WELLINGTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2436, 21 November 1900, Page 51

WELLINGTON.

At a meeting on the 13tb. inst. of the (Kutt County Council, it "was decided to strike off the list of'those entitled to charitable aid two men. One had been engaged in bush-felling since last winter, and lad taken out a fishing license for amusement, while the' other had been cutting firewood, which he delivered by means of a horse and dray — his own property. They tad for . some considerable time past been in receipt, of 10s and 5s per week respectively. Twelve hundred acres of land have been purchased at Trentham, in the Hutt Valley, by the Government for military purposes. The ground will be used for camping, class-firing, and other purposes. There is a trench suitable for 25 targets. A railway siamg from Silverstream will be made to give convenient access to the ground. Dr Mason, who has been appointed head of the Health department, is to receive a salary of £800 a year, not £1200, as has been stated. He will, of course, also receive the usual travelling allowance. Twelve children out of a large number rescued by the Salvation Army during the famine in India arrived in New Zealand by the Waikare on the 15th inst. They are in charge of an Army officer, and will be taken through New Zealand and Australia to show the nature of the work accomplished by the Army. Photographs of the , starving children and the plump little exhibits that have now arrived' will be shown ■at the Army meetings. -In conversation with a representative of the Pahiatua Herald, Mr J. O'Meara, M.H.R. for Pahiatua, expressed the opinion that the next, session will be a fairly stormy one. There exists among members, and particularly among those representing back country constituencies, a deep-seated feeling of dissatisfaction with the manner in which the wants of their constituencies are attended to. This they ascribe, to the weakness of the members of the Cabinet, and one of the features of the next session ■will be an agitation for the appointment -of a more practical Minister of Lands, - together with an assistant Minister for that department, who must be a gentleman with expert knowledge of the requirements of the districts that the members Mr O'Meara refers to represent. One thing seems tolerably certain, and that is that a very strong stand will be made during the next session on the question of proper attention being given to the needs of such districts as that comprised in the back country' of Pahiatua. The Land and Survey department will throw open for selection about the middle of January a block in Hawke's Bay, known as Nuhaka North. This block contains 8352 acres, and' will be opened under the optional system in areas of from 360 to 1200 acres. About the end of January 4600 acres in Manukau County, Auckland, will 3be thrown open. The conference of inspectors of schools •which meets here at the end of January will consider the syllabus, scholarship regulations, pupil teacher regulations, teachers' certificates, higher instruction in primary schools, and district high schools, hand work in primary schools, continuation schools, and other subjects that may be suggested. The Wellington City Council intends checking the disgusting practice of expectorating on the footpaths. At last week's meeting a letter was read from the town clerk -of Hobart, stating that there is at present in force in that city a by-law prohibiting the nuisance under 'a penalty ' of £2. The town clerk of Sydney wrote that a by-law dealing with the same matter was being prepared there, and he would send- a copy of it when it was finally adopted. Both letters were referred to the By-laws Committee. -_- The railway passenger traffic returns for the four weeks ended the 10th inst., imder the reduced tariff, show an increase of 83,000 ordinary tickets, with an increased revenue of £900, and an increase of season tickets of 1600, from which the added revenue is £600. The Agricultural department is making • good progress in combating swine fever in the Auckland district, and hopes to have it completely stamped out at an early date. Wellington is gaining an unenviable notoriety because of the conduct of its hoodlums. They often make rude remarks to passers-by in the streets. Occasionally they can be seen gambling on Sundays on the outskirts of the town. At the sacred concert in the Opera House on Sunday the boodlnm element was very strongly represented, and the performance was continually interrupted by the whistling and catcalls of larrikins and the coarse laughter of women. On more than one occasion M. Kafalewski appealed to the "rowdies" to have a little consideration for those who wished to listen, to the performance, but Without effect. .Mr Matthews, chief Government

forester, left Wellington last Monday for Rotorua. He is to prepare work for the short-sentence prisoners to be employed in tree-planting in that district. Twenty prisoners are to be sent to the Hot Lakes district in January, and portable houses of a special design are to be constructed for their accommodation. .Mr H. A. Gordon, chairman of the Royal Commission set up to report on the question of the riparian rights along the rivers affected by gold mining operations, is on his way from Auckland to Dunedin, where the other members of the commission will meet him this week. The commission is to complete its labours before Christmas. The festivities in connection with the celebration of the golden wedding of Mr and Mrs Chas. ISTees at Wellington were carried out on an extensive scale. The venerable couple kept open 'house for their friends from early morning until a late hour at night, and everyone was made right welcome. The apartments in the family residence in Marion street were artistically decorated for the occasion. Before the guests (many of whom had come long distances to attend the gathering) v adjourned to the drawing room, MiBert ' Nees, of Dunedin, a nephew of Mr Charles Nees, proposed the health of the hosts, and wished the old couple many more years of joint happiness. The toast was drunk with musical honours. Mr and Mrs Nees received numerous congratulations by post and telegraph from relatives and friends in various parts of the colony, and were also presented with a large number of useful and ornamental articles.