ROUND ABOUT WELLINGTON

Otago Witness, Issue 3765, 11 May 1926, Page 53

ROUND ABOUT WELLINGTON

By

Pencarrow.

(Specially Written for the Witness.) May 6. Twelve years ago—or nearly so—the distant" outposts of the Empire heard the news that the Great War had begun. We hoped and believed that the long years of agony would lead to a time of peace and goodwill, when the lion would lie down with the lamb, and all would be for country, and none for self. We dreamed our dreams. To-day Wellington, with the rest of tne world, hears the Motherland is “elore to civil war.” The general strike has begun. Britain’s public services are paralysed, and what will be the end of it, no man can tell. No doubt we shall still survive, but each fresh shock and strain must help to weaken a nation which ha*» never got back its full strength. There is to be no comfort and no peace. “Cheer up, Honey, you’ll soon be dead” —heard it said this morning—a selfish motto. Our present suffering would never seem unendurable if we could be sure that all would be well with those for whom we are responsible. So must it be with those who guide the destinies of the Empire, and who were placed in power by the expressed wish of the people. The ioad they bear is very heavy, and must be carried to the end. Those who would assist and sympathise can do it best by steadily keeping on. “Do your job cheerily.” That was the answer given years ago to a noncombatant who was fretting his nerves to fiddlestrings because he could not fi o ht. “Can’t I help?” “And how?” he had asked a great soldier. My present job is to give you the news. Well, Wellington is depressed, though the criminal list is the smallest on record, three cases only being set down for the Supreme Court. Our humorist, T. D. H., in the Dominion, reports a conversation between his friends, “Dr Bumpus” and “Major Fitzwise.” ‘‘Tt is a fine thing,” said the doctor, “to note this elevation in the moral tone of the community.” “Yes, indeed,” said Major Fitzwise, “but perhaps the police will do better for the next sessions, with the 18 constables back from the Dunedin Exhibition.” Tliis reminds me that some of the Wellington doctors are very angrv with the new Minister of Public Health, whose recent remarks about the B. M. A. and hospital administration have not found favour. The Hon. Mr Young looks the picture of robust health—which is fortunate. Personally, I like to be on very friendly terms with doctors—you never know when you will he wanting them—but this is not an altruistic point of view. The People, with a capital “P,” must he considered first. The doctors, who merely mend their nerves and patch their insides and attend to all their little aches and pains, doubtless like doing it—else, why would they be doctors? But Mrs Methusala says she thinks they are “good, unselfish men,” and should be consulted about hospital administration. This is the attitude of the Minister, but he, like so many patients, does not think it necessary to act on the advice when he gets it. ’Twas ever thus Miss Marv M'Lean, M.A., principal of Wellington Girls’ College, is retiring after 25 years’ service. The effects of her wonderful work can never estimated. The whole community will be glad to be associated with the movement initiated by the Mayor for the purpose of suitably expressing appreciation, gratitude, and admiration.

Miss Una Castle, M.A., one of the many distinguished pupils of Wellington College, has been awarded the University French Travelling Scholarship. She will be leaving for France in a few months’ time, and is at present teaching in Columba Girls’ College, Dunedin. We have had a good deal of heavy rain, but poor Napier is still sweltering. The dust there is thick, and the farmers are very anxious. The drought has been prolonged. There was rain last week at Woodville. but no further north. Things are anyhow. A well-known vessel on the East Coast is the Tangaroa, which for many years has run up and down Hawke’s Bay, between Wairoa and Napier. Not long ago she hit the Wairoa bar, and has been firmly stuck. There was great rejoicing when news was yesterday received that she had floated off without damage. The New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts (which is the local picture gallery) has seen fit to issue invitations for a “private view” on the 14th May—“ Canning night,” when a good many people will be anxious to see the graduates of the year receive their honours.

This evening at the Opera House the farewell performance will take place of J. C. Williamson s latst pantomime, “The New Aladdin,” which has been having a very successful run. The production -ia very bright and clever, including many excellent ballets and some special acts, including a clever turn by the Webbing girls. Altogether, the show is in every respect a great success, and well worth seeing.

On e of the attractions just now in the musical world is the Kendal] String Quartet, which is giving in the concert chamber of the Town Hall to-night the first of a series of four chamber music concerts. This quartet is now engaged upon a world tour, having come from London, via Ceylon and Java, where they appear to have been very successful. They recently appeared in Auckland, where Miss Kendall gave a very interesting address on modem music. At the present time in England, she said, there was a growing demand for good music, and since the war great strides had been made in that direction. England could no longer be described as an unmusical country. In the large towns the masses were given every opportunity of hearing good music, and iii the small towns, and even in the villages, excellent concerts were given from time to time. Music clubs were found in most of the towns, and through them people were given the privilege of hearing the best London artists at chamber concerts. Encouraging results are being obtained from the scheme inaugurated by the Sunday School Board of the Auckland Anglican Diocese for the purpose of supplying instruction by correspondence to children in the back-blocks country districts, and already over 200 children are obtaining this tuition. One of the features of the scheme is that it brings into the lives of children an influence welcomed by all Christian mothers which would otherwise be difficult to obtain. One family receiving lessons lives 25 miles from the nearest place of worship. On Wednesday we benighted residents of the “Windy Wellington” so familiar to Aucklanders read our papers with eyes wide open with surprise. The reason was that after a peaceful night we found that our neighbouring Sleepy Hollow, Nelson, had been struck by a tornado—that bicycles had been travelling 30 yards in the air; fowl houses leaping fences with adjoining properties —pieces of timber flying through bedroom windows, and verandah |x>sts broken off at the roots. “Ts things what they seem, or is wisions about?”