ACROSS THE STRAIT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 68, 22 March 1911, Page 6

ACROSS THE STRAIT.

GOSSIP FORM THE EMPIRE

CITY

(By "Marlburian.")

WELLINGTON, Monday A HOT SPELL.

Ouf! Almost too hot to write. I don't know how Marlborough is getting on in the way of weather, but here in "Wellington, during the las x. few days we have been simply sweltering. "Quite Sydney weather is a common expression. The worst ot it is that the nights are almost as torrid as tho days. And yet it is only ten days ago that we were shivering under a south-easter that fairly got into one's bones. There's nothing like variety in diet—but these quick changes are not a little trying to the temper. OFF TO THE CORONATION.

The Ulimaroa took pver.4oo pasaengers when she left for -Sydney on Friday evening, and quite another, hundred had td be left behind. Both the Ulimaroa and the Victoria are favorite boats with the travelling public—a good table and two-berth cabins are special attractions—but on this occasion the rush was caused by the Coronation. Everybody—except poor, hard-working scribes who really need a holiday--—seems to be off to London nowadays, and.it is small compensation to those who (stop at home to know that money is so plentiful that expensive round-the-world trips can be indulged in by so many of their fellow-citizens. A goodly number of the TJlimaroa's passengers are booked from Sydney to London by the North German Lloyd boat, one of the swell boats of the line, the Grosser Kurfursfc. This boaivjnakes only a^couple or so trips <a year in the Australian trade, being engage^, .during the remainder of the year m the Bremen Southampton and New York trade. L have travelled myself on a Grermau boat from London to Sydney, al-, though I would not have done so had an Orient or P. and1 O. steamer been available. The accommodation and the attendance are excellent, and although here and there you may strike a boat in which the stewards are not well up in English, in most oases -they know enough to pull through,, and Vhat they lack in linguistic ability, tiaey make up for in attention. Also, the German stewards are not so openly, shamelessly greedy as to '•tips 5' as their English brethren are Had I "stacks" of money I should prefer the P. and O. first-class. Travelling second I would choose the Orient first, with the German line a good second^ But to get to London in the most economical way you can patronise the White Star liners, which start from Melbourne, and which carry one class only. On these boats you can travel comfortably, if not luxuriously, to .England—via/the Cape^-for from £20 to £26, according to the berthing accommodation. But,! of coursie—there is always a "but when you get a thing cheaply—you must put up with th© long and rather tedious trip round! the Horn, and if you're not a good sailor, well—l don't recommend the experience.

THE GLAMOUR OF THE BAST.

The Dutch Government is, I see., giving a substantial subsidy to a quick service between Batavia and Sydney. I am often surprised1 that so few New Zealanders, with time and money' to S p are —and the good times we have had the last few years have produced a goodly crop of such lucky ones — don't try a trip to Java, one of the loveliest, most interesting islands on the face of the globe. Of course, you must eschew the hot season, for the Javan heat is simply awful when at its height; but a month in Java at the right time of the year i® one qt the most wonderful and delightful experiences that one can have. A friend of mm'> has done thisi trip twice, and is going again next winter. Japan he votes overdone, and its attractions greatly exaggerated; but Java he raves over. And, best of all, it is not a very expensive trip.

THE "TALK OF THE TOWN."

The "talk of the town" this week, on the street, in clubs, hotels, offices— everywhere you go—has been a certain case wijJph has been before the Chic* Justice "in Chambers." The publication of not only the..proceedings, but the very name of the case, has been sternly forbidden by the judge, but the "man on the. street" can and will give you every detail, and so far from stifling or suppressing public comment the non-publica-tion of any particulars has simply whetted public curiosity, and, I should say, given a much wider publicity to the facts than any newspaper report could have done. It is what is known as a trust case, land the name of a prominent member of the Legislative Council is mentioned in connection therewith with most painful freedom. Sooner or later, of course, the whole affair must be brought out into the light of day. Meanwhile there is a good deal of comment, upon the propriety or otherwise of the action of the Court in tabooing any mention of the proceedings. A legal friend informs me thnt the Court is quite within its rights in suppressing publication of any report, for the case is not one which originated in open Court, but has been "in Chambers" all through. Where v. case originates in open Court and1 is thence carried to Chambers it is not usual to deny

publication of the* evidence; but if the oase begins and is merely continued "in Chambers," my friend informs me, that a judge is quite within Ms rights in exercising his own discretion as to publicity. This may or may not be a correct view, but meanwhile "the talk of the town" continues.

JHE BALLARAT COMPETITION SYSTEM.

A project is being floated to establish annual music, literary, and oratorical competitions in Wellington similar to those which were originated at Ballarat, in Victoria., now many years ago, and which hare been carried on every year with great success. What is known as the Ballarat competition system has also been adopted in Dunedin, Christchurch, and Auckland, and now. tardily, but apparently with , enthusiasm, Wellington is following the lead given in other centres. A very strong provisional committee has been formed., and' a meeting is to be held next Wednesday at the Town Hall to form a society and. make arrangements for the operation of the project, A few cynical people of the "superior person" type may sneer at these competitions as tending to encourage "crude amateurism" and create a lot of prigs; but after all there is no denying the; fact that the working up for these competitions must mean careful study and be intellectually profitable. The scheme promises to be taken up with enthusiasm, and a strong society is likely to be formed.

OUR EXHIBITION. Of course you have heard of our In-

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dustrial Exhibition which is to be held during the winter, and which is being "worked up" very energetically under the auspices of the Wellington Industrial Association. The idea is to stimulate a greater public interest in New Zetdand-manufactured goods, and to induce us to spend our money in the country instead of sending it , abroad for imported articles. Two of i the big new Harbor Board stores — really'they are exceedingly spacious buildings—-are to be utilised, and will afford many thousands of feet ot space. It is some years now since we had an exhibition of this kind m Wellington, and I hope and believe it 3 wil: be carried out on so important a scale as to attract many visitors from "across the Strait." "TO LET." Wherever one goes in Wellington just now one is confronted with tha sign. "To Let." It is astonishing how frequent is this announcement. It has been said that it is only in the suburbs .that empty houses are numerous, but my. experience is that the feature is noticeable all over the city. A walk last Sunday through Kelburne, that fine new hill suburb which is so close to tha centre of the city, revealed the fact that & large number of houses., many quite new 3 are without occu~> pants. There are several empty houses on Wellington Terrace, and the same remark applies to Tinakori Road. As for Adelaide Road, there are long rows of empty shops, but at this I am not surprised, for the tram brings the Newtown people right into town for a penny, and people naturally shop where they can, get the widest choice of goods. But,it is the number of really good private houses that are empty that is disconcerting. What is the rta^on? AVell, I think the reasons are more than one or two. In the first place quite a number of fairly well-tordo residents have gone to live out of town. At Silverstream there is quite a colony of people living in houses which cannot have cost less -than £2000 to £3000. Over at Day's Bay and Muritai, and, indeed, along the whole of the eastern and northern shores of the harbor, new homes have gone up, and out at Karori many expensive- houses have been built. Land on Wellington Terrace and in similar .good positions is now valued so high §tsit§'-.the rate and rent charges are becoming prohibitive. Then, again, there is the servant trouble. Married people with no children—a very common occurrence nowadays—prefer to live at an hotel to being worried with servants who come to-day and go tQmorrow, and are, in nine cases out oi: ten, inefficient, lazy, and openly impertinent to those who employ them. Also, there can be little doubt that a good many people have recently left Wellington for Sydney, though this is a fact which affects the workingclass quarters of the city rather than such thoroughfares as the Terrace and such suburbs as Kelburne. Yet another contributing cause is that people want a better class of house than a few years ago they were contented

with, and as they move out of thenold quarters leave gaps behind which are not easily filled. , But.all the same it to the heart of a good Wellingtonian to see such a terribly large number of houses with a To Let" sign in the windows. It doesn t look like progress, but either stagnation or retrogression. And .these two latter things ore mightily unpleasant for a ratepayer to think about, for empty houses mean, in the long run, unpaid rates andl heavier rates for those who can pay.