WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2085, 8 February 1894, Page 19

WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, February 3.

NATIVE LANDS AND THEIR SETTLEMENT.

I gathered during a conversation with the Premier to-day that he is deeply impresaed with the necessity for active and rapid movement by the Government in the direction of the acquisition of sufficient Native lands in the North Island to satisfy the immediate and quick growing demand for occupation and development. As Native Minister, the whole question in at the present time engrossing much of his time, and he will when the House meets have some important proposals to submit to the Legislature. Meanwhile anticipatory departmental work goes on apace, and at the present time no less than 1,752,000 acres are under offer to the Government. By the terms of the legislation of last session, the Native owners may, as vendors, prefer to realise, but the Government cannot with safety reckon upon the acquisition of the lands under offer by purchase. Now there is only authority under the existing law to apply £50,000 in any one year to this purpose, and it is recognised that this sum is quite inadequate for the wants of the country. Among the early bills in the coming session, therefoie, will be a measure taking power to acquire and apply such capital as may be necessary for this purpose.

THE ALIEN HAWKERS.

The Chinaman -we have always with us, and though deterrent legislation has apparently had the effect of making him a slowly diminishing quantity, he is increasingly in evidence as a storekeeper and hawker iv the capital city. Upon his heels there now comes the Assyrian and the Indians, who as pedlars have already become such a nuisance in Australia as to cause repressive legislation. Many of these people are now here, and in an unsavoury quarter of the ciby there is quite a colony of them. The Minister for Labour has, I le-irn, instructed his departmental officers to make inquiries throughout the colony to ascertain tho number aud avocations of these aliens. THE SYDNEY TARIFF AND NEW ZEALAND

PRODUCE.

During a conversation to-day with the Hon. Mr M'Millan, late Treasurer of the Parkes Government of New South Wales, I sought his views as to the prospects of a remission of duties in Sydney upon New Zealand produce by the coming new Parliament of the mother colony of Australia. Mr M'Millan is a Freetrader, and he is unquestionably the strongest leader of that party in New South Wales. Personally he would, had he the power, make Sydney a free port, so that it would be as accessible to the producer of say Canterbury as Auckland or Dunedin, but as a condition precedent he would raise new revenue equivalent to that to b9 remitted through the customs. This ho proposes shall be done by a land and income tax, the former to apply equally to city and country lands, and its incidence so adjusted that a fair proportion of the unearned increment shall be acquired by the State. As to the coming strength of the Freetrade party, Mr M'Millan considers it very problematical, the constituencies being distracted by bo many party cries, each, according to its exponent, being the most important for immediate adoption by the country. Beside the Freetrade and Protection parties pure and simple there are the Single Tax part}', the Land and Income Tax party, the Labour, the Democratic party (as distinguished from the last-named), and the Socialists It may thus happen, and I think probably will, that the fiscal question will be sunk by the new Parliament of New South Wales until such time as the more burning questions of the taxation of property and easier access to the land are disposed of ; and the Government of the day to achieve these things will probably have to placate the party of Labour by a promise that their demands shall next receive attention. If this prove the case it would seem that the desire of the Freetraders to make Sydney an open port for intercoloaial produce is not within measureable distance.

February 6.

THE NEW STATE FARM.

Mr Mackay, of the Labour Bureau, has returned from the newly acquired State farm the purchase of which has created such a flutter among the Maori occupants. As to the future of this State experiment, I can procure no information as to the scheme upon which it is to be worked, and think it probable that though many have been formulated none has been adopted. Meanwhile, for the development necessary to occupation, some 16 of the unemployed have been taken on, and are engaged at the usual bush-felling and splitting fencing stuff. Married men with families are given preference, and are provided with tents. For wages each man is paid according to the work he can perform, it being a condition precedent that the scale of wages shall not bs equal to the current rate. The work is for the necessitous, and tho department will not compete with the ordinary employer. Eighty acres will have been cleared during the next fortnight, and Mr Mackay expects to have 90 acres under the plough in a month's time. Then will come the test of the capacity of the Minister for Labour to successfully deal in his experiment with one of the most difficult aspects of the social question of the day — to convert the man who has no visible means of subsistence, a vagrant in law, into a self-sustaining and selfrespecting worker. How to do it may be expected to tax the resources of even his capacity.

IHE MAORI CLAIMS.

Of the anger and opposition of the Maoris to the occupation of this laud that they have hitherto considered thcic own you already know. The dispute has been advanced another Blage by an inspection by Mr Kennedy Macdonald for the Government of tbe 3000 acres allotted to the discontented Natives by Hunia, who sold to the Government. Mr Macdonald did his work on Friday last, and has sent in his report. He states that generally Hunia has acted nob unfairly to his tribesmen ; that the land he offers to them is valued at £3800, and that ho retains at £4100 ; and that the proposed boundary line is fair enough. He was accompanied over the ground by some 40 Maori?, men and women, who were naturally deeply interested in his mission. The whole business grows more tangled and involved from day to day, and it seems certain that great hardship must fall upon many Native homes whatever the merits of the matter as to tho sale by Huuia to the Government. There are stories afloat about the transaction which, if not tooner ventilated, will certainly provoke animated disenfsion in the comiDg Parliament NEW ZEALAND lIUtTHIt AND APPLES) IN LONDON.

Mr Lowe, the latest expert, f-euds two long reports from London on the butter and apples of this country, in which there is a great deal that is true and nothing that is stiictly new. Growers are advised to send along the best of apples forthwith, aud if they arc of the best quality and properly packed, and arrive in good condition, they will find a ready and profitable market. The reason ia that the American, Canadian, and Continental supplies have at present failfrt. The c iuhos of failure are not stated, nor is there any evidence that whatever they may be they will arrive again nexb

season or ever. Growers are told the fruit should bo graded, packed in bushel packages, and not compressed in packing, which are, I fancy, among the things they without exception know already. Ho also says that no 6oft kind of apples should bo sent. When he wrote on the 29 th December apples were dearer than for the past 10 years. Thus American varieties, selling last year for 103 per barrel, were realising 18b, and the finest kinds, such as Newton pippins, £2 and £2 2s.

BUTTER.

Of our butter he tells us that the bottom ha* been knocked out of the Butter Committee of which he recently wrote so exultantly, and which was to sustain prices. It appears that some consignees saved themselves in a falling market at the expense of their brother committeemen. As might have been expected without substantial guarantees, Mr Henry Reynolds, of this country, himself a large vendor, who acted as secretary, has resigned in consequence, declaring that though members of the committee had sold down to 100s, he had not placed any under 120s. The Butter Committee has evidently gone to pieces, and the sooner producers here combine to pay a first-class man to watch their interests in the old country the better.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Premier has taken legal advice on tho point raised by Professor Aldis that, being appointed by tho Government, he is responsible to the Government only. The Premier has been advised that the Government only acted as agent for the College Council, and have no liability.

£1550 is all the Government can get offered for the Stella, which cost £16,000, and even though laid up absorbs £200 per annum in maintenance.

The Hon. A. J. Cadman has forwarded to the Premier for Cabinet consideration some suggestions he wishes laid before the Railway Commissioners. They refer to coal on the Auckland line. He wants the freight reduced on Te Kuiti lioiestono, so that it may be taken to Huntly and burned into lime, and he also desires to see the coal freights reduced between Huntly and Auckland to enable the local miners to compete with Newcastle.