ROUND ABOUT WELLINGTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 3888, 18 September 1928, Page 51

ROUND ABOUT WELLINGTON.

By

Pencarrow.

(Special for the Otago Witness.) September 12. As all the world knows, the Southern Cross passed over Wellington en route for Christchurch yesterday morning. Our children’s children will hear the tale, and I rather fancy it will lose nothing in the telling, for we of this generation have seen ■with our own eyes something no man has seen before —an aeroplane ■which crossed the Tasman between the evening of one day and the morning of the next. The old Maheno left Sydney on the previous Friday, and had just come into port when the roaring of an aeroplane’s engines were plainly heard by all sorts and kinds of people. Kingsford-Smith and his companions had been in our minds all night, dreaming and waking, but we expected no irews till later in the day, and few realised immediately that here was a dream come,true.

There was no overture. The morning was grey and dull. The world was about its usual business. Early risers had no special object in view. Women were preparing breakfast —men unwillingly preparing to tear themselves from bed; outdoor workers with no special inducement to look upwards were merely starting their day, which gave no promise of being unusual. Then to the attentive spirit came a I pound. It grew in volume, and became a throbbing, then a roaring. At last speech broke. “ The areoplane, the areoplane. iShe has . come.” Through the long night she had come Speeding, and now was the journey nearly at its end. Almost before w r e had stopped surprising news came from Christchurch of her safe arrival there. All day long w r e thought and spoke of nothing else. “ They were early, so thought they would look in here ”; so we told each other happily and proudly, and we even found time! gently to commiserate with those who owned they had . not seen the plane. Their number grows less as the days go by —and, of course, those of us who heard the noise and thought it was a tram car can be counted in thousands. We are but human—and it was a human trait in the airmen which prompted them to pay us that unexpected call for which we shall we everlastingly grateful. * * * And now we can believe, mat spring is nearly -here. We can see the sunshine on the mountains to the north, and a deeper glory in the gorse which spreads across our rugged hills. The fragrance of the blooms in the florist’s windows makes us think of incense, and of old English churches where in the bygone days the people flocked for thanksgiving when great mariners came home from battling with the Spaniards. We can believe on days like this that “ God is in HiS heaven, and all’s well with the world.”

September 14. All eyes are on the weather here, for to-morrow Flight-commander KingsfordSmith and his companions are flying up from Christchurch, though not in the Southern CrosSj which is being reserved for the return trip across the Tasman. The arrival at Trentham Racecourse is timed for 40.30 a.m. Special trains will run out every 10 minutes from 9 o’clock, and every available motor, vehicle in the district will be on the road. Excitement here will be terrific, and the amount of work put through the office will be infinitesimal. The sky to-day is grey, but “ why not be optimistic,” as Mr Troup, our Mayor, inquired when addressing the newly-formed “ Optimists’ Club ” on the future of Wellington. Here is a man who practises what he preaches. His address is merelv an epitome of his gospel -of civic pride. I enclose part of it:—

“This club must succeed because it is formed of young men. The young man dreams his dreams; the old man sees his visions of the past. The young men look forward; old men back to days that are gone. Sometimes you have a young man whose whole outlook is one of pessimism. That is all wrong. The man who counts in the world today is the one who can convert his dreams into realities. The optimist is the man who sees the good in everything, and does his best to make his dreams living realities. The true optimist must be an intense worker. I want you to remember that when you turn your thoughts to the future of Wellington., I have lived here 40 years, and have witnessed its remarkable growth and development. I expected it to progress when a younger man, but many things have, happened in Wellington that I never dreamed of.” 4. * *

There is a movement afoot for providing an aviation base here. Part of tlie Lyall Bay reserve is suggested. It was just over here that the Southern Cross flew on Tuesday. Lyall Bay re-' sidents had a glorious view. The suburb is very up to date, with a wireless set to almost every other house —or so it seems. It is vacation .time, and the young things of the district proceeded to listen in immediately they lost sight of the great plane. They heard her arrive at Sockburn two hours later.

- Though we live in a country very far removed from the centre of drama and

art, -we are given other opportunities besides those promised by visiting com panies and individuals, for in Wellington we have always enthusiasts who keep abreast of the times and do their best to see that others are not left behind. The Repertory Theatre Company performs plays we should see in no other way. The “ Readers ” issue invitations to friends and acquaintances, who during the several months of the year are thus privileged to -hear modern plays well read. And now Miss Elizabeth Blake (Mrs* Natusch), recently returned from England, has collected a company which is called “ The Players,” and last night she produced four one-act plays most successfully. They were by John Drinkwater, A. A. Milne, W. B. Yeats, and W. B. Cocker. The performance was given in the Masonic Hall, and has been most favourably criticised. It is to be repeated to-night, when a crowded house is prophesied. Her Excellency Lady Alice Fergusson and a party from Government House were present last night.