POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11506, 19 August 1899, Page 5

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE

(Fr.on Our Own Co-respondent.)

WELLINGTON, August IS,

RAILWAY MANAGEMENT.

Mr Cadman's speech to-night was a very poor effort, dealing largely with trivial details, and was not at all convincing to the critics of his administration. Mr Cadman endeavoured to explain away the criticisms of Mr Jas. Allen in regard to the shortage of trucks at the TCaitangata Coal mine. He also made reference to tho demands of a mine near Palmorston South, in which Mr Allen was interested, and read a return which went to show that tho mine had been well supplied. Mr Allen, however, was able to show that the Minister was wrong in each case. In-refer-ence to Kaitangata. Mr Cadman read a letter from the general manager of the company stating that they had been "fairly well supplied with trucks for the last six months,'1 but Mr Allen had been through the mine manager's diary, which proved conclusively that during the month of March, when three shift? a day were being worked, the time the mine was idle for want of trucks amounted to 24 shifts. Mr Allen also showed that the Minister had got a wrong statement from his officials as to the number of trucks on hand at the mine, and that the mine was actually idle on several occasions, and the men had to cease work for want of trucks. JOTTINGS.

Mr J. A Millar has presented another petition from the journeymen millers, praying for legislation to shorten the hour 3 worked in fiourmills. Tins' one is signed by the mill hands in Timaru.

The total number of passengers carried .on the Nightcaps line last year was 4226. From Nightcaps 577 sheep, 713 bales, 222,400 ft of timber, and 13,271- tons of coal were carried.

Mr Thomson has presented a petition from the Catlins settlers praying for the erection of a bridge at the east end of tho Catlins Lake. The first settlers on the south side of the lake saw on the map a road and a railway marked when they took up their selections'. Many years have passed, and there ifJ neither bridge nor railway, so that settlers have to convey their produce in small boats across the lake.