WELLINGTON NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12546, 13 April 1904, Page 5

WELLINGTON NEWS.

fHY TELEGRAPH.' —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wkli-incxon*, Tuesday. .MINISTERIAL WORRIES.

Sir JosErn War told the railway delegates who waited upon him yesterday that the,worries of office as Minister ior Kailways were very great. "I would just -as soon, bo out of it as in it," lie said. ' I tell you that with perfect frankness.'' He had no axe to grind. It was one interable worry. One section of the coinmu* Uity wanted iho Minister for Railways to do everything for nothing; another section wanted him to do things which would seriously add to the railway expenditure, which was going up all the time. It required, in his opinion, a pretty good constitution to get through it nil. FROM AFFLUENCE TO POVERTY.

A man in the prime of life who had been in the employ of the Government as a temporary clerk some months ago, applied to this Wellington Benevolent Trustees to-day for assistance. Ho stated that he had been displaced by a cadet, and had since been unable to obtain work of any kind. Mr. Hogg, M.H.R., who is a member of the Board, promised to do what 'jo could in the man's interests, and in the meantime it was decided to provide hint with a weekly allowance to purchase the ordinary necessaries of life. Some years ago the applicant was interested in the business of a big firm outside the colony, but trade depression made a serious gap in the firm's finances, the los 3 in one year amounting to £14,000, and ultimately the man found himself reduced to the position of a temporary clerk at 10s a day.

MUNICIPAL LODGING HOUSES,

Tho suggestion is made Unit tio hotels recently dosed in the .Newtown electorate should be purchased by tho Council and converted into municipal lodgiug-houses. The Hon. T. W. Hislop, who is a candidate for the Mayoralty, was asked a question on this subject, when he replied that he had 110 knowledge as to the suitability of the houses for the purpose, but thought the question of establishing municipal lodg-ing-houses, which had succeeded so admirably in cities such as Glasgow, was oue which ought to be looked into.