WELLINGTON NEW NOTES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, March 14

Otago Witness, Issue 2299, 24 March 1898, Page 43

WELLINGTON NEW NOTES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, March 14

THE DEFENCE OF THE COLONY. Tho Cabinet has agreed to authorise a cone tiderable amount for armament in view of tha menacing aspect of affairs in the Far East. There is to be a field battery established. The Commandant in his report recomm nded four field batteries, and this proposal has caused crameut to be made upon the decision of tha Government, which is stated to be somewhat »mbiguous. Tbe field battery alone will cost £8000. People say that the announcement U alarmist, seeing that the proposal of the Commandant is not followed to completion, bat the fact that the attention of the Government it directed to preparations for defence will reassure the public. * JLAKD VALUATIONS. - There is considerable discussion ts to the operation of the land tax. The act of 1899 provided for a Government., valuation oC all lands in tha colony, and that valuation is to bs the basis ef taxation under the land and income tax throughout; the colony. The following analysis' ii made by ths Poßfe:— "The land tux is levied on the actual v&lue of the land, but the value of all improvements is exempted. When the value of the land, less improvements and mortgages, does not exceed £1500 in value, a deduction of £500 is made, and the tax is levied upon the value as so reduced. For instance, if a property, less the improvements and mortgagee, were y*lued a* £1000, taxation wou'd only b& charged on £500 on account of tha £500 exemption. In case the value, less improvement* aud mortgagas, exceeds. £1500, £1 cf I the £500 exemption if struck off for every £2 j of increased value. Thia means that when fche j value exceeds by £1000 the £1500 »lready j mentioned, the £500 exemption ceases. As an ) illustration, tike the case of » man who has 1 land which, less fmprovejnenti and mortgages, is worth £14-00. He only pays taxation on £900, owing to the £500 exemption ; but if his property is valued at £2000, he pays taxation on £1750, owing to £250 of the original £500 exemption having been wiped out ab the rate of £1 tor every £2 increase in value above the £1500. CABINET VOTES. j The Cabinet has agreed to expend £5600 en J telegraphic extension between Auckland and New Plymouth It has authorised the expenditure of £22,000 for rolling stock. t PBBSONAL. There are still persistent rumours of Mr • Seddon's intention to proceed to England as Agent-general "and of Mr W P Reeves's return to the colony. It is aleo stated on excellent authority that Mr J. G. Ward recently paid a visit to Wanganui for tha express purpose of consulting a friend as to Whether or not he should take the Colonial Treasnrership. The answer given was, however, it is stated, in the negative. ADVANCES TO SETTLERS. An extraordinary case under the Advances to Settlers Act will shortly, it is said, have tho light of day let in upon it at; Wanganui, where the Government will lose £900 on the advance made by fche department. There has been some , very interesting correspondence over the matter, i and the solicitor for the borrower writes that 1 the advance should never have been made. The borrower has, however, left tha country and all his stock and movable property nave disappeared. March 16. THE COLONIAL TBEASURERSHIP. Mention of the pos-ibil'fcy of Mr Ward's accepting the Colonial Trcasurership is made to-night in the Post, which makes reference to recent proceedings in the Supreme Court ab Dunedin, and adds : "We have excellent reason to suppose that the principal personage concerned in thic remarkable commercial episode has in his pocket at the present hour the option of the Treasurership of this country, . with the more than possible reversion of the leadership of the Liberal parfcy What says the democracy of New Zealand ? It has gone far. Is ifc prepared to follow to this last ? " A DISASTHOUS ADVANCE. In tha Bankruptcy Gazette of the 10th inst. appears a statement; of the liabilities of a Waitotara settler, in which ib is shown that the Advances to Settlers' department made an advance of £1905 against a landed security valued at £1350. SPOILS TO THE VICTORS. The Post alleges favouritism in connection Trith the granting of the New Zealand Cross to a friend of the Government. After a lapse o£ i ! 30 years, it it stated, the recipient will receive I arrears of pension amounting to £300, or. at tb« rate of £10 » yeatv