WELLINGTON ITEMS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXIX, Issue 9993, 23 March 1893, Page 5

WELLINGTON ITEMS.

fFROM OUE OWN CuKEESI'ONDENT.I WELLINGTON, March 22. UNEMPLOYED. With reference to the telegrams which have come rrom Christchurch. as to the beginning of unemployed troubles there, I had a conversation to-day with the Miuiater for Labour, who tells me that his department had not anticipated that there would fee much scarcity of work before the end of April, after which there may be expected to be road-making work going on at Cheviot, to which a number of married men from Christchurch could be sent as the winter goes on. The Minister is trying to make arrangements to meet genuine cases of want of work by temporary means, EXPORTS. A return of exports for 1892 is published by the Trade Gazette this evening. I taka the following from itLyttelton £1,824,104, Dunedm <£1,133,780, Invercargill £692,015, Timaru <£494,833, total South Island .£5,059,036, Wellington 321,303,621, Auckland ,£1,127.913, Napier 981,138,023, total North Island .£4,304,768; total of the Colony £3,367,916. N.B.—The total for the islands includes returns from the smaller ports, which are not detailed in the table. The Review remarks on the tableAs to wool, the shipments from the North Island slightly exceed those from tbe South, the difference being nearly .£150,000. In frozen merit the values are nearly equal, the South Island being in excess by .£28,000, Shipments of butter show an increase equal to nearly 9277,000 in value, or over 50 per cent. The comparison of values for the two past years is interesting, as showing increased activity in this industry in both islands. T’oey are as follow: — Lyttelton, 1891 £10.817. 1892 £23,644; Dunedin £4601, £23 780; New Plymouth £56,607, £82,708; Woiliafrion £44,756, £68,703; Auckland £27.449, £24,213; other ports, £5728, £4114. Of the shipments of cheese, over 80 par cent go from the South Island. Of gold, 80 per cant goes from the South Island. Kauri gum (£517,678) all from Auckland. Grain goes practically only from the South Island. Glancing at the general results, we see that the grain trade increases Lyttelton’s total by about £436,000. Dunedin benefits by gold to the extent of over £530,000, apart from which her exports are only £822,000. Com pared with this, Invercargill makes a very good show with close on £700,000, and Timara with nearly £500,000. Of Auckland’s total, no less than £703,000 is represented by gold and kauri gum, leaving less than £510,000 for other merchandise ; while of Napier's total of £1,158,022 (exclusive, like all the other totals forwarded to you, I may observe, of tbe exports of specie) no less than £1,144,734 represented sheep, in wool, meat, taliow and skins. It is noticeable that of the total of coal, £80,225, Wellington and Lyttelton, which produce none, figure for larger totals than the other ports. This is due to the fact that the trade is chiefly done with the direct steamers, which most frequently make one of these ports the port of departure from the Colony. BILLS. A heavy programme of Bills is, I hear, being got ready for next session. Among them is the Libel Bill, you will bo glad to hear; also the Criminal Code Bill, altered in accordance with a Committee’s recommendation made last cession; also the Civil Service Bill, of which the Association’s meeting had something to say last night, especially in the matter of the provision for old age, which, the President explained, is not a system of pensions at all, but a provision to be made out of the moneys of the officers, [Per Press Association.] The following is the redistribution of Resident Magistrates Mr Clendon takes the district from Russell northwards, Mr Bush that from Otahuhu to Whangaroi, Lieutenant - Colonel Roberta Tauranga, Opotiki and Rotorua. These three will take Native Lands Court business as well. Mr B ; Bhop, who is now ill, will have North Canterbury, and act as Native officer for Canterbury and Otago. Mr Hawkins will take Milton, Lawrence, Gore and Balclutba. The Wairaraps vacancy has yet to be filled. The New South Wales Government has sent a letter enquiring whether the sheep bot-fly ia prevalent and likely to do serious dams/e. It has been told that some isolated cases have been reported. There is evidently confusion with the horse botfly. The Rev Yaa Staveren, Chairman of the Benevolent Society, asserts that the district Board has acted illegally in cutting down the Society’s requisition by £765. He made some severe remarks on the action of the City Council representatives on the Board, whom he accused of not knowing what they wero doing. The Minister for Marine has made fresh arrangements for conducting the examinations lor masters’ and mates’ certificates. The Collectors of Cusrotna will in future conduct written examinations at all ports. For viva voce examinations Captain Robinson (harbour master atOnehunga) will act at the port of Auckland, the present officers at Wellington, Major-General Sir Arthur Douglas at Lyttelton, and the Collector of Customs at Dunedin. A saving of £350 per annum will be effected by this arrangement. A conference is to ba held at an early dote between representatives of all the Liberal and Labour bodies ia the city, in order to secure unanimity of action in the interest of the Liberal cause at the forthcoming general election.