WELLINGTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2412, 24 May 1900, Page 42

WELLINGTON.

The Thorndon School was burned down on the 16th. It was uninsured. The fire is attributed to a defective chimney. Fires were used 181* the first time on Tuesday. £iames were noticed about 3 o' clock. The building was completely destroyed, but the infant school was saved. The headmaster (Mi' Mowbray) lost about £150 worth of private property. The loss hy the fire ih estimated at £4000.

The flax mills in Foxton district are shutting down owing to the condition of the market at Home.

The Gazette notifies that letters and , other postal packets posted in or beyond ] the colony having the names and addresses j of the senders written, printed, or eiabos&ed i on the address side, or on the fly of the j envelopes, are returned unopened to the j writers or senders by chief postmasters when not claimed within 30 days, and all such letters which have in addition a re- | quest on the address side of the cover tint the letters be returned if not claimed with- | in a stated period, are also returned unopened by the chief postmasters. No such j letters, however, will be returned unless they have remained in the post office to which they are addressed at least 10 days. During his trip through the North Island the Hon. James Cam>ll pointed out to seve-, ral Native tribes visited that the best thirty they could do would be to hand over the whole of their tribal lands to the Government for administration. He assured them that Parliament would see that the Natives were treated with the fullest justice and ample reserves set, aikle for their permanent maintenance.

The railway returns ■for April show increased revenue of £7356, but they include Easter, which last April did not. The Gear -Company intend to enlarge their freezing works to about double their present storage capacity. A proposal to raise £18.003 for river con-, servation at the Hutt h.'s bso: 1 . carried by a majority of 32. The Hon. J. ttigg (Wellington) and the Hon. J. S. Jenkinson (Wellington), whose term in the Legislative Council expires next month, have been reappointed. A systematic inspection of dairies is to be undertaken, as suggested by the Sanitary Commissioners.