WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2360, 18 May 1899, Page 28

WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, May 10.

I understand that communications have recently passed between prominent Opposition members in the North and South Islands, disclosing a state of affairs which leads to the supposition that the defeat of the Seddon Government at the next election is not the improbable thing ■which jsome people have supposed. Indeed, a very careful estimate compiled by representatives of the North and South Islands -who may be considered to have some knowledge of the state of affairs shows that the Opposition will probably have a slight majority in ■both islands. It is thought that this could be altered to a large majority if the organisation which is on foot is carried, out in a thorough and systematic manner. The Dairy Regulations Committee, which is composed one-third of Wellington City Coiincillors and two-thirds of representatives of outside boroughs, having refused to adopt the Government Dairy Act, the mayor has decided to ask the Council tc .•withdraw from the committee, and ask the Government to bring the act into force in Wellington as well as a modified edition of the regulations of the London Board of Health. The farmers are objecting to the adoption of the Dairy Act, principally because they object to its' administration by the Government instead of by the local bodies, because they fear that the expense of inspection by veterinary experts will exceed that under existing conditions. The anayor of Wellington at a meeting on Tuesday warned the suburban delegates on- the Dairy Regulation Committee that if they refused to accept the Government Dairy Act very much more stringent and onerous conditions would be put upon them by the regulations which the City Council would bring into force for the protection of the townspeople from the possibility of disease. The Premier has evidently determined to play the stumping game single-handed ugainst all-comers. Messrs Buchanan and Hutchison spoke at Pahiatua, the capital of the Forty-Mile Bush district, on Tuesdaynight. The Premier intends to leave all his departmental work and the worries and anxieties of his Colonial Treasurership and the public accounts to reply to the Oppositionists at Pahiatua on Friday night.

The Ministerial morning journal continues to ask Mr Seddon to hurry up with his bookkeeping, and in this morning's issue complains, more in sorrow than in anger, that though the financial year closed six weeks ago there is still no publication of the public accounts. The Times gives as iin excuse that the Audit Office is inefficiently equipped, and puts down the delay to that cause. >

May 11. The prize riddle in tire city just now is •who is to be the next Chief Justice. Several names are mentioned as ' probable, but of course merely conjectural reasons are given for the preference. The fact that the salary is only £1750 (less than the amount paid to any other Chief Justice in Australasia) is' likely to keep back the most • eminent personally eligible of the legal lights of the colony. As, however, Sir James Prendergast will not vacate his office until the work of the present Court of Appeal is ended, the Cabinet will have ample time' to deliberate as to his successor. The Premier will address the electors of the secluded hamlet of Eketahuna. tomorrow night, and will from thence, I believe, proclaim our financial progress with appropriate Seddonian trimmings, no doubt, to the uttermost ends of the country. It is stated that the surplus to be recorded is absolutely the largest thing of its kind on record.

May 14.