ROUND ABOUT WELLINGTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 3672, 29 July 1924, Page 30

ROUND ABOUT WELLINGTON.

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PENCARROW.

(Specially written for the Otago Witness.) July 24. Why do wo live in cities when the rest of the world is so fair? And now where can it seem more fair than from the top of Mt. Victoria on a sunny winter's day. Being in need of an uplift, we took ourselves and our worries to the signal station last Saturday morning, and long before we reached the summit, we were smiling at their unimportance. In the blue waters of the harbour the ships lay at anchor. So calm was the sea that the reflection of Somes Island was picturesquely vivid. Away to the north the suowelad Rimutakas gleamed in “the central blue,'' adding grandeur and dignity to a scene which an admiral recently described as the most beautiful be had come across in his travels. I he ranges behind the Day's Bay hills were touched with snow. Southwards, the high hills which go down to the sea made a fine background for the suburb of Island Bav which on this morning basked 111 sunshine. Wellington, at our feet, seemed a city beautiful. . The psalmist knew what he was doing when lie lifted his eyes to the mountains. Up there it is possible to got outside oneself, and things look different from another point of view. At the top of Mt. Victoria is a cannon, dragged up years ago for the purpose of telling the time once a week to the little town Which has since become a city. In the ’seventies the gun was fired at 12 o'clock on Saturdays—so one of these oldest inhabitants tells us. 011 this Saturday a little dog was seated on the gun, and his little master was assisting him to look at the view through a pair of opera glasses. (Needless to say, we had forgotten to take a camera.) On the way down to Oriental Bay through Rose-

neath, we passed the church, which 110 one, coming to Wellington by sea, fails to observe, for it stands 011 the very edge of the cliff, and is a striking feature 011 the landscape. It is a beautiful little church outside, and within “a dim religions light’’ invites the wayfarer to rest awhile. That afternoon a record crowd went to the Basin Reserve to see the Soccer match between the Chinese University men and our own team. A lad who was there sends you this little description of the game : —“The day being perfect, Wellington winning the toss gained some slight advantage by setting the visitors to play with the sun in their eyes. Notwithstanding this, they started with great determination, pressed the home team closely, and were within an ace of scoring in the first three minutes. After this, however, the play was very even, though in the cases of six or eight players not of a very high order. The Chinese are active and fast, but were rather deficient in passing—the result, no doubt, of the fact that they have not yet played together very often. Experts are of opinion that after a few more matches, they will be hard to beat. The southern (Chinese) end of the ground was damp, and the visitors seemed to tire on the heavy ground more than the home team, indicating that want of training is responsible for their defeat by four goals to one. Their goal-keeper played a brilliant game, and repeatedly saved the side. But at one stage, where they accidentally had to submit to a penalty kick close to and in front of their own goal, experienced players noted that the Wellington man, kicking, did not try very hard. The public was impartial, and as the defeated team left the ground they were most heartily cheered. It is pleasant to learn that the association has offered its own coach to the Chinese, whose tour will prove very much more interesting in consequence. Flags at the half-mast on Sunday meant that some public man had died, but not till Monday morning did the general public discover that Sir Walter Buchanan had passed away. "He has died as he lived,” said the Prime Minister, “in harness, doing what he believed to be his duty to the very last.” And how can man die better? To live as he did to a ripe old age, and to die before the powers have begun to fail, and to pass so easily and so quickly across the Great Divide — this indeed is best, and though the Dominion, and indeed the Empire, has lost in this great man a true and loyal friend, those who loved him can hut rejoice that he was not called upon to suffer a long illness when the call came for him to go. More trouble in the old Hutt road, and the bitumen surface buckled up over a space of 150 square yards by the bursting of the 24iu water main in the early hours of Tuesday morning. However, the "I told you so's” cannot crow too loud, for the bitumen covering has proved itself a very fine thing. When the internal arrangements have been put to rights the covering will go down again quite whole, and in a few weeks the joins will hardly be noticeable. We are getting quite used to this water difficulty. The old main is rusty. We only hope it will hold out till the new scheme is completed, which will he very soon. Water was soon supplied from one of the other mains on Tuesday, but not before the City Engineer’s office had been called up by a good many harassed housewives, who seemed to regard the upset as a personal insult. We must admit that getting up in the morning without a hath is rather a trial. The alternative is to boil iu a hot bath and run the risk of bursting the boiler. Can anyone explain why architects rarely provide rain water tanks for emergency purposes in towns? It would be interesting to know how many Wellington houses can use rain water when the supply is cut off from the main. Canon James, preaching iu Auckland last Saturday night, suggested that the colourless adjective “secular” should be dropped from the battle cry of the National Schools’ Defence League, and the word “Godless - ’ substituted for it. What, then, will be the stand taken by members who last week opposed Mr Isitt’s Bill, which was to provide a daily opportunity for the children of this Dominion to hear a chapter of the Bible? The debate iu the House, furnished the community with a topic of conversation, and there are people in Wellington who believe Mr Isitt will get his Bill through when he introduces it again next year. Measles, burglars, and drapery sales are epidemic. If people would only use proper care, measles would not spread so quickly, but if the wretched spots don’t turn up on the first day, some people avoid looking for them, and the damage is done. We heard of a lady yesterday whose son looked suspicious. She put him to bed, and a kind friend borrowed the daughter. No spots appearing, the daughter was brought home the next evening, and went to school next day. She returned home that night to find her brother looking like a lobster. A snowball grows no faster than measles spread. Burglars, though eveu more horrid, arc not caught so easily. The brute who cruelly battered Victoria College's elderly custodian last week, is still at large. Students would give him what he deserves if the police would hand him over —when he is caught. The poor old man, who had been over to College 011 duty, had returned alone to his home, and was lighting the fire for his wife, who was to follow in a few minutes, when he heard a noise upstairs. ITuekily he went to see what was happening, and the burglar, who had evidently intended to steal the takings from the College tea rooms later on, immediately attacked him and very nearly killed him. He was very much knocked about, and may be laid up for some con-

sideVable time. The students are quite ready to supply lurid details, and the tale is a dreadful one. The injured mail's wife received telegrams of sympathy from exstudents all over the Dominion, so it seems probable that the story reached Dunedin days ago. Winter sales are all the rage in the shops, which are advertising “alarming sacrifices,” etc. Spring hats for the ladies are already to be seen in the windows, but spring is still a-long way off. Lord Jellicoe is beginning to make liis farewells in the Dominion, where he lias made so many friends. He opened the 23rd annual conference of the Farmers’ Union 011 Tuesday, and said a few kind words which will never be forgotten by those who were present. It is very evident that lie likes country life, and is interested in everything which affects New Zealand. He told the farmers that Flock House will be a constant interest to him in England, and that he intends to tell people at Home that boys sent out will receive an excellent training, and will be in good hands. With his kindly interest in England, the Flock House scheme will become more widely known, and many mothers, who naturally dread the thought of parting with young sons, may feel happier about the prospects, and may plan to follow in a few years’ time.