ROUND ABOUT WELLINGTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 3775, 20 July 1926, Page 34

ROUND ABOUT WELLINGTON.

By Pencarrow. (Specially Written for the Witness.) July 15 The first effect of the passing of the ’Summertime” Bill by the lower, house was the sudden bursting into bloom of a pohutukawa tree in Parliament gardens, musters of crimson blooms early in July are a most unusual occurrence. The only explanation given is that the tree must have overheard the debate last week, and has taken this way of signifying its entire approval. Will the pohutukawa really influence the Upper House when its deliberations include this measure? Municipal milk is one of Wellington’s own ventures. Hemmed in by hills, with farmlands scattered beyojid, the city’s milk supply for many years was a serious problem. Add to that, the conformation of the city, and difficulties of getting to the city’s hill-top homes in time for breakfast. Some years ago the municipality took over the whole scheme, and entered into an agreement with the nearby farm-, era for the supply of milk, which is pasteurised and bottled in the milk and duly delivered throughout the city. From time to time trouble arises between the nearby farmers and the Municipal Milk Department, but that is usually adjusted. The scheme works very well really, and the quality of the milk is kept to a high standard. In 1924 samples taken numbered 1740, yet only eight were found deficient in fat, and eight as being watered. In 1925, owing to the shortage of feed, cold and wet weather, there was a slight increase in adulteration. Ten were short of fat, and 23 had been watered. In 4>ne case, the milk supplied contained 80 per cent, of water. Girls are often heard to complain of the “paw maik” which so often mars the freshness of dance frocks, where the hot hand of a partner has lingered on that patch between the shoulders. At the Race Ball one enterprising young lady had her dress so constructed that a large scoop had been taken entirely out of the back of her frock where the partner’s hand usually rests. After all, not many girls have the back of an artist’s m. lei. before the drapery is folded up, and the flowers have faded, the Savage Club hold its annual Korero in the Town Hall two nignts after the Race Ball. The Gcvernorueneral was installed as Chief Savage, and after they had exhausted a merry vein of humour, and feasted wisely, they danced till Sunday morning put a period to their gaiety. Last year a group of Americans, travelling de luxe, arrived in New Zealand on the “Carinthia.’’ They touched at Auckland and Wellington, remaining three days “to learn the language.” In that three days it is estimated that they spent £20,000. Next year a more comprehensive tour has been arranged. The Franconia is expected to arrive about February, and she will spend some time cruising in New Zealand waters, visiting-Mil-ford Sound, and calling into several ports. This time Dunedin should share in the dollars that will be left behind.

Wellington Winter Show is in full swing. The city people have taken a fancy to this idea of staging what is generally a country fair. Hundreds plodged along in the rain and mud towards the wharves, an unusual site for carnival. But the chief items were housed in two of the harbour board’s sheds, while on a vacant section the merry-go-round, whip, and other dizzy trifles made you feel seasick at a shilling a trip. Under an oblique veil of rain, the hapmest crowd waited in Queues for a chance of a thrill. Nothin* dampened their enthusiasm. They climbed into the wet seats and sodden chairs, the machinery started, and with yells of delight and hugs of comfort they defied the wet, winter night to rob them of the joys of youth. The committee does not stress the educational value of this part of the show, nor the moral value of the roll-downs or their close relations. But it has reason to be proud of the drawing power of the exhibits within the halls. You were wedged into packed aisles between bacon and gramophones. A raucous-voiced youth howled about the beauties of the Wanganui River when set to music, and you got a picture thrown in when you bought the song. The bag wash firm demons trated how you merely stuffed all the

dirty linen into a bag and went to golf or bridge. You watched the clothes being put through the various processes on lines of splendid isolation in germ-proof tubs. Giant mangel-wurtzels have their place among the seeds, and every shop has a replica doing big business with goods you may buy every day on the quay. Now we know something more about this proposal - to bring the trams up Hill street. It is to be made a two-level road, the tramlines on a lower level, on the Parliament Buildings side. To enable this to be accom*plished, a slice of land will be taken from the Government, a supporting concrete wall built to keep the bank from slipping, and in return the City Council will Luild a dozen or more garages under this concrete wall, for the convenience of the Government. As the negotiations nroceed, the protest against this two-storey road is growing mightily. The first sod has not yet been turned. There are enough crazy roads in Wellington already, without adding to them in tnis way. His Excellency the Governor-General held an Investiture at Government House on Monday evening. Sir Alexander Roberts, who was Commissioner for New Zealand at Wembley, was knighted, his name having been included in the New Year Honours. Mr W. E. C. Reid, his assistant, received the C.B.E. After a spell of warm, calm weather, we have caught the tail of the southerly storm which played such a merry game with Auckland’s waterfront during last week-end. The keen wind and damp air have been finding out the weak spots, and a number of influenza patients, who thought they had recovered, are beginning to have doubts about it. In the long a*jo, someone with humane instincts, ahead of his time, decided that the prisoners should have the best site in the city, so they built the Mount Cook gaol, on a dominating eminence. It has never, 1 believe, been used as a prison, but is now the Mount Cook barracks. To mix one’s metaphors badly, it is a white elephant in dull red brick. What is to be dene with it? The construction was planned for a gaol, and is not easily convertible. For some time people have had an eye on this site for the memorial art gallery and museum, which is to be built by tiie Government, broadly speaking. The Wellington Memorial Committee, which has stood firmly for a silent, symbolic memorial, has £20,000 in hand, and will not budge an inch from its decision. It wants to build a cenotaph on the triangular patch of green in front of Parliament Buildings, or something of that kind. This committee opposed the project of a carillon, but Wellington showed what it could do when it really wanted a thing. The spade work was done by an. enthusiastic committee, and when the scheme of a carillon—a set of 49 bells—was launched, the whole of the bells were subscribed in less than a fortnight. Indeed, there were often several applications to supply the same bell. If some means could be devised of removing the barracks from Mount Cook, erecting the Government’s memorial museum and art gallery, with a campanile as a crowning victory tower, provided by the Memorial Committee, and the carillon housed in this tower—why, Wellington would have a memorial of which it miglit justly be proud. There is vet a chance that this may be accomplished if the divergent elements connected with it could be brought into harmony.