LOCAL GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17459, 1 May 1920, Page 1 (Supplement)

LOCAL GOSSIP.

* 81 MERCTTIO. Who would bo a Prince? According to the fairy story books of our youth the world ouf.ht to be full oi' cand'dates, but looking soberly at tho proceedings of the past week many of us might shirk the It lias its temptations certainly, for it gives one a chance to conquer as fur visiting Prince conquered Auckland, but for that one would need the charm of manner which is not to be acquired by a course at the correspondence school. Besides, the opportunities of it are no more obvious than the work and the worry involved. Take Prince Edward's week-end in Auckland. Everybody wanted him to he quite at his ease, and all combined to rin just the kind of thing which made it difficult for him to feel comfortable, or u> appear natural. It takes a hardened poliucian to stand at ease on a public platform with all eyes focused upon him, and even the toughest of politicians would break down and make an unconscionable m-t of himself if subjected to a tithe of the attention and admiration which was lavished -upon the Princo of Wales. Handshakin- by the thousand is an ntuea!, hut a Prince must not only have wrists of iron, he must be made of stuff mentally and physically to stand the programmes that are planned and carried out for him. However, it can be done. We have seen it accomplished to perfection, but one cannot help wondering whether the Prince does ml occasionally sigh for a quiet day on the Renown, well out at sea, ist to break th" monotony of it. all

Deficiencies in connection with the Town Hail that have hardly been noticed before were very plainly revealed 'to the large number of citizens who attended the reception to the Prince of Wales on Mon- ■ lay. There were about 3000 guests, all . leaked and umbre'.la-eri against the even.tic's heavy rain and, owing to the situation of the cloak room in relation to the hall, there was a Tiost uncomfortable crowding in the vestibule. Even if the main entrance from Queen Street had been open, there would still have been a similar crossing of the lines of people entering from the street with those proceeding from the cloak rooms to the reception hall. "Hie difficulty was not due to any fault in the evening's arrangements, but to the Hesigr of that part, of the building. Since the city will no doubt have the honour of entertaining other distinguished guests, the necessary alterations should be made without delay.

One striking feature of the visit was it* effect upon the theoretical republicans vhom one meets every now and again. The nevs that the Prince was coming made them talkative and argumentative. They were airing their views very freely. With no personal feeling against any Royal person they were asserting very emphatically that Kings are no good to anybody, rnd" as a mark of consistency and adherence to their principles they were proclaiming an absolute lack of curiosity about the 1 rince, and announcing a fixed intention not to look at him but to stay at home and dig the garden. Somehow the propaganda tell rather flat. On Saturday those among the republicans 'who had not melted were fueling rather lonely with their theories md the.r spades. On" Sunday most of them met tbo Prince by accident, and of the remaining half-dozen three chanced to be in the vicinity of the Domain on Monday morning and tie other three went to the races in the afternoon because they fancied a horse. There are stories •>oing round concerning convinced republicans who lifted their hats and otherwise paid their respects to the ] Frince, and there are a good many men about prepared to admit that there may lie more in the monarchicoi form of government than they thought last week. If the Frince makes as many friends in the South as he made in Auckland we ought to catch the last republican and put him in the museum.

Those who contend that our monarchical svstem of government is not democratic Blight profitably meditate upon an incident in connection with the formal reception of the Prince of Wales in Auckland. Sone one ruled that the Government's address must be presented at Government lipase, and as this ceremony had to precede the Harbour Board's welcome, it was jssary for the Prince to drive to the vice-regal domain and afterwards return ♦o the wharf. According to red-tape rep:i itions, this journey was not official, an i the route was not announced. If this ws.s the correct visw, the Prince should have been transported in a closed car, or kent his eves shut. Instead, he ignored the br'ach of] decorum on the part, of hundreds of people who lined Anza<- Avenue and Waterloo Quadrant and acknowledged their greetings as cordially as those from the crowds in Queen Street. It was really a singularly stupid business to make a secret of this route, for it would have easily accommodated thousands qi people, and "correspondingly relieved the crush in the main street.

The cessation of our railway service through a strike by the employees is a new experience for the present generation. There has not been a railway strike in New Zealand for 30 years, and even then it wa« only a sectional stoppage, incidental in the great maritime strike of 1890. The Wharf Labourers' Unions were on strike, and raiiwaymen at Westport and Lyttelton were instructed to do work outside their ordinary duties, but connected with the M'.lwav'j. On August 29 nearly the whole Staff of the Weslport railway struck work, and on September 2 traffic and permanent i'.v.- men at I.utelton to the number of &' '.i:>o refused to handle goods. There ■I •- a creat deal of excitement and some ta k ' f a general strike o{ railwaymen, hut . ■ tn-.ng n.w was dune. Th.- 'tiikers and fm.r member? of the association's executive were di-nnssod from the service, the commissioners, who then managed the svstem. refusing to discuss requests for their reinstatement.

The Dominion Museum is becoming in' re I and more acgreffne. The other day it j challenged the light of the Auckland Mm | srum 10 a, flovernmpnt grant : now i; '"'■' ' risked .1 quarrel with the British Museum. , 1 ■ the course of a lifetime the late M«j"i I'.r'iuii gathered a fine collection i.f N'e.v - J'.caiand insects. Ry his will hp left ('art . as. a bequest to the British Museum a id ] nirected that part he fid. Then the ■ jxmir.ion Museum stepped ill and through li< Department of Internal Affairs it has ! ..r,:te<i the export of the collection. v.fA people mav agree, that it is regret | tah.e that such a" collection should go from *•<«• Zealand, hut few will bo found i t. .*ppi. of pi oh 1 bit 1111; the executors in i a «i.l 11 ,m '.ir, .1 ._' through the bequest <\ * i;. ■ eased person. In any rase the ] „j. r , , ~- 11 ■ f the Ma»ii Antiquities Ait ; i He .die Mijor Broun's insects is rather j .I. x. ••'..... But it mils the Dominion , Museum to .-top '. ie export. Kvidently. I '- ryi'.c i; that what i! cannot get fm '. \\e..iigw:i 'tall or.' go elsewhere. This; «..■ i:-'attittid. over the Amkland Musejm ; ftir.' ,-.,) r.v<r the t-• ■ lertion of insect > 1 1 i.iuf nrH "1 the Rr.t-fh Museum It is , a \er\ ;•!". o.vid I" lake, partrularh ! '.< : .-■' ■••• .-.. „ which has appropriated! „ '•:!•• . •-; dMn.- th.it ii represents ail the j peop:c . : New Zealand W'-.en is a fi"> a conflagration' 1 he. | flues' '•. vhi-h hi- puzzled many genera ■-.. ,-.! s.-h lbn\>, has at last received an I ~i.'r,. v' ,■ -;■ .11 swer. Tables relating to Ire ii.fi.m „ business in New Zealand 1,-.,, ',r, .psued hy the I ernnient Si •'!.::,■ < nfriie and in •ompilmg them lie- .= it'.' . _• ihie- 01 m.-.re ii.iihinigs are ili-emfd '• .':-\e been ■ niinVig'ations. The hnif i! ft met on is interesting; as far a- i! goes, but probably the average, man wi'l continue to call every spectacular fi'e a conflagration, irrespective of the damage | done. I