WELLINGTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2323, 8 September 1898, Page 22

WELLINGTON.

; Mr A. D. Riley, director of the Technical School under the direction of the Wellington Education Board, returned from England by the Maori. In the course of an in- , terview he said he had not seen the old ; country for 16 years, and he had been , simply amazed at the progress made during that tima in technical education. The whole of his stay at Home had been directed to the study of the latest phases of that side of education in Great Britain, and in every place he had found schools and technical universities simply crowded with all classes of students. Women formed no small portion of many of the classes at these schools. He had brought back much knowledge^ which must prove advantageous not only°to Wellington 6ut to the whole colony. It was stated at a meeting of the Benevolent Trustees on the 30th that certain Chinamen in Wellington make a living by collecting tea leaves at hotels and boardinghouses, drying them, and selling them to the poor of the city. In the two cases brought by the Asset? Realisation Board against the Freights Reduction Committee, which have been before the Magistrate's Court for some time pa-??;, Mr Kenny, S.M.. on the 30tb, gave judgment for the plaintiffs for £46 15s and £1043s respectively, together with costs. The services of the EJlesmere Mounted Rifles have been cceeyted. At a representative meeting of fruitgrowers in Palmersto:i and adjacent districts, held on the 31st, a motion was carried by a large majority that the provisions of the Orchard and Garden Pests Bill are too stringent, gave too much power to the inspectors, and imposed upon orchardists duties impossible to carry out. No objection was ..taken to providing penalties for neglect to keep orchards clean. An amendment that the bill is a proper measure for the suppression of these pests was lost by 45 to j Ninety-eight applications have been >eceived from all parts of the world for the position of the Wellington city engineer, at ,i salary of £800. The applications are to , be referred to a committee for selection. I The Government have declined to accede , to the request to bring in special legislation . to permit of the sale of spirituous liquors > at the Auckland Exhibition. ! The Government have expressed themselves | favourable to the application to have October 13 (Labour Day) proclaimed a public holiday, providing the various labour organisations throughout the colony agree to that date.