WELLINGTON NEWS.

[FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, June 2. THE LATE ME LAHMANN. The Post says :— The news of the death I of the Hpn H. H. Lahmann will be received I with regret here, where he was well known. ! The deceased gentleman came to Dunedin I from Australia in the early days of the I Obago goldfields, and after being in busiI ness there tor a short time determined on I joining the rußh to the newly-dis-covered West Coaat fields. He was one •of the earliest to commence business in Greymouth, and ultimately fcecaine County Chairman of Westland, in which capacity he had the honour of receiving hia Excellency Sir George Bowen when Governor. Hokitika at that timo boasted of a Government House, which was occupied by the County Chairman for the time being, and Mr Lahmann's hospitality was rewarded by hiß being soon | after called to the Legislative Council, in I which he has ever since held a seat. The i deceased gentleman, who was a native of Germany, has for a long time past been in infirm health. Indeed for several years he has been almost blind, but he nevertheless attended regularly to his public duties, and took an intelligent though unobtrusive part in the proceedings of the Council. His family are grown up. LABOUR AND CAPITAL. Dr Grace settled the trouble with the Trades and Labour Council, who wanted concessions for the men, on Saturday afternoon in one act. His chief weapon was the freeuaeof the vernacular, with which he gave forcible expression to many houietrutha. From the time that he said "There's nothing in the property; I'll toss you for the lot," to the end of the interview, he simply carried the deputation with him. The Trades and Labour men, not knowing anything of the tram business, cut a remarkably sorry figure. The doctor airily, promptly, and remorselessly exploded their arguments, rode over their j theories, crushed aside their requestß as absolutely untenable. He persuaded them that you can't get grain out of an empty sack, and promised that when tho sack was fuller the proprietora would give the men a share. The interview terminated in the most amicable manner. Doctor Grace was more than successful, for ho went further in a very suggestive direction than anyone has dreamed of. In fact, I doubt if anyone has thought of such a thing hitherto. He appealed to the men to help the proprietors in the matter of circumventing the hard cases who cheat the conductors out of their fare, and he talked much to them about the unfair opposition to which the Company is subjected. There is in this a hint of the kind of alliance that we may one day see between labour and capital. Capital appealing to labour in the midst of agitation to help it against malpractice and cut-throat opposition is a new idea now, and requires the boldest to work it out ; but in this way will capital pluck the flower safety from the nettle Ganger. It ia better than getting into a panic aud inveighing against the "outrageous demands of the pampered working man."