ROUND ABOUT WELLINGTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 3671, 22 July 1924, Page 30

ROUND ABOUT WELLINGTON.

By Pencabeow. (Specially written foe the Otago Witness.) July 17. Auckland Zoo is paying its way. Ours is not. Yet we maintain that ours is the finer Zoo. In its grounds not long ago we met the weirdest little creature who was holding court with two or three children for audience. It seems it is his daily custom to wander there at will. For lions and tigers he shows a cold disdain, and mere birds he treats de haut en bas, except on Sundays when he retires to his own private place, seeming to know that on the Sabbath admission is free, and he simply cannot stand the vulgar crowd. He is a penguin, and his air of solemn calm is ludicrous. Ho condescends to shake a paw—or fin or flapper—or whatever the thing is called, but as a rule he merely stands, and seems as unconscious of one's presence as a Chinese mandarin pretends to be on certain occasions. The authorities are hoping soon to get an elephant. It and its cage will cost £7OO. Perhaps a certain suggestion concerning payment at the gates on Sundays is connected with this elephant. Talking ox elephants reminds us of that ancient story about the man who bought one, and was too poor to keep it, and too merciful to kill it, and yet unable to persuade anyone to accept it. Still. Newtown Zoo is a fairly large place, and the rest of the Park is adjacent. Why be pessimistic?—as the Terrace lady said to her husband when a very large wardrobe arrived at her very small house. She had bought it ot a sale, and blamed the architect when she found she could not get the thing through the door. AVTiat else is an architect for? Last night we wrote you a description of a marvellous process for softening water. This morning wc tore it up, for it sounded like one of these advertisements for Pink Pills or Vacuum Cleaners. Nevertheless we must tell something about it, so here goes. AVc went to stay with some friends in the country last week-end. AA r e go there often, and we know of only one drawback to the place, and that is tlie water, which is the hardest we have ever met, so hard that it would be absolutely impossible to wash clothes in it. Soap will not lather in it. Pipes are ruined by it, and one’s skin is not improved by it. We arrived tired and cold, and were presently offered a hot bath. Imagine our joy and surprise when we found ourselves in water which reminded us of the Rachel hath at Rotorua, all soft and smooth and

velvety. AYe discovered later that a water softener had been installed in the house, and all the lime and magnesia had been abstracted from the water without the addition of chemicals or the application of heat. AVe heard that a Wellington firm of engineers had recently sent over to America for information about the process, and that their representative had returned with the sole agency for New Zealand. AA T e also discovered that, though the softeners are a God-send in houses which depend on hard water, the real object of them is to save material, labour, and expense in factories, and that they are already in use in various factories all over New Zealand—including the Roslyn mills and tlio Oamaru Woollen factory. One laundry in America is saving half a ton of soap every month since it installed a softener. We prophesy that in less than a year’s time every factory in New Zealand will be fitted out with this contrivance, which in a few minutes works a kind of miracle.

We hear a good deal about the salmon in New Zealand these days, and the fishing in the South Island. It is rumoured that a scheme is on foot to establish salmon in Lake Rotorua, and that people who fish there don’t think much of the idea. In fact they strongly disapprove. Friends who have just reurned from California tell ns they heard over there that a salmon canning factory is to be started in New Zealand somewhere in the South Island. Where, how, or when they did not say. They tell us of such n factory in California, where, by means of a huge waterwheel, the fish are turned from the river into a canal. The poor little innocents swim down the canal into the factory, where they are dealt with expeditiously. Is the proposed South Island factory of the same kind? Last Saturday was most disappointing. Huge crowds went out to the races in spite of tlie unpromising skies, and no sooner had they arrived than the rain came down—and it did not cease all day. Though the early morning was comparatively warm, conditions changed during the day, and it was a very wet, cold crowd which the evening trains disgorged on to the platforms. The fields were very big and the sport good. There was one mishap in the first race, and the horse had later to be shot. After the Hack Steeplechase another horse, Kohu, dropped dead. Omaliu won the Steeplechase, which has been described as the most exciting and finest race ever yet seen at Trentham. The Club's stands, which are most comfortable and spacious, were well patronised during the day. Again those who hacked the favourites were disappointed.

The Winter Show has been an unqualified success, and will be repeated next year. Thousands visited it on Saturday, and the attendance this week has again been good. The show has been the means of demonstrating to many thousands the possibilities which lie ahead for New Zealanders, and excellent work already accomplished. The stand illustrating the various processes in the manufacture of glass was an object lesson which was attended by thousands, and considerable interest is directed towards the factory in the South Island which in a short time hopes to turn out tumblers at 51d each, which is very much cheaper than any other tumblers now in the market out here. It is interesting to learn that all the ingredients used in the manufacture of glass—except soda —are found in abundance in the Dominion. AVhat about the N.Z. Court ac Wembley? By one mail wc received two letters from New Zealand friends. One said: “Our Court is top-hole. It makes you proud ‘to belong.’ Everybody is raving about the good old mutton, and they like the Maori hut and think it is marvellous. It is quite jolly taking people along and saying, ’Have you seen ours?’ etc.” The other letter says; ‘‘Our Court is a dud. I feci a bit peeved about it for I had done such a lot of talking, and we had expected so much. It is sort of dead. I am sure I could not have done it better myself, but thank goodness, I don’t have to do it. I don’t even know what is wrong. It just does not appeal. The Maori hut is gimcrack. It is partly because dear old Maoriland is such a longway off. Out there wc arc satisfied with ordinary tilings, and wc think we are rather wonderful till we get amongst other people and other things. Perhaps we aren’t so very wonderful after all. I don’t hold with false fronts to houses or anything of that kind, but I do believe it is the picture on the box which sells the chocolates, and perhaps that is what is wrong. The stuff is good, but it is not done up so thrillingly. Of course, all our mutton and wool and stodgy tilings”—

(ye gods!)—“are really what make us rich and famous, and they are well displayed. Everyone admits our wool looks better than anyone else’s—and they are all keen about our mutton. I think it is all too ‘worthy’—like New Zealand made boots and shoes, which keep the water out, of course—but look home made when they get to England.” Queer that two such different opinions should reach one person by the same mail. No. 1 goes on to chat about our railways, and says : “We growl about them in New Zealand, but I have come to the conclusion that they are really more wonderful than anything else in the country. Just think of our gorges and cliffs and mountains and rapid rivers—and I suppose that 40 years ago there was not a railway in the land.” As a matter of fact there were railways here in 1870 — nearly 50 miles of line, but all in the South Island. Nevertheless, wc think the progress of the whole Dominion is marvellous. In the year 1840 the first immigrants, brought out by the N.Z. Land Co., arrived at Port Nicholson in the good ship Aurora —exactly 84 years ago. AVe do progress, and wc are a fine country, and some day we shall be so

important that the New Zealand Exhibition held in New Zealand will attract exhibitors from all parts of the world. Meanwhile, we are still the infant of the Empire, and naturally-—being modern — we expect a great deal of notice. Well—it is the “stodgy” things like wool and mutton which has made us what we are —and stodgy stuff is a good foundation.

If we are not mistaken, this Mr Hal AA’illiams who is mentioned in the cables this week as the expert engineer in charge of the refrigeration in the N.Z. Court at AA’embley, is a grandson of Air James Busby, who, in the year 1820, was appointed first British resident for New Zealand.

The Chinese football team has arrived, and will play on Saturday afternoon. The men are ail from the Universities, and have had very little practice together. The City welcomed them last niglit—in the Town Hall—the Mayor doing the honour in proper style. Representative citizens were present, and the Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister for Education. The visitors were entertained by the Y.M.C.A. at luncheon yesterday, too. AVellingtou hopes to make their stay a happy one. Last night they were up at Victoria College, where they seemed interested in everything—including the beautiful library. Some of them looked in at the Free Discussion’s Club, where, curiously enough, a missionary from Japan was chatting with members of the Students’ Christian Union. It has already been suggested by tlie Chinese visitors that a return visit shall be paid to China before very long. AA’ellingtou women are very much occupied in good works. Their enthusiasm is remarkable, and their undertakings innumerable. The Mothers’ Help Division of the W.N.R. is one of the most useful of the various societies. It was started some years ago by Airs Coleridge (the bishop’s daughter) and a few other women who had long realised that many mothers in this country arc very much over-worked. Tlie Society administers funds which help to pay the salaries of six capable domestic workers, whose hours are those of business women, while their duties are a little of everything connected with the management of small homes. They cook, wash, sweep, dust, mend, look after children—in fact, they do everything which every mother lias to do in this country. People who can afford to pay the standard wage for day labour, pay it to tlie Society in return for service given. Others pay what they can. All classes of tlie community are assisted. Funds to help along tlie good work are raised by regular subscriptions, donations, entertainments, and sales. A jumble sale is being held this Saturday.

You will have heard that various members of Parliament are off to South Africa. They are to be guests of the South African branch of the Empire Parliamentary Association. They will be back before the House begins to put its nose to the grindstone.