WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12394, 2 July 1902, Page 5

WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

(FEOJI OUR' OIY.V Corkespokhkn'T.) WELLINGTON, June ZO. During tho oelobration of Mr John Plimrow's ninoticth birthday ori Saturday a cheque for £25 N in aid of the fund , for a veterans' home was handed to the Mayor on behalf of Mr Plimmer. : An examination of the portion of Messrs J. E. Nathan ami Co.'s thj'e-erslorey building of wood at the corner of Grey street and Featherston .street that was not consumed by fire in Maroli •shows'that the totara and red pine, of which it was constructed, was in a wonderful state of preservation. J here was not the slightest sign of decay, and most of the timber-has been purchased with the object of having it made into furniture. Tho warehouse was 29 years old. It is probable lhat a brick building seven storeys high will be erected, to extend from the lest Office Hotel, in Grey street, to the Imperial Chambers, in FeatJierston street, thus forming the tallest block of 1 bmidmgt in the city, and one of the finest, Mr J. E. Thomson, stock inspector at Duncdin, returned on Saturday by the Delphic from a holiday trip to' South Africa. Mr Thomson travelled over, the country between Ca-potojvn and Kimberloy, and was not at all impressed with the quality of tho land or the look of the small quantity of slocic in sight. Tho paddocks jvere so poor that they (lid 1 -not carry one sr.oep to three or four aerc-s. The country hail been denuded of stock by both Boer and Briton, and it would bo a big undertaking to restock tho farms. The general, impression seemed to lie that Argentina would bo relied upon to do. the bulk of tho restocking. Further trouble' had enmo upon tho •and through the devastation caused. by a now disease, which was thought to bo a complication of "rod water" and rinderpest. When at Kimbcrley Mr Thomson visited tho Do Beers' stud farm, and was ffroatly interested in the fine show of stock kept there, Iu liis opinion tho farm contained the makings ef a good herd, and of a jniD quality of horses. Ho met several New who bad gono over to " spy out the land," but thoy were coming back more taan.ever satisfied with New Zealand as their homo, Mr Thomson returns to Duncom at once.