WELLINGTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 1 July 1903, Page 36

WELLINGTON.

At Palmorston N. the police raided a Chinese laundry, and after carefully searching the premises discovered 15^ packets of opium, weighing about 7|lb, hidden away under tubes on the roof. Pipes and other requisites . for opium-smoking were found, a-nd sufficient proof discovered to confirm the suspicions of the police that the place was frequented by opium smokers. The opium was confiscated by the police and aj-mmnions issued to the responsible Chinese

During the month of May 1878 persona arrived in the colony and 2111 took their departure. Tlie figures for May, 1902, were 1701 and 2109 respectivel} .

Mr M'Kinnon Bain, maunder of the New Zcalamd Band in England, wntfs that the band hive be.?n having wordcrful sueccs?. Tlw-y played bj r command before tlie Prince and Pihiw*"? of Wale.:, a.nd were to pliy by command before tlie King and Quoem about th-e middle of June. Th-c tour .s proving a fimw.oial suceesg.

A luig© deputation of s-awrmllers from variOiL- parts of tile colony waited on the Premier on the 23rd in regard to tlie manner in which the Conciliation and Arbitration Act wa.s b^ing worked Tho deputation asked that amendments should bo introduced | to prevent any official of a union receiving i anything but a fixed salary, to prevent fines from being awarded to unions, and to prevent private sfttloments of breaches of award 5 . It was ponted out that the secretary of one union, who admitted receiving no salary fiom the organisation, had ree«utly visited a number of districts and personally <o!!oct d a largo turn in fines andstirred up a great deal of irritation. Th^so fmos wrnt to the secretary Tho Premier 1 agreed that piivate. teftlements of thus laind I uero und'L-irable. Tlie law might bo ' amended to make it a penal offenoe for any- | ono to square breaches of an award m this I way. The best way to ptop abuses of the I kind would be to appoint inspectors of I award*, who would be (iove-smment ofliei'ifc.

I .The agitation regarding th^ overcrowding -of our asylums is at last bearing fruit. I had another talk with Mr Kil on the subject to-day. The Monnt View A c ylum, at Wellington, he says, is undoubtedly overcrowd**! Most of the rooms are of a \<ry inflammable nature, the walls being rnugh-linrd v. ith boards and covered with scrim. It is rather an f\tmo>dinary thing Hint wln'p tho building in which the patients h\c is of wood tho mortuary is of biuk. Mr Kll to day saw the Premier regarding tho o\i_rcrmvil nig. Tlie lV'iniur is arranging that 50 of tlio quieter patients will be taken from the Hunnv-i<lo Asylum asd placed in tho HokitlLa A-ilum, whe-ro thpre is loom for them, 'lhc M-nmg jn->t'cci leport that with a small ; expenditure- tho ;i\ a ilalili> ac< oinmw'j'.tion tin rr> may Ik- made- fit for their reception. The Tuiam-kai \.ill t-kf> th^m rnnnd in a few day Tin* -nil rrlwvc the pressure at Sunnyside. It is po-K|Slo that tho pio^uro Lore may alto ho relmved ly srndii.g some of tho Mount Virw p-U.ont-i to NeUon.

The Han C II Mills »ml Mr M'(^w:m (Value- gciTjl) Itl<l a i cifm ' < o with tho Mangutoro sottlcr- V> hear <omr>lanit= by tlie latter ro tlm alk^.d cri'-MM' \.ilu ttion? of tlirir proportion Mr O'M^Mra, Nf H.R.. ii froducfxi t!io clnputjtioii Ti>r .Minister iiifoim'vl tiio -'tt'or^ lie would p'a< c tlifir views !>efoio the Cabinut Tho (imc-rnmeiit had no dc^'re to nukrent sc-ttlcr--. 110 hoped to I'.'ivp t-lir- \a!<Kitiom placed on a mor? sjti.-factory fo'iti.ijj, th" iiorl. now being in progress. A bill would In- mtrodiocid next ses-ion to g.he tl,^ Valuergeneral power wricli was now licl. u-j

The Cabinet ha« cW.d«?d to retiie Mi«rH. Skey 8-nd J. hi. Xicol&on, draugl it-inyi in the iSnr I . oy* Office, DiMiediu. on acccu it of Ukmt ha\uig ruached the age limit. Both gentlimen lane liceu in the Uo\cinnu nt cmnlf)v for ovw 40 y^ar*. ' A large numbor of person"? prp-°{ >T it' > d tlii'u -c'.\'»- at thf Hia'tli I)op,irtnvnt on Moi.d.iv ffii \ic inntinn Tlifre l.a« bwn .<>i extraordinary d'om.url for lymph lately. It

is -estimated that fully 2000 persons have been vaccinated m the colony during the past fortnight.

Mr George Musgrove wa3 fined 40s and costs on Moifday for bJa-ekirig pa^ages at the Opera House^aud allowing people to sit on th-e stops. Thre-e charges were taken as one. Tho defendant admitted the offence, but said that people insisted upon sitting on the steps, and that lie could not make them move.