Breezes from the Windy City.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2968, 4 August 1888, Page 2

Breezes from the Windy City.

(By Boreas).. Depression! depression 1 This is all the cry in Wellington iustnow. Every business man in town is more or less pouring into the ears of customers and passers-by. the woeful lamentation "hurl times." Some blame '• Protection," and others " Freetrade" for the existing state of things, hut my impression is that the whole affair, or a large proportion of it is a " business catch." There is.no doubt but that things generally are more flourishing in Melbourne than here, which may account for the fact that numbers of speculators are leaving for that city, but it is a most remarkable thing that for the last ten or fifteen years the people of Wellington have been sojourning in the wilderness of" depression," and have been raising oiie long intermittent groan of " hard times." Nor is it less remarkable to find that there are at the present titno dozens of buildings in course of erection, and business places being opened every weolt, I supposo the complaining will continue, for" as it was iu the beginning is now and ever shall be, etc." Speaking about depression reminds me that the skating rinks aro still the rage, and the proprietors are making a big " boom" out of the miniituro four-wheelers. How astonishing it is to find that so many hundreds of our half-starved community are "boots or no boots," regular visitors of the fascinating" Columbia." The latest addition to tlio city possessions is what is termed a "rubbish destructor." a piece of machinery which cost the ratepayers tlio modest sum of £2500. Soino considerable difficulty is being experienced by the Council in finding a suitable site for the erection of this valuable requisite, and it has not yet been decided which of the City Fathers shall be deputed to pay a testing visit to the interior of the machine. I fancy, however, tliat our indefatigable Cr P- is a hot favorite.

Mr Menteath asked tho Government yesterday if they would take the necessary steps for tho extending of the Wollington-Mastorton railway to Te Aro. Tliore is a widespread feeling existing iu favor of this suggestion which I have no doubt will beforo long be an accomplished fact, • Talk about wiud I Why, I fool that lam not sufficiently dovoloped in the bump of exaggeration to bo able to describe tho past fow weeks to your | readers with any fair amount of satisfaction, Could you just imagine you seo" Boreas," with umbrollaiu hand, perambulating steadily down Cubastreets, when he is suddenly met'with a south-easterly " gush," the terrible force of which transforms him into an immediate state of unconsciousness. On recovering he finds to his intense joy that he js in possession- of a firstclass walking stiok, with barbed wire attachment, and lie observes tho covering of his cranium floating gently in tho air towards Mount Cook, This has been the Uftter experience of your correspondent, When it ia going to stop a-blowin' is a mystery to me, but I suppose tliere will be an end to it when this terraqueous globe of ours is completely blown into the depths of oblivion, Not before!

'Not the least interesting portion of the business of the Education Board at its last meeting was the proposition of the "stars" of your little township that a sohool be ereoted at the north end, The discussion on the matter was so very lengthy that the various reporters'present had to the table of the Secretary at tbo olose of thp meeting to gather full details. (T!i?B9 were published verbatim in

j^r-.... your report of the proceedings). No , doubt as it was about the y.-\-affair was brought before the Board," tho members unconsciously caught ' the■: flavour of tho, vianck being; ; roasted at their private residences. Your correspondent - was accosted " in the stieet to-day by an old Masterton identity. Too Long, who desired to bo affectionately remembered to his many acquaintances up there. His parting words of comfort were," Mas-ton-people velly good, mo come, back I tmk,"