Marlborough in the early 'seventies, ";. when Imj acted as inspector forßrogdens, the great contractors for the bridge on the Picton-Blenheim line. Practically all his life was spent either in contracting on his own account or in the supervision of big contracts. He wa's in Victoria in the 'fifties, and '- came to ; New Zealand in 1865, when he constructed the Mokomoko wharf , near Invercargill, a big £30,000 job. He was afterwards Government in- , spector on several works, and after an interval spent hi New South Wales he came over here for the1 Brogdens, settling in Dannevirke, then almost all dense bush, in 1883. "Angus," as everybody in the Seventy-Mile Bush called him, was a genial old Scot. He .^was Abe "first .Mayor of Dannevirke. u<Yonr -v.Onrn'". knew him well, and 1 spent msny an evening listening to the good yarns he had to tell of contracting nfthe early days in Australia and New Zealand. * ,' A motor cyciist had a bad smash up in Manners Street on Wednesday, ' knocking a pedestrian over and ruining his These motor-cycles and their riders are about the worst nuisance we have in Wellington. The much-abused motor car is not to be compared to them as menaces to the public safety. Wellington is simply over-run with them, and their riders seem to be mostly of a very rough class, who delight in ''scorching,", and have precious little regard for pedestrians. Motor cycling, to my mind, • is about-the very worst pastime our young men can take to. It involves

a continuous strain upon the spinal .' nerves, find cannot fail to prove most injurious if indulged in to any extent. Ministers are rushing away home now that the shutters are up at the Kbreroriflim or Talking1 Shop, whiph •■■•'■ has recently been the scene of the Massey Farce. "Roddy" McEenzie . is off to Nelson and the Coast; ' Tarn*' of the same ilk, went to Dunedin on Wednesday night; Mr Fowlds, who has made such a good impression right Ithrough the session by his thorough grip of all his departmental affairs, has gone up to Auckland; -douce Mr Buddo is paying a ,yisit to his long-neglected home at Rangiora; • Mr Ngatay who has not seen his native kianga at Port Awanui since May last, left'this morning, and Sir Joseph; the hard-worked but always genial and. cheery, will probably leave * tor the South to-night, being due at the Bluff Regatta On the 3rd January. Dr. Findlay will remain in town ■ for a fortnight or so, and will then probably.indulge in a long motoring trip. The Speaker does not return forthwith to-Jhis faithful Greymouth, ' but will find change of scene at Rotoma, and the: Chairman of Committees, Mr T. Gilford, whose excellent work was the: subject of much complimentary mention just before the Mouse prorogued, has gone to. /Tokaanu for a fortnight's fishing. So y tar as prominent politicians are concerned, Wellington will be a dull - place for the next few weeks. But ■• we can get along all right without "them. ■ "

i j?Te j?*% passengers for London lert by the Athenic yesterday. The - number is'small for such a-big vessel, ! out the Home migration does not 1 begin as a rule until April. February and March are months during > which all those who can afford it vastly prefer to be out of England rather than in it. Amongst the Athemc^ passengers is Captain -Dorrien-Smith, who is a member of tne ramfly which owns that picturesque little group, the Scilly Islands. The captain is a great botanist, and has recently been at the Onathams, where he has been collecting rare plants and ferns. Mr Me Williams, a leading light of the New JBouth Wales Collier/ Employees. Federation, began a lecturing tour of the -Dominion last night. Sf *s here to expound the miners' «de of th^big strike which is causing, so-much inconvenience in Sydney 2nd is hopeful of collecting a large in aid of the strike funds. -Personally I am inclined to think that he riay fh \a^ Ot # verbal sympathy, but .-. fat when the unionists come to reply, to the all important question of the proverbial Quaker, "Friend, how SsSntß^ 011 ? *&*™*»t" the oZ, S PMvSinr HOt b? ve, ry substanbial^ Mr McWilhams should have something very interesting to say as to the ■effect upon organised labor in New South Wales of the terribly drasS law recently pass6 d by the Wade C^veraiment. The hundred pounds' who *lU n-V6f Kb 6 Paid the n" who ha^e just been conyi citing to a strike, and uniSs I am ' Aut,fSta^ n ?¥ h «entiment t S™i f Wi ll not favor sendi»g men thll i St on e labm matters I may note ! local labor organiser informs me " ance T^h™ oi^^rahle import? i .fs not L ug ISCU. Ssed ' and that it ! the oLf Pr°bable that the result of anaSnwf? may be a demand for ! Two or three more young: doctor*l ■ S« 1^ to mafce.a.lmng I can't for the life of me imagine? for a new Zrth UP. his shi»gle every One hears stories, however, of the struggles of many of the WcoWs ■ ? r /^ nl lawyers, the place is simply full of them, and every year sees a big new batch "put through." Many it is notorious, do not make tr Ugh rt* -° f l ctual le §al P'aetioe to pay their office rent and their office boys but have to depend upon money lending and land agency. This Jatter game, however, is played out • for the present. "You can't sell a house nowadays," said a leading apent to me only yesterday; "and," he contimiedj "it's not as easy to let houses as it was." The reason for this is - that so many people have moved into the suburbs, where, for less money, "they can get a newer and.better class -of house. But things will right ihemin time. Aucklanders are said to be very*

jealous of Wellington, but I notice that the inhabitants.of the "Queen City of the North" always seemto enjoy a trip to Poneke, just as, to tell the truth, we dwellers in the "Windy City on -the Strait" find pleasurable change besides the sunny —and, too, windy—Waitemata. Our latest visitors from the North are a body of bandsmen. Not ordinary bandsmen, oh, dear no! These are of a special brand, being the music providers for the Auckland Central Mission, a religious organisation which has its fellows of the same name in Wellington. The band musters over 30 strong, and when combined with the Wellington CM. band ma 4» a most effective blare of "trumpets and shawms" as they marched through the streets. We had a trifle too much band on Christmas Eve, but the C.M. performers are a long way above the ordinary, as indeed they ought to be with no fewer than four gold medallists amongst them. Mr Lewis Nathan, whose death, in London was reported on Wednesday, was formerly well known both here and in, Auckland, where he was in business as a merchant. He is a brother of Mr Walter Nathan, of W. M. Bannatyne and Co., of this city, and had for some years been living in retirement near London. He was a director of the New Zealand and River Plate Company. ]A congress of pedagogues is to open next Tuesday, when the New Zealand Educational Institute will commence its annual conference. A new feature this year is the reading of papers on educational subjects. I wish the Institute would just for once in a way discuss the very serious question why children leaving our primary schools both spell, and write so badly, and why they are so poorly equipped in arithmetic. If this falling-off in the primary subjects be really due to the overcrowding of the syllabus with a lot of. "fancy" subjects I cannot say, but I do know that nine out of every! ten Wellington parents who have any idea of what primary education ought to be are of opinion that there is something grievously at fault with the present system. Wellington is plentifully supplied with amusements for the holiday sea-j son. Mr Williamson's company, which includes our old friend George Titheradge, so long with the Brough-Bouci-catult Company, is doing big "biz," at the Opera .House, and Marlburians who may. be in town during the next, fortnight 'should not misk the show. I>#id not" car© very much for the opening piece, "The Cheat," but I; hear great accounts of "The Flag Lieutenant," a new play to be produced next week. Before, that two old friends "Sherlock Holmes" and "Brewster's Millions" are to be staged. '.;.:..'. . '

Fullers are running "vauderville and variety" once again at the old Theatre Royal, and doing well. Amongst the performers is that good "old stager" Priscilla Verne-, who more years ago than I can remember was out here with the nigger minstrel Hugo. The fair Priscilla is as youthful—in spirit if not in figure—as ever. It's hardly fair to speculate upon the age of a lady, but "Prissy" can hardly be a chicken nowadays, yet she dances as lightly as ever. At His Majesty's in Courtenay Place, which used to be known as the Choral Hall, and before that was a chapel, the ever popular moving pictures are on show, and Wests are running another picture show at the Town Hall.

The Corinthic brought over 600 passengers the other day, including over 40 domestic servants. The Ruahine, which is due here on the sth Janizary, with another big crowd of people; has 35 immigrants of the same class, so that the scarcity in the "h^lp" line should be slightly decreased. I don't know what Blenheim ladies experience at Christmas, but Here Mary Jane and Co. seem to indulge in a game of "musical chairs," giving notice a week before Christmas and leaving the "missuses" to look after themselves until the holidays are over. Wages have, however, dropped1 a little lately, but still rule from 12s ■ r s *? r anything like a competent maid. Mostly they are incompetent.