WELLINGTON NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 243, 13 October 1902, Page 3

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, this day.

NEW ZEALAND LOANS.

An important declaration fell from the lips of Sir Joseph Ward in the course of his speech at the formal opening- of the Blenheim-Seddon railway, with reference to raising of loans in Great Britain. The ActingPremier said the colony was not now in the position of having to pledge its credit in the English money market except upon the best terms. The day had long gone by when they were required to give more than 3 per cent., and with the magnificent assets which the colony had behind it they were entitled to get money when they went to the English market at 3 per cent. There was a time in the history of the colony, many years ago, when loans were raised at 5 •per cent, and 4 per cent., but those days had happily gone by. Fox the money raised in the colony itself they could afford to give a higher rate than for loans raised in the Old Country. THE ACTING-PREMIER. On Thursday next at Wanganui the Acting-Premier will officiate at the ceremony in connection with the opening of the new post office. He will reach Wanganui on Wednesday, and on that evening will distribute the certificates won by local candidates in the Trinity College musical examinations. At noon on Thursday Sir Joseph will lunch with the Mayor and borough councillors. ARBITRATION COURT. Carpenters and joiners are complaining bitterly of the delays in connection with the Arbitration Court. At the recent meeting of the Carpenters' Association members emphasised the desirability of keeping Judge Cooper to Arbitration Court work only, so that vexatious delays might be avoided. A motion was unanimously passed that the ActingPremier should be waited on in order to point out to him that friction and discontent were caused by the delays in tb.c Arbitration Court work. An urgent appeal is to be made to nonunionists to help in the coming contest with the employers before the Arbitration Court. The Carpenters' and Joiners' Association expect that the case will be a hard one to fight, and whatever benefits resulted outsiders would have the advantage equally with unionists. There are about 700 carpenters and joiners in the city, and the union's roll totals only 150. CO-OPERATIVE WORKS. During last month 2546 artisans and labourers were employed on the co-operative works in; the colony, and of these 180 were artlzans. Of 1317 men employed by Public Works Department, 543 were engaged on the North Island Main Trunk works, 137 on the Blenheim-Waipara line, 117 on the Midland, and 136 on the Otag-o Central. The Department of Roads employed 199 men in the Auckland district, 100 at Te Kuiti, 56 at Rotorua, 102 in Hawke's Bay, 74 in Turanaki, 201 in Wanganui, and 257 in Wellington. SOUTH AFRICA.

Although there is no demand -whatever in South Africa for men of the labouring class, it -would appear from a statement made at last meeting- of the Wellington Master Builders' Association that there are good openings in that country for expert artizans. The meeting was informed by an employer present that the other day a Wellington man hud been offered a situation as foreman builder in Johannesburg at a. salary of £9 a week, but had received a cable message from a friend who had settled in Transvaal recommending him not to accept the offer, as he could command a salary of £20 weekly for his services. EXPORT OF PRODUCE. According to a return furnished by the Agricultural Department, the value of butter exported from New Zealand during the six months ended 30th September was £337,221, as against £182,848 in the corresponding period last year. The value of the other items of produce exported in the past six months is as follows, the figures for the same period in 1901 being given in brackets:—Cheese, £ 63,730 (£86,507). Frozen beef, £202,192 (£121,447). Frozen mutton, Carcases, £707,479 (£481,843); legs and pieces, £79.843 (£25,172). Frozen lamb, £559,019 (£527,395). From this it will be seen there was a substantial increase in all branches except that of cheese, which showed a falling-off. Butter advanced to £22,591, frozen beef to £21,843, an increase of £0000; frozen mutton (carcases) l-ose to £102.166, an increase of nearly twenty thousand. LEVIN STATE FARM. Last jrear the Levin State Farm sold butter-fat to the Wellington Fresh Food and Ice Company, which brought in about £800. A tender has been accepted for butter-fat from the farm for the next twelve months at an advanced price on that of Last year.