WELLINGTON NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 90, 18 April 1893, Page 5

WELLINGTON NOTES.

THE OTAGO CE.NT*AL.

A BOUNTIFUL HARDEST.

THE PREMIER'S HEALTH.

(BY TELEGRAM. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Wellington, this day. The harvest in Southland bas been of an unusually bountiful character this year. The Under-Secretary for Works, who has just returned from a trip through the district, says the demands on the railway facilities "were with difficulty met. B»»I----way officials had more than they could well do in providing accommodation for haulage and storage of grain, and this notwithstanding extra trains being run to meet traffic. In returning from Invercargill, ho says, passengers on the trains were obliged to take a half-hour's stroll while the locomotive was sent on to assist in bringing up another heavily-laden train. The goods-shedß wero full, and immense stacks were builb ab various places in the vicinity of the stations, and covered with tarpaulins. All the dairy factories, also, are full of business. Owing to recenb high winds, the harvest in Canterbury was not up to the average. The same also may be said of Oamaru district, where the harvest is light, bub the produce is of a superior quality. The Otago Central terminus is at Middleinarch, and already there is considerable traffic between Dunedin and that place, so much so that the Commiseioners are now making provision for a further train service. Uiddlemarch is situated at the southern extremity of the Strath Taieri plain, and from thence to Hyde a further section of 16 miles is now under construction. Twelve miles beyond Hyde the Maniototo plains would be tapped. This area of excellent pastoral and agricultural country is all locked up just now owing to want of rails, or roada, the former being 30 miles away, while the roads are merely tracks of a primitive description. The railway between Hyde and Middleinarch is being rapidly pushed on by co-operative labour. The greater part of the formation and tha masonry for the bridges are finished, and in three months rails will be laid. The Premier was out on a trip round tha harbour to-day with the Minister for Lands. The weather, unfortunately, was not fine at the time, but Mr Ballance enjoyed the excursion, and is evidently fast regaining health and strength. The new ft.M. took his Beab on the Bench for the first time to-day. As it happened no less than eleven dnrnks wero brought; beforo him. He was informed, however, that so inebriate .a state of things was nob chronic in the city, but, on the contrary, quite unusual.