WELLINGTON NOTES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11510, 17 February 1903, Page 8

WELLINGTON NOTES.

IMPORTANT CURATIVE BATHS.

A COWARDLY ASSAULT.

(specxai; TO "the tress.") WELLINGTON, February 16.

The Government has decided to call tenders for the erection of the new baths at Rotorua. The new baths are to be entirely curative, and they will be as fine> a system of curative baths as con be found anywhere in the world. Indeed, they will probably be superior to anything of the kind in existence, * because the variety of curative waters obtainable at Rotorua is greater than is found at any of the Old World Spas. The work is a very important one, as may be guessed from the cost of the baths, which will probably run into from fifteen to twenty thousand pounds. The residents of the Terrace, one of the quietest and most respectable streets in Wellington, were rudely awakened at an early hour on Sunday morning oy the cries of a man who was being brutally assaulted, and apparently also being robbed Oy three other men. Two or three windows "in the vicinity were thrown up, ana the robbers decamped before they could be caught or tlie police summoned. When disturbed one of the three assailants was battering the victim's head witn a stone. This made tlie man almost unconscious, and he had to receive medical attention. His pockets were turned out, and his watch chain was broken, though the watch still remained in his vest pocket.

Mr Ronayne, the general manager of railways, who is a fine swimmer, and whose sons take after the father in this respect, was judging a race at some swimming sports hero on Saturday, when he suddenly slipped and fell into the water. As he was in liis ordinary clothes the incident caused much merriment. Mr Ronayne, however, seemed to enjoy the joke as much as anyone, for he disported himself in the water for nearly an hour until a change of clothes could be procured for him. He even ventured upon the greasy pole. The changes recently announced to be made in the Post and Telegraph Service include the transfer of Mr F. H. Dodd from the Wellington office, where he has been stationed for seven years, to the charge of the station at Wakapuaka, Cable Bay- He leaves about the 24th inst. Mr 6. M. Hawke, at present in charge, returns to Wellington. Mr Dodd is well known in the South, where, as here, he commanded the respect and esteem of his brother officers, and of all with whom he came in contact.

Lieutenant-Colonel Webb, who succeeds Lieutenant-Colonel Newail, C.8., as officer in command of the Wellington Volunteer district, came up from Christchurch by the Rotoraahana yesterday. Large numbers of North Island sheep are being forwarded to Canterbury. Tlie Tarawera will take away 600 to-morrow, and a further line of 1300 was to have been shipped on Wednesday, but owing to a scarcity of trucks it is impossible to say when they will get away. A preliminary survey is to be made by the Government engineers of the Pioko Swamp, which lies between Thames and Miranda, and has an area of 100,000 acres.