WELLINGTON ITEMS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9824, 25 July 1900, Page 8

WELLINGTON ITEMS.

[per press association.]

Wellington, This day. Steps have been taken to form a corps of military engineers here. Colonel Pole Penton has intimated that the services of such a corps would be accepted at once by the Government. Professor Easterfield and the Agricultural Department have been conducting experiments on the poisonous tutu plant with a view to obtaiuing compete knowledge of its properties. It is thought that such knowledge will be of value in medicine, and a sample of the drug has been forwarded to the University of St. Andrew's, Scotland. Valuable tannin extract can also be obtained from the bark of the tutu, and from the fact that the plant has been put to various uses by the Maoris there is a possibility of establishing an industry from its cultivation. The Papanui, from London, brought the stallion Phoebus Apollo for Mr T. Morrin, of Auckland, and. The Possible for Mr S. H. Gollan, of Napier ; also three blood mares for Mr Stead, Christchurch. The animals are to be forwarded to their respective destinations on the lapse of the usual quarantine period. A shipment of ducks for ihe Government poultry farms also came to hand. The Woimatc Times newspaper office was burned down this morning. Nothing was saved. The business was leased by Mr M. Smith, who had no insurance on the stock. He estimates his loss at \ £150. The building aud plant were insured, but the amounts are unknown. Incendiarism is suspected. A fire occurred at the same office three weeks ago ' .«______._-«».