NEWS NOTES FROM WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7270, 7 March 1885, Page 5

NEWS NOTES FROM WELLINGTON.

[ey telegraph—own correspondent.] Wellington, Friday. SCHOOL BUILDINGS. Thb Premier, in his capacity of Minister of Education, has apportioned out of the sum of £5000, special grant for school buildings, £1000 to the use of the Central Board of EduStion at Auckland, £1000 to the Central Board at Wellington, and £1000 to the Central Board at Napier, the remainder to be apportioned to the other districts according to requirements. A circular has bean issued from the Education Department. CONSOLIDATED LOAN DEBENTURES, 1567. The Colonial Treasurer has arranged with the loan agents to offer terms for the conversion of these securities. CHRISTCHURCa UNEMPLOYED. The report of the Commissioners appointed to enquire into the causes of industrial depression and the means of relieving it, who sat towards the end of the late session of Parliament, have forwarded their report to iiis Excellency through the Government. It is not signed by the Chairman, who took exception to some of the terms agreed to by the the other commissioners. Another commissioner protests against i particular paragraph which acknowledge!* the courtesy of officials, upon the ground th.it one of them refused access to certain books and papers, but the recommendations of all the commissioners are substantially the same. The causes of the depression aro stated to ber: —(l) Overbuilding intowns; (2) diminution of publicexpeuditure; (3) withdrawal of subsidies from boroughs and Road Boards. The first of the above causes is stated to have operated only in a minor degree. They recommend as approximate means of relief —(1) The extension of the system of village settlements along the East and West Coast line of railway in Canterbury, and along the trunk line of railway in the North Island ; (2) facilities to labourers aud artisans for moving through the colony to obtain work ; (3) the employment of surplus labour in planting forest tress or other reproductive work. They urge, in favour of affordiug labour tho mean 3 of spreading through the colony, that the loss of time incurred by workmen being unable to movefrom one plaoe to another is an absolute loss to the wealth of the country. In regard to village settlement along the lines of projected railways, they record their opinion that such settlements will be so many centres for cultivation and local trade, and for securing the independence of the labouring and artisan classes, at the same time that; such settlement would afford increased means of developing all kinds of local resources. TINNED FISH. Your people in Auckland should be energetic in giving practical effect to their desire to establish this industry in Auckland. The remarks made by Sir Julius Vogel in his Auckland address seem to have produced a marked impression in Wellington. The Gear Company for freezing and preserving meat have offered facilities for export to a local fish-curer here. The result of this combined effort is, that some thirty cases of tinned fish are to be shipped shortly for the English market. Specimens of the proposed shipment have been exhibited in a fishmonger's establishment here during to-day and yesterday. THE PREMIER. I am informed that the Hon. Mr. Stout will start for the North probably about the end. of next week. RAILWAY RETURNS. The monthly returns for January have been issued, and show an increase of revenue of the North Island lines. The aggregate revenue of the lines of the colony is £83,566, as compared with £77,230 during the corresponding four weeks of last year. The Norta Island, lines contribute £26,000 of this sum, as compared with £21,100 for the corresponding month last year. The expenditure of the North Island for the month of January has been £15,600, as compared with £13,774 for the corresponding month of last year.