WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10085, 21 March 1896, Page 5

WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

[BY WLKBRAPH,— CORRESPONDENT. ] Wellington, Friday. LAND FOR SETTLEMENT ACT. Mr. MoKkrrow, the land purchase officer, has returned from Auckland, whither he had gone to inspeob certain lands which had been offered for sale to the Government! under the provisions of this Act). He will report to the Board in the course of a few days. No deoision oan be taken for some time.

LAND FOR RAILWAY PURPOSES. Mr, McKerrow, on his return journey from the North, also visited the country about Levin and Greatford in connection with a subject) of considerable interest.* A private company, I learn, has offorod to construct a loopline of railway connecting certain rising towns in the district) if the Government are preparod to offer sufficient inducement in the way of land endowment. Mr.. Mc Ivor row was to report upon the feasibility and cost of connecting the two towns above named. These reports and estimates will be laid before Parliament in its next session.

CAPTAIN FAIRCHILD. The erstwhile commandor of the Hinemoa will be, I am informed, the guest of Sir Joseph Hooker during his visit to London; indeed, Captain Fairchild is likely to figure largely at the scientific •ocioties in London. It is nob genorally known that tho genial skipper of the Government steamer has been an indefatigable work in aid of scientific culture. The Zoological Society, the Botanical Society, tho British Museum, and the Geographical Society have found in Captain Fairchild a constant contributor of the flora and fauna of Now Zealand.