WELLINGTON NOTES.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 8999, 11 January 1895, Page 5

WELLINGTON NOTES.

[from our correspondent.] WELLINGTON," January 10. The Premier's speech of. last evening has amply justified my expressed anticipations, since he went upon the " other tack" and definitely repudiated the magnificent possibilities and perils of the Rotorua speech. Whether, he had concluded that the con' «6itue;ncies fpoaid not consent to be debauched by those borrowed millions, or whether he had become conscious of an - unlooked for revolt nearer at hand is considered bat of little moment compared with the relief that is felt at the announcement of this, the latest recantation of the Premier. According to various published statements of late, some employers are regularly deduoting small sums from their workmen's wages for the purpose of insuring against risk under the' Employers' Liability Act. In response to my enquiries on the subject, the Minister for labour informs 'mc that, in his .opinion, the employera have no power to make any such levy without the consent of the workers. ■ Some of the employers, Mr Beeves thinks, may have misread sub-eection 7 of section 19 of the Truck Act of 1891, bub he is quite clear that it does not confer any such power aa is apparently being exercised by certain employers at the present time. The Mines Department has received the test of an important Engtish judgment by Mr Justice Romer whioh largely concerns the welfare' of mining ventures of this colony. It is in effeoc that in an action recently brought in London by the Oassella Gold Extraction Company against a rival Company to restrain the nse of' cyanide ot potasaiutn, because of the alleged patent rights therein being vested in the plaintiff Company, the Judge ruled that there could be no such rights, if'or the use of this chemical agent there is now charged a royalty of from five to seven shillings upon every ounce of bullion extracted, and the remission of this charge will, in the opinion of Mr Gordon, the Chief Inspector of Mines, make many mines payable that are at present uuworked. ' The Government have accepted a tender from the Kauri Timber Company of Auckland for 100,000 ft of seasoned kauri street blocks, which will be shipped by the steamer Mamari about the end of the month. The reason for the acceptance of this tender was because it was the only seasoned timber that was offered, excepting one other parcel, the price of -which was, I understand, prohibitory. The Awarnha blook will be thrown open to occupation on the 13th March next, when a strong tdemand is looked for. Suitable township areas'have been laid off in the district, and these will be offered for cash at the same time. '