WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2504, 19 March 1902, Page 33

WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

CFiiOii Ova Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON. March 11. A Government survey party at Lake Rotoiti 'has discovered a cave of large extent on the northern side of that beautiful shc^t of water. They rowed a boat two or three chains into the cave, but owing to the want of artificial light were not oble to proceed any further. It is thought that there may be a connection between this ca\e and the abyss on Matairhaura Mountain, Used by the Natives as a sepulchre fiX the bonca of departed chiefs.

Some bales of wool on the Whakatane, lying alongside the Wellington wharves, were found to be smouldering, and the in6urance -companies interested have had all the wool on the steamer overhauled and examined.

The Rangitikei Advocate states that the Government has puichased Mi LnitonS wellknown Woodlavvn estate, near Haieoinbo. The price given is understood to be £12 103 per acre.

A sample of coal from Pi enervation Inlet was Fubmilled to the chemical division of the Department of Agriculture, which reports that it is a valuable coal for cteaniraising. It i* not a bituminous coal, but is nearly allied to the brown coals or lignites, though it seems to stand the action of the atmosphere well.

March 17

From more than one source and upon authoiity that is apparently quite reliable, it is stated that the Government, being m need of mouey, recently exploited the Sydney market, with the result that it was able to raise a email lor.n of £100,000 there. Presumably this was on «hoit-dat<»d deben tures. The matter ha- been kept a secret up till now, when it has leaked out from unofficial sources. Apparently thf much vaunted policy of about a year ago — viz.. of borrowing money locally and kfepiug the interest in the colony — has brokcu do ah. and the interest is again goini; elsewhere. No doubt, after the unfavourable reception of tho last loan in London the Government is chary of going there again at tho present time. It la btated that the Bank of New Zea'and was one of the underwriters failing to unload the last London loan. Continual complaints come to hand from the country about the stoppage of worke, and the county counci'b complain that they cannot get last year's appropriations This is rather hard upon them, as some of them undertook cer■tain works on the strength of these appro priation". It is evident, however, that the Government k doing the right thing in view of their straitened financial circumstances.