LOCAL GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15298, 10 May 1913, Page 1 (Supplement)

LOCAL GOSSIP.

h " . - ■■ •-• . . • ' pf- BY MEROUTIO. -• . v' - 1 . . ' : ■ ■■ ■ • ' :•;

; The weather has been against -us. After |v" months of exceptionally fair days, bright ekies, and pleasant nights we have been I' forced to offer to our guests a sample | of Auckland's weather at its worst. Yet p"even this worst has displayed'"glimpses -of !*•' Auckland's peculiar i charm, arid I hope | that when the " New Zealanders" return r in June, the.wintry weather will be something they can remember with • pleasure. K The parties which went to Eotorua have v been very fortunate. They have seen the | country at its best. To-day the great battleship steams away for the South, but her memory will always remain with the tons of thousands who have gone on board -while she lay in the Waitemata. Owing to the multitude of visitors comparatively little could be» seen by fl. • any individual, but it is consoling to know f.v, that everybody's knowledge of Dreadnoughts will increase with the years. Sixty years hence staid and respected grandparents will be settling all disputes as to the composition of Dreadnought ex- ; plosives, the location of reserve gtin-con-trol station, and the exact duties of an old-time "commander," ov advancing the crushing argument that they were board • a Dreadnought and saw it all. That is a phase of human nature which adds vastly to the pleasure of living. * ■ .Few.' things are less interesting than an - * ancient survival of past times who endeavours to be pedantically accurate. The man we love is the fine old gentloman who came out soon after the proclamation, and assures us that, of his own personal knowledge, cannibalism was never known in Kil New Zealand: and the woman we love is ; the dear old lady who has quite forgotten that she did not see Captain Cook, but. has only heard of him. Thus in the far ' future our babies-in-arms will all bo authorities upon Dreadnoughts, and mean- :. while they will have constantly at heart a vivid impression of what mean, and of the need for the Empire to have more of them than has any other nation.

As for our visitors, I; understand . that r' they are delighted and gratified with their C reception. They must say they are,' of "course, out of pure politeness, but, I think, .-/'; it may safely be said that in this case *. ■ expressions of ; satisfaction hardly . cover ; r the kindness of their feelings. 'Judging, by , r. the very evident willingness and eagerness of everybody connected with the New Zea\~land to give visitors to the ; ship an instructive and' enjoyable time they have - > been " made to realise that .•; every man, ■woman,, and child in the population aro a ; full of friendliness to them. " Their patience • has really been remarkable, although the 3::- sailor is naturally not ;as irritable "as most M men. As good Aucklanders, it is pleasing •# for us to know that they place their Waii ' temata visit -among the red-letter events • of their lives, but it is only fair to our i: fellow-citizens to • say that; every other ] v * place in the Dominion; would have been ? as glad to welcome the v New Zealand had ,' : . it been given : the opportunity. ~ v The rush to see the .battleship' has been. n- phenomenal So determined were country "people s tol come with the crowd and at the '■'-'■'. cheapest -possible rate that one'patriotic c, school committeeman ; was deputed to in3 uire of the railway' authorities as to the etails of the special school rates. "How- -..- many persohs-in-charge can come with each ':'■■'• child ?fl he ? demanded at the '? Auckland office. You mean how'mahy children can come with a person-in-charge," corrected - the sympathetic official "as many as you ■■• like in reason; we're not making trouble." When - it was explained ■ that h it:'was ';. adults per children per : " adult" that "was really meant, the sympa- . thetic official was bewildered. "Well, you :.-'■ see," he pointed out, "that' idea has never ,= . occurred to anybody. The regulations don't vfe cover it, but where'll we be if we put . on . Iso school trains and • find the whole population iA coming at nominal rates,; to look after the :/r kids?" Eventually it was agreed i that ": " one child one adult", might be regarded as a fair compromise.

l Streets -) and i pavements -in Auckland seem to ? many: of our visitors to be: laiddown for J no. other- purpose• than /to be ; torn' up again- In one -sense this :is, a J reproach" upon the city, but then there is another . side to ; ; the question. ' Our Southern friends - and other critics shouldrecollect that Auckland is a- progressive centre. r So great is the traffic.■'• in ';] the various thoroughfares that the road sur- | faces need constant attention, whilst new I styles of paving- are being adopted :here to replace the old. Wires which once I we we're content to place overhead we now /bury;? beneath the v pavements. (; The .. growth in the j number; of consumers of electricity, gas, 'and water, and : the ever"■"'■increasing requirements' of the. Tramway Company, are-all factors in the street and :-. footpath-destroying campaign that seems :j;torbe so ; everlastingly going on. Very ■■; shortly visitors to the city will find Queen ■Street itself -under * complete reconstrucl tion, due to the ; fact that the asphalt surface has been worn down _in a comparaaf lively few years to the minimum depth for utility. These holes in the roads, these obstructing piles of metal and hardwood .--'■ cubes, hiav temporarily ' disfigure the city - streets but they spell progress and enter- '•: prise all the same. "'By the time the Ext hibition opens there' will be many com- '■ pleted improvements where now, : all is % chaos and dirt. I Auckland. is merely putting her house in order. - - _ ' , -.' The doctor of a ship \which / recently reached Auckland is said to have posted up a notice " something to the following / effect:—"Passengers may : see ' the doctor between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. daily, Suni days excepted."/ This announcement H duly came under the notice of the cap- , J. tain, who promptly ordered it to be re- [ "moved, and had the following substituted: |> —"Passengers and members of the crew ~M requiring ;th services of the - doctor can ffsee him at any time, any day, Sundays in-; C-jcluded." - r /:/'?''•//-//;■ ' '

5 ; Parents accompanying children to the ! m New Zealand during her stay in Auck- ! S land have been charged the ordinary fare ;#of one shilling for passage by -" the ferry Hboat. Teachers r and; members of school K: committees, however, have been exempted ";K£?om payment, and thereby hangs a tale. ?< .'A Scotchman presented himself at the 11 gate . last .'Thursday, and, informing the I ticket-collector that ho was a parent, was about to pass ; through a. la "deadhead. The official at the gate: checked him. -"Procure a ticket please," he remarked firmly. "Do I no go free?" quoth the worthv Scot.. Receiving a negative reply ;|ihe wrathfully proceeded to the [ticket-box, |j returning presently provided with • the * necessary piece of pasteboard. . " Wull ■ye /be.satisfied noo," he exclaimed, handing the ticket to * the- collector, who - accepted ,it silently. Once through the gate the | irate visitor became declamatory. "There's .; gross mismanagement at :| this gate," he cried. "I was told by the• Government v that I would bo taken 'off free gratis, and ; now it's cost me a bob. Dang-it, mon, '!.' Jit's no fair.". The irony of it all is that \' not "only was the angry" Scotsman a parent | ,but he was also a member/, of a school ' committee.-. Had ho mentioned that fact ::: ; he;would not have had to part with his shilling. > ' -,'-''- -•'-'";-:',-—- ■->% c '"'"? : ;." One or two new names for Rotorua have been coined by the men from the gift battleship who have visited the Hot Lakes district. Amongst them is "Road to