WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9491, 21 April 1894, Page 5

WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

[by telegraph, —own- correspondent.] Wellington, Friday. MINISTERIAL. The Hon. Mr. Ward left for the South today. The Bon. Mr. McKenzte goes South to-morrow. Ho is to open the newly-construc-ted section of the Otago Central Railway from Middlemarch to " Malonoye," which section is to be re-named. It will be known in future as the Rock and Pillar section. It is stated that a further section (to Hyde) will be ready for opening in a, month or two. A section of 22 miles, from Hyde to Eweburn, is partly constructed. A banquet is to be given on the 27th instant to the Minister for Lands at Shag Point, which the Premier and the Colonial Treasurer will attend. The Hon. Mr. McKenzie will probable return to Wellington the first week in May. workers' political committee. At the meeting of the Trades and Labour Council last night it was resolved that the president should wait on the chairman and secretary of the Electoral Convention with the view of ascertaining whether that body will call a meeting to wind up its affairs, and to ascertain whether a Political Workers' League can be set up. A reply to a question pub to the Premier was read, having reference to "old age pensions." The Premier intimated that a Parliamentary Committee would be set up next session to inquire into the whole question. BUSH-FELLING AND SETTLKMENT. The Minister of Lands proposes to establish a regulation by which bushfellers may utilise the money they earn towards the price of a section of the land which they are clearing, and in this manner to lay the foundation of a home for themselves and their families. It is understood that the Government have sanctioned a scheme by which the most necessitous of the unemployed in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, shall have work during the coming winter. THE OTTAWA CONFERENCE. The wire sent you yesterday re the in. structions given to the New Zealand representative prove to be substantially correct. The following additional particulars are stated upon semi-official authority :—The policy in this matter is for the Australian colonies and New Zealand to guarantee, proportionately on the basis of population, half of the interest on the cost of construction, and for England and Canada to guarantee _ the other half. Ib will be a salient poinb that the tariff for messages sent by the proposed cable is to be that indicated by the Postmaster-General of New Zealand ab Auckland. The Government recognise the desirability of having the cheapest possible tariff, so as to enable these colonies, which are so far distant from the countries with which the greater portion of their trade is carried on, to conduct business with greater facilities than exisb at present. COLONEL FOX'S LETTERS. The Government have come to the conclusion that the publication of these documents was procured by surreptitious means, and further that they were obtained in an unjournalistic " manner. The result is that an investigation will be held as to the possession of these letters from the time they were delivered to the Defence Department until the date of their being considered in Cabinet. It is nob thought by anybody that Colonel Fox himself had anything to do with the publication. Suspicion in this particular matter goes further and higher than the department. There is every sign of a cyclonic excitement both inside and outside the department in respect of this correspondence. Nothing is decided as regards the subjeot of the matter. THE UNEMPLOYED. A deputation of the unemployed waited on the editor of the Post this morning to contradict the statement made by the Labour Bureau that in Wellington only 40 or 50 men were out of work. They affirmod that there were ab least 600. The men waited on the Premier this afternoon, to whom they referred their complaints. They were heard with attention, and the Premier said the Government would give what assistance it could, at the same time reminding the spokesmen that the power and means of giving relief were limited. That the unemployed should have preferred their complaints to the Post before going to the Premier has occasioned a good deal of surprise and comment.