SOCIETY ON DITS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXI, Issue XII, 17 September 1898, Page 378

SOCIETY ON DITS.

That Sir James and Lady Hector have issued a number of invitations for a conversazione to meet the Council of the Victoria University' College, Wellington, which is to be held at the Colonial Museum on September 14th. That Lord and Lady Ranfurly while in the Wanganui district, paid a visit to the Momohaki State Farm, where they' expressed themselves pleased with everything they saw. That lady Parliamentary correspondents are congratulating themselves that it was Mr Guiness and not Sir Maurice O’Rorke who was in the Speaker’s chair on a recent memorable occasion, for the redoubtable Sir Maurice apparently would not have affected the chivalrous Parliamentary' blindness of the former gentleman, since he declares he would have cleared the Ladies’ Gallery as well as the other galleries.

That a nice little plot to rob sundry fowl houses and back yards during the performances of the ‘Pirates of Penzance,’ when all the residents of Picton would be in the Public Hall, has been discovered. The police will now be on the alert, not to mention the dogs, which will naturally be left in charge.

That in the opinion of Justice Conoily it is an absurd legal fiction that everyone knows the law, for even judges are not omniscient on the subject, and the general public are very much the reverse of omniscient.

That the Pakuranga Hounds, which met on Saturday at the Mangere Pound and went on to Ihumata, had some good runs and enjoyed a fair day’s sport.

That the talked of Picton Spinster’s Ball has collapsed. There were not a sufficient, number of unappropriated blessings left in the town to carry the affair through. That Messrs Hunter and Nolan, the well-known Auckland auctioneers, are making extensive additions for the storage of wool to their premises, and that Mr Arthur P. Wilson is the architect, under whom Messrs Cole ami Moody, builders, are carrying out the work.

That the needs of the new Children’s Hospital are evidently well borne in mind by the Auckland public, for two more societies—the Auckland ami Ponisonby Lodges of Druids—have each generously sulieerilted to the endowment of a cot in the Hospital.

That the suggestion made by' the Rev. Mr Oliver at a recent meeting of the Dunedin Acclimatisation Society seems well worth a practical test. The suggestion was to cross salmon with trout, and then work back again

to the pure breed, which might probably still retain the instinct of the trout to return to the river after going down to the sea, the lack of which instiniet in the aaJmnn has hitherto made it so difficult to stock New Zealand rivers with that fine fish.

That the members of the Opposition are adopting new tactics in their endeavours to comjiel the Government to show the House how the money supplies which it is called on to pass is to be spent, and are dividing themselves into three sections, or watches, which each takes its turn of being ‘on duty’ in the House while the others rest, so that they may possibly be able to tire out the Government members, who are forced to always remain twenty strong on the premises to avoid a count out of the House.

That Mrs Parker, of Wai mate, who is at present staying in Wellington, has had congratulations profusely showered upon her during the last few days in. which we have known of the battle of Omdurman, for she is the sister of Sir Herbert Kitchener, Sirdar of the. Egyptian army, the winner of that glorious fight.

That the Fine Arts Committee of the Auckland Exhibition has very decisively made it known that they consider it a disgrace to the city' of Auckland that the proposal to establish an Art Gallery in. connection with the Exhibition should have been abandoned.

That Hospital Boards throughout the colony would greatly improve the condition of their finances if they' adopted what is being termed in the House ‘the West Coast touch.’ The West Coast method is to take donations from patients in lieu of payments, and the superior advantage to a hospital of this method is seen at once when it is stated that every £ 1 of subscription brings with it a Government subsidy of 245. If the Auckland Hospital Board followed this method it would get annually £3OOO more from the Government than it does at present. That. Mr F. J. Moss is to be called to the Upper House by way of making up to him for the loss of his post of British Resident at. Rarotonga. That the Patna Ranges. Taranaki, are at present the scene of a very energetic and sanguine search for gold.'

That the juvenile ball to be given to-night by the Mayor of Christchurch and Mrs Louisson will be largely attended and is sure to be a brilliant and happy scene. That Miss Coates, of Wellington, has issued invitations for a. dance in the Sydney-street Schoolroom for the 15th September.

That the last of the series of Reunions given in Wellington by Miss Hardy-Johnston takes place at the Sydney-street Schoolroom on the Bth. Miss Hardy-Johnston leaves for Christchurch next month.

That the Waikato Hounds proceed to Tauranga. for three weeks, when they' will be hunted a good many times.

That, it would be (intieresting to know whether it is owing to a peculiarly' high moral condition in the population of Wanganui or to a want of vigilance and energy on the part of the police force there that the police cells in that town have been tenant less for almost a month.

That it is possible in consequence of the block of business in the House that the Auckland Electric Lighting Bill may not come up for its third reading this session. That Mrs Parker, of Waimate, New Zealand, sister of Sir Herbert Kitchener, the present hero of the Soudan, has a son in the Imperial service who bids fair to follow in his uncle’s footsteps, having already received two medals for bravery, although only 22.

That, the Wanganui Hospital has apparently been the recent scene of staff disensions which are not unfamiliar to other hospitals in the colony, and in consequence the matron and a nurse have resigned and several servants received their conge. That. Mr Pi rami has been bearing hard upon Westland, to which he declares we must go for our worst example in hospitals, as we had formerly' to go there to find the shocking anomaly of a prison which contained more warders than prisoners.

That the hunt of the season, which took place at Tauranga on Thursday, was a very great success.

That the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Institute of Journalists may be considered to have taken a fair and sensible view of the matter of the admission of lady journalists to the Press Gallery in the resolution it 'recently passed to the effect that while it re-affirmed the principle of the equality of the sexes as to employment and rate of pay, it recognises that the members of the Press Gallery and Mr Speaker, who are in a position to know the present, conditions of the gallery, aire the best judges as to the desirability of admitting women to the Press Gallery’ under existing circumstances.’ That a successful and enjoyable little concert was given at the Foresters’ Hall, Napier, recently in aid of the Congregational Sunday School Festival. Amongst the performers were Mrs Dodds, who gave a vocal solo, Mrs Ball, who played a pianoforte solo, Mr Hullet, who gave several selections on the violin, Mr W. H. Robinson, who, as well as conducting the choir in the Jubilee songs, contributed a vocal solo. Miss Carruth, Miss Milner, Mrs Hall, Mr McNaughton, Miss Cole, etc. That a very' marvellous tale comes from Arowhana, fifty miles from Gisborne, of a bushfeller having seen a strange animal corresponding, by its description, to the huge lizard called the kumi, of which the Maoris have seemingly’ reliable traditions. That Mr S. Adams, of Ponsonby', Auckland, has offered to give an orchestral concert during the Auckland Exhibition, and the Musical and Entertainment Committee has approved of his offer.

That Judge Denniston returns tomorrow to Christchurch from an official visit to the West Coast.

That Misses Hatherly and Dampier alre expected back in Christchurch from Dunedin on Monday next, when they proceed the same evening to Wellington. That Mr Maughan Barnett, of Wellington, is giving an organ recital in the Cathedral, Christchurch, on Friday' evening. That Mrs Osmond, of Ponsonby, is to arrange a maypole dance for the Auckland Exhibition.