WELLINGTON NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVII, Issue 11180, 30 January 1897, Page 6

WELLINGTON NEWS.

[Per Press Association. - ] WELLINGTON, Jan. 29. The importers of Wellington consider that they are paying for the facilities given shipping here, and that either they should get a differential rate or that the shipping should pay a harbour improvement rate.' At the next meeting of the Harbour Board Mr Gale, who has just resigned the chairmanship, intends 'to test the question by moving a series of resolutions. It is doubtful whether Wellington will bo represented in the quarter-mile at the athletic meeting, as the only man who can go is not good enough. A motion has been filed to remove the petition' against Mr Buchanan’s return from the list, on the ground that it wa s not lodged in time, and that security was not duly given as required by the law. It is contended that the Returning-officer’s declaration of -the. poll being dated Doc. 11, though not published till Dec. 12, the petition was a day late; also that in any case Dec. 11 was the last day on which the officer could make the return, and, further, that he had returned the writ on Deo. 8. William Collier, aged seventy-five, who has been nearly fifty years in the colony, and is described as a-strong, bale man, has been missing from Bright’s Mill, Bketahuna, since Jan. 7. At first it was supposed that he had gone to his son at Otaki, but as there was some reason to believe that the man bad committed suicide in the ranges, parties . have been out scouring the bush, though unsuccessfully. _ • The electric lighting syndicate has decided to reduce the rent of metres and make it uniform, and also has agreed to consider a protest against its allowing, larger discounts to small as compared with large consumers.