WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11552, 16 January 1901, Page 5

WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

|T)Y TELEGRAPH.—OWN COBBE9PONDENT. ] Wellington, Tuesday. THE MINISTER FOR LANDS. Mr. Dun-pan informs me that lie expects to visit Auckland in about three weeks' time. He leaves fox- the North next week, but he lias a good deal of business to attend to, both between here and New Plymouth, and between here and Napier. He is communicating with Mr. Carroll with the view of ascertaining when it will be most convenient for them to call at Gisborne and inspect certain land there. Probably Gisborne will be visited on the return from Auckland.

WORKMEN'S HOMES. Negotiations are still proceeding between the Government and the owners for the purchase of land for workmen's homes at Avondale, and two other places near cities in the Sduth. An offer has been made, and if the owners accept the price the land will be acquired without delay. The Minister expects to receive a report from, the land purchase officer in a day or two, on this subject. LAND SETTLEMENT.

The Lands Department is about to throw open a small grazing run at Coromandel, and will shortly offer for sale by public auction, town sections at Kihikihi, Hokianga, Mercer, Cambridge West, and Pirongia East. One thousand five hundred and five acres in Coromandel County are to be let on lease in perpetuity, and 5445 acres in the counties of Whangarei, Manukau, Whakatane, Waitemata, and Rotorua, ore to be offered under optional tenure. SURVEYOR-GENERAL. Mr. Duncan states that the Government has decided on the gentleman who is to succeed Mr. Percy Smith as Surveyor-General, but owing to pressure of other business the actual appointment has not yet been made. This appointment will involve other changes, and these have not yet been fixed, and will probably not bo settled for a few weeks.