Happenings in the Capital.

North Otago Times, 20 July 1908, Page 4

Happenings in the Capital.

—m—(By " Penelope") Wellington, July 13. i . —About People.--

Mrs Fowlds lias come (o Wellington for some months, and is stopping nt the Hotel Windsor with thn Hon, Mr Fowlds. Mrs Iloldsworth, from Dunedin, is liere with her husband. Mrs Galloway, also IroiiPDunoclin, is with hcj; niolhci', Mrs Tiirnbiill. Lady Eusscll, who, with Sir William, has been n guest o! Mrs Grace's, returned .i-.-to. Napier last Friday. Miss Elsie- . Watson has gone to Sydney for some months. Mrs Olcey, wife of the member for New Plymouth, lias gone home, but returns to Wellington in time to start by the special train for. Auckland and the fleet festivities. Among those coing to tlie northern city are Mr 'and' Mrs fleatou Rhodes, who are to be guests of Mr O'Rorke. Dr Alice Ifobrhouso—whoso engagement ' to Mr Norland, Principal of Christ's College, v of recent dale-is staying with Mrs lihodca, of Wellington. Miss GibsonSmith is with her sister, Mrs David Findlny, and Miss Allen, daughter of Mr E. G. Allen, M.P., is a guest of Mrs Ottcrson. Miss Lulu Roberts has been staying with Mrs Miles. Miss Chad. Beauchnmi) leaves at the end of the month for Auckland, 'where she slays,, with her aunt, Mrs Derry, Miss Stafford, who has been a guest of Mrs Vnllancc, Masterton, camo homo on Monday. Miss Maclean, Principal of tho Girls' Collego, has been seriously, ill, but is much betlcr, and hopes to resume work shortly. Mrs Stott gives up her charming hous'j inllobson street at the end of tho month to Mrs W. Williams, who bought it, There lias been some consternation among the residents of the aristocratic dis-trict-Wellinglon Torraec-hecauso of tho news that on the lovely fern gully next to Dr Napivr-Mac]can ; s house, is to bo built a large leather warehouse. Pessimists'declare this is' the beginning, and that in a 'shbrittimo all the Terrace will be occupied by business places. Mrs Mills' great "house, Saycs Court, in Aurora Terrace, and next the Wellington Club, ,Ims been, taken for a term by Mr'll, D. Bill/ while liis now houso on Goldcr's Hill is being built, _ -The Passing of Tom Mann.- : Wo .happened to bo going dwyn jto the wharf to sec a friend away by tho Sydney boat,, when wo noticed a rugged- procession of working men passing, clown in tho same direction*. I'hoir clothes were powdered wth Hour, and we'discovered later that they were bak6rs'.lrom tho co-operative bakeries, just started, on their wiiv lo'bidf'ni;cwell loir Tom Mauri.-,Tho hero, who wore a slouch.hot and the regulation red tic,,was surrounded'near-tho foot of : tho gangway by • aliou t, soventv ''or'nighty men, who,, atintervals sang revolutionary ditties' and socialistic • ■ballads,to dear old:familiar 1 airs that suftnrctl sadly,in the rendering, paving n Toll.;.'of ,'paper, Vx\ his ■ • motley and impromptu choir,'andlatoif on, made'-a little.speech. 'Ho'" was> carried shoulder-high-, to tlie;;ig a rig."" .way,, and frpni;t.hq,dcck,' waved many .farewells :to his cheering, friends; VOno roughly'dressed man announced loudly ■ i that ho had no objection.to carri" fiyc c|i.iid a,.wcck;by talking!; "'':, : ■ -A/New .Zcalahd;:Kato tkeennwa.y.4 '. r I have, already tbld, BonUall s-'chikl pictures which'have grjt ; auch a yogiio:iicro,! ; and'becom'e- 'sV> - ■popular, that sho-icannot'paiiit -:fait j - Jot, slio has: |,shown ;;.aro w still,;, jhoro : of her formbr-pik ■.' tufos, aiid< one 'is 3 nniln.tifluslthan'anyiJ havakeen ~%l? » - ■ line I, 4hati ; p^MlpsM e feMi S

»k,^ o^pr^ialeain{eliilkrv*?|» ' W,ha^ftrlßon^liftHis^ttle v eXhk ■i^i'-sM'&^^.^v^. l^^teo^a/betoiixed^for •:\w& M#sfJ? fea^oifot' superior^" the' ;fs«nor;oPbth'er places th'at.wo [have pV dared'.tp ■gromMo.'vMrs : Grace had flu oftortiobii'. too- iii'honor of her. guest;/Lady/ Bnßsell,'rihd.Mr<o'CoiH; hoi"invited; : ,a , number of'friends-tb-!neet Miss Freda Mnrtiri, hor niece,' from till'Vnii'flrapn. Elowoii in great. •plenty,' from tho country," were- set about;the handsome rooms, and i the tea; tnljle \\'as decked with red and,' Wiio; anemones.; Mrs '-O'Connor's draw: ing-room is ..extremely /.large-! and,i luxurious,and the' great oriel window'' lias an unrivalled view' of harbor arid-' hills, : Tho; : kll, too, is quite, a fefttUrft of ■/the: house, and'is, hung with deer's heads; th'e'^ro^tiie's'of Mr O'Connor's . gun. Mrs David Tindlay was another hostess (3f(;thb r .wepk,-:tho tea being.': . partlyfgiven to; 'introduceiher sister,, jMlss" ;; Gibso'n-Sjiiith. The affair-was. music,; arid bxquisito,.flower decorations, -Mrs Find: ,lay is herself a : brilliant musician, and played some pieces with fine expression and oxecuti'on, and'songs were given '. iby ; iMisßiEpsiilaßuokmun;. whose lively voico ovbkedr-much admiration,-, indeed, ; an, encore of Mr' Alfred Hill's ,Poi song on., Tho,table decoration . waß."oxtrcmcly beautiful, long strands of wido peach-tinted satin., ribbon, ' wired_' to ■ give'it-tho curving : linos, reaching from gnsalier to tho corners .of .the table. Tho'ribbon was veiled ," .with' iraihvof.smiilax, and a- great : was suspended from : .the cluster of: lights; On the .tnblo, in low silver vases, were arranged violets,- Treeßiasj. arid maiivo anemones, The'-hostess.-looked remarkably'■' handsome in a water-cress green silk with nppMquos of Irish point, and Miss Gibson-Smith wore a charming white voile frock with lace and silk trimmings.

Another'tea of the week was given by.'.'Mrs .Jacob: Josoph, manytintcd nnCmoiios, being, used for tho rooms rind'tea tables,;and music being supplied by a very fino pianola. Mrs. Joseph's ;]ovoly black crepo do chine had.velvot embroideries touched with gold|,Miss Joseph wore black filot net and flace, and." Miss Elsie—whose marriage 'to,Mr Fred.. Nathan takes placo pale cropo de chine, .braided over, nirundor-blouso of lace. Farewell teas havo, been given for Miss Avis, Edwin,' whose marriage comes, off early- in. August. ■ .Miss Grace oho iof ..the hostesses for •Hiss Fxlwin.-androach guest brought a handkerchief as n contribution to the •trousseau,-.Ono girl-presented a very large handkerchief—man's size—and labuilecl,-it,'l ; J! , or..tho first cold." .It was set' side by sido with ono of thoso ridiculous, dainty; trifies,. nbottt • four . inqlies. liica and- embroidery -that girls stick inside their glove, and that can only afford to tho owirer a-moral', support.

■ ,Tho Star. Boating Club ball was the dance of the week, and a most cujoyablo one, an addition to the ordinary partners being furnished by a contingent of officers from tho warship Encountor, now in tho harbor. i-Tlic Makeshift Parliament.-

Ou the- whole this lias turned out» great deal mora convenient unci'coinfovtablo than was ut tot imagined, and ■gradually jnoro and mow luxuries are being ddciecl. l''or instance, within the lust few days the whole of the wnll at.the back of the Speaker has been draped with regal red hangings, unci an imposing canopy of carved wood has bejii erected'ubovo his (Guinness') head. Stationary racks, calendars,- waste-paper baskets, have •ucen supplied, and now tho members nre to hnvo desks that fold down when not required, iixed to the back 01 each chair, somewhat' in the way : that school desks aro arranged. Members apparently am getting all tlioy ask for, so anxious is the Government to quieten any querulous complaints. Ot course, there are still grave drawbacks, not tho loust being tho long iron tube bridge, which during this freezing wenthor, is like nothing so much as a refrigerating chamber, spells pneumonia and pleursy for clolicato chests coming straight from tho heated Chamber. But how much worse it would have been this hist fortiight had this not been erected, Gradually the women are beginning to "lpar in the 'Ladies' Gallery, to wnich ontrance. now may be obtained by tickets' from tho Speaker, On Fri-day-evening quite a number were there I listening to.tho financial debate, and in the adjoining " Peeresses' Gallerv " were Lady Ward, charming in a soft black- frock with a white lace underblouse, Miss Ward, and Mrs Findlay. Our new quarters are embarassingly closo to members, and one can catcli asides or watch expressions with tho greatest ease. Indeed, I saw a member hold a brief colloquy with his wife across tho railing the other evening, and it is quaint to find men bowing, and smiling to you from their places'in tho Chamber, One feels .so much & part of the House that awkward consequences are possible, and I covered myself With confusion by rising with the members when the Speaker announced " A messagu of Ins Excellency tho Governor!:" •]', caught the. waggisH, glaneo of an Auck-, land member, and sat down precipitately. -A Now Capital,- ;

•To the people of Wellington-wlio nrq apt to think thar city tho'lmb oi -New Zcalaiul—this seems a wild Hea, but no.loss-tluiii. twenty-seven men voted for the transference o[ ' tho political capital,- and Mr Laurensou emphatically tfeclarcd tliis was only' tiro beginning 0 f t h o movement, and more would yet be heard of it, Tho reasons given were that Wellington was too coiijjestod and in too exposed a situation in case of a naval attack' to be tho scat -of Government. Of course, there were various electioneermg speeches—indeed, a member' this session can- : hardly open his mouth without being-n'ecused of trying to get votes-nnd = many men treated the proposal with what Mr Tanner, vho'is' dopressingly-earnest, called '"idiotic j joculauty." Mr Berries was one of < those .who.suggested Rotorua-alrcady a Government township, with line ! grounds, electric light and plenty of water! The Lender of the Op.lnitio", while opp'osqT, to'.the" idea, declarcdd!/. any '■' change' was -'though jpMran)rtm),.frpm ita' .-uiiivfiie positioYi, was. nil ideal .sHe v :,.MfLauronson, who. was' quite warm over tho idea-said tho parish-pump politician and tho man,with'.the road board might vote against the proposal, but- hobeJived it ,was, only a -matter 0 f tiiho for it to ;bq accepted. ;' ■