COLONIAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1417, 18 January 1879, Page 20

COLONIAL ITEMS.

Matters cowiected with the trade are at present causing discussion between the master and iourneymen tailors of the city. 1 Meetings of «ach class have been held, at which, we understand, committees' have been appointed to confer, with the view of coming to an amicable settlement of the matters in dispute., The journeymen painters at Wellington have threatened a general strike unless their wages are raised from 9s to. 10a for ordinary, and lls 3>er day for first-class hands. . ~ At Auckland there i» ar. agitation by the crews the coasting steamers for an advance to L 7 .per month, which owners have refused, and the aaen*s places have been supplied. An application has. . been received from the .Thames for ■sufficient men to man the" 1 wKole sieamers sailing out of Auckland. The employes of MeWs /Thomson and Co., cordial and aerated water manufacturers, -met last evening at the Royal Hutsl to present Mr A. Waddell with a handsome gold ring, as 1 ' a token of their regard and esteem, on the occasion of his leaving for Napier to' take over i an old. established business there. The chair waa occupied by Mr Gilchrist. After the •customary ' loyal toasts were' disposed of, the health of the guest of the evening was proposed by the Chairman} and the presentation was made. The remainder of the evening was spent ia a convivial manner. Considerable interest is being manifested amongst builders and contractors in the city as to ■which firm will bethesuccessful tenderers for the -new Bank of New Zealand. The contract will ie one of the largest ever undertaken in Otago, except for public buildings, and the amount is expected to be close upon L 30,000. Some time since we gave an account of the great difficulty which the manager of the Walton Park Company's coal-pits at Green Island had to contend with in sinking through a quicksand. This sand or drift proved 100 ft in thickness. It was followed by seams of shale, fire-clay, and, coal, and at a depth of 155 ft from the surface, the main seam of coal •was struck. The miners are now 19ft through at, and they have commenced .breaking away the levels. The coal in this new shaft is said -to be of excellent quality. A wire tram has been constructed by the JFernhill Coal Company, for the purpose of conveying coal from the mouth of the pit to -the railway station, a distance of about a mileand a-half, and commenced operations a few ■days ago. The distance coveied by the tram -includes some very rou£;h pieces of ground, and were it not for the means of conveyance thus Afforded, the mines would be unapproachable. 3The tram, which is a complete success,- was jnade at the foundry'of Davidson and Co.