WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11057, 8 May 1899, Page 5

WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

[UY TELECBATO.— COItItESrONDEN'T.] Wellington, Saturday. MINISTERS AND THE PRESS. It was to bo oxpeoted that tho representatives j of tin! Australian press would complain of , the discourtesy manifested towards them on : Ilia occasion of the now cokbratod journey j to the Levin. State farm. There is a column | of interview bestowed upon the subject of tho v, ...r.iir.g that ibey must not enter tho carriage where Mini-tors were. Jn tho Christ- ' church Tress, just to hand, Mr. Millings, who ', represents the Melbourne Argus, says:—"l '. told the Hon. Mr. Best about it. Flo was exceedingly kind in the mutter. I resented : the intimation, as a strange and apparently ! wanton discourtesy, but I accepted it as an illustration of the haughty exclusiieness of I this advanced democracy, I bogged Mr. Best ; to make no protest mi my account. He, however, informed me after that notable journey that lie had reopened tho question, and found Ministers exceedingly firm. Tho explanation that Bomoono had blundered is admissablo, The representatives of the leading journals in Australia are always invited to shore tho dignities and amenities of tho Ministerial carriage. They know that what they say in confidence will ho respected, but, as I have already said, Ministers thero do not profess to bo so advanced as your Government. The preliminary intimation that wo were to bo excluded, was tho objectionable part of the matter." The intorviowor hopes tho troatmont has not affected tho good spirits of Mr. M&l----mgs, who replies: "I am trying to bear up against tho infliction as woll as I can. An hour in a Ministerial carriago with Moßsrs. Thompson, Walker, and Carroll makes ono feel that ambition has no further heights to scale. I camo with a froo hand to study the condition of tho colony. It would be foolish to condemn a horse although some pooplo rido it to tho devil. I havo no reason to connect Mr. Seddon with what I consider a discourtosy—not to mo personally, but to the press, as an institution." LABOUR TROUBLES. Thcro aro no less than sovon cases awaiting hearing by tho Arbitration Court—tailors, baliors, plumbers, paintors, iron and brass founders, furniture-makers, and carpentors. This is tho residue which cannot be dealt with by tho Conciliation Board.