GENERAL TELEGRAMS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 148, 19 December 1907, Page 2

GENERAL TELEGRAMS.

I [PRKSd ASSOCIATION.] WAGES OF LABOURERS. HOKITIKA, 18th December. i Strong disapproval was expressed at (ho I monthly meeting of the West-land County Council, held to-day, at tho Government's I refusal to increase labourcis' wages to 10s a day, tho sumo as was done by all local bodies on tho West Coast, consequent on the mci eased cost of living. During iho discussion, exception was takou to the Government constantly imposing hara«i>iug conditions on private employee, but refusing thomaelvos to pay tho current rato of ■wages. ; AUCKLAND HARBOUR. AUCKLAND, 18th December. Good progress has been iiiado during the pail, year with the programme of works iv connection with tho Auckland harbour improvement?, scheme. The works completed or in hand up till the present time represent an outlay of Borne £100,000. Preparatory work has also been done in connection with other immediate works involving' a further expenditure of about £100,000. In addition to these works, which account for half a, million sterling, proposals have been mods by a special committee of 'lho Harbour Beard, which, if adopted, will entail a further expenditure of some £850,000. This expenditure, if authorised, will bo spread over a period of somo years. COAL DEPOSITS. MASTERTON, 18th' December. t A mining engineer, a son of Mr. Graham, S.M., Dunedin, and now holding an important position in British Columbia, visited tho Maurioeyillo coal scam to-day. He is impreshod with the indications of good coal. An ox-Government inspector was also on the grouncL PIVE 3VIILE STREET. DUNEDIN, 18th December. A poll was taken to-day on the proposal to raise a loan for the completion of widening King Edward-streot, South Dimcdin, a thoroughfare- running from tho city lo Oceau, Beach. Tho proposal was carried by 1221 votes lo 106. Work on tho cochon authorised is estimated to cost £16,849, and when completed will givo a continuous street from Normanby to Ocean Beach— a distance of over livo miles — with a minimum width of 66ft. THE WAERENGA VINEYARD. AUCKLAND, 18th December. Surprises luih boen cxprcn&ed by recent visitors to Waerenga at tho fact that, a considerable portion of the vineyard afr the Government Experimental Station there has been rooted out. Some two or three acres of vines havo boon taken out, and it is stated thai, it is probable that a further area will bo similarly treated in tho near future. It is understood that it is not on account of any disease that this step has been takon, but that it i» duo lo a decision on tho part of the department to reduce the area of its vineyards.