WELLOGTON NEWS NOTES. (FroM Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON December 28.

Otago Witness, Issue 2651, 4 January 1905, Page 34

WELLO GTON NEWS NOTES. (FroM Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON December 28.

■Mf Bert Royle, who was instrumental m ' JSting a fund' on behalf of Miss .Gertie Danpion, ' reports that, reckoning- -in thepstimated profit of the carnival- heW m thmedfoi recently for Miss Campion's benefit|the amount of which he has not yet received), the toM subscriptions and donations to the fm.- will amount to close upon£6oo Miss Campion had another relapse recently, and last advices regarding her rtate of realth go to show that ltinßbe Impossible to remove her from South Africa to tibia colony before February next at the robbery s in -the city was reported this morning. It occurred at the chop of Messrs Geor, Zaloum/ and Co., vendors of fancy goods and other articles, Vivian street. The window, a large plate-glass one, now has a large hole a couple . of-feet in diameter in the eentrer big enough to "allow much of the contents to be easily removed. One of the proprietors, who sleeps on «he premises,- states that he .heard, a noise at about 6 o'clock this morning. ±ie--' came down and found the window brOkwj*. and half a brick on- the mside. He states ( that before he got down the person or per- : »ons on the outside had removed £15 to £20 worth of watches and other articles hanging in the window and had got clear Mr Grady; jeweller., Willis street, whose ', premises were broken- into.' on Christmas Day," estimates his k>sr at £200. _ Iferk fortunate "for- -him that he.. called- in, at his_ shop : that morning,' otherwise r Jiis,-loss, would, have- been -nearer £2000. . ' - ■ _ , December 28. Cabinet' has decided that inspectors' ofBiines are not to undertake, the preparation of cases «fmder- the Conciliation.-' and -^?bitration Acfc ".alleging breaches of -•_ awards, affecting miner*. The -duty of' instituting proceedings will an future' be entrusted ._ to inspectors of factories, but mining inspectors will be required to give evidence when called upon. . \ ' Mr Clayton, of the veterinary branch of the Agricultural Department, states that he has been surprised to find that a great amount of interest is taken in the dairying business by a large number of the Maoris in the Poverty Bay district, many of whom keep their yards and" premises, .cleaner than lome Europeans. ' The' Premier has promised Mr Graham, M.H.8., £7500 as a Government subsidy towards the rebuilding of Nelson College, provided ths Cabinet approves and a like sum is found by the Board of Governors. Mr W. .JL Johnston. 8.A., of Dunedin, and 'Mr Smith, of Auckland, have been, appointed to fill vacancies on the college »taff. December 50. Martha Tainui, a young. Maori woman of pleasing appearance and pleasant manner, who is making for herself an extraordinary record of crime, was once again, before the Police Court to-day. -She was sentenced to Bix months' imprisonment with hard labour •for stealing two rings and a petticoat from tho house in which she was lodging. MarthaTainui generally tells^ so plausible a story about her "alleged wealthy relatives in Hawke'a Bay "and her own present needs *bat)m many cases site is able' to ingratiate 3iers?lf with "stranigera, who invariably begin toy. pitying her, a-nd end the acquaintanceship' by calling in" the "police. The police Sieve 1 done their best to reform her. Various philanthropic people have" taken an interest in "her — used their influence- to get her in toreceiving _homes, and encouraged -her in every way to reform, but no sooner does she leave these institotions than she starts on her career of crime a-gain. The police iieoords show that she was fir3t arrested in 1888. During the kwt 16 years she haa fccen convicted 40 times, the offences including housebreaking, vagrancy, false pre- ] tencss, and theft. Generally she poses as j the niece of a well-known Hawke's Bay ruiiiholder's wife. At other times ehe^is a student of Victoria College, with parents in the country, or lodges at a respectable house, makes herself agreeable ; and endeavours to borrow money from her fellowledgers, generally having some plausible (pretext. On the sfch of this month she was discharged from gaol. Several days afterwards she lodged, until her true character w>s known, at several boarding-houses. The el)aif man of the bench which dealt with Miss Takrui this morning is a visiting justice of the Terrace Gaol, and he stated that he was sorry to say he had seen the accused in the gaol for years. To this Martha answered : •" I ask~you to give me a chance. I have *boen under the influence of drink, and I did not Know what I was doing. If you let me off I will take a prohibition order^out .against myself arid go home- to my people. Putting ane in prison" does ma no good ; it onlyj makes me worse." The Chairman said j th«j , bench was inclined to be lenient at this , time of the year, but this was not a ca&e^ to which leniency could be extended, j tt was not -a matter of drunkenness with the j fcceusod, and the only tiling the justices soulcl_do was to send her' to gaol for .six /nciiths. "Thank you," said accused,- as ; {he -left the dock. " I will do worse when '. . come out<" - - ! Mr T. W. M'Kenzie, the- father of New 'e aland journalists, who has been in Welington for over 64- years, has been telling i Post reporter something about the «arly istory of this place. The early settlers had, ,1 seems, to contend against a flood, % five,

and an earthquake during their first year's residence. Many of them were afterward^ to experience the terrifying earthquakes of 1848 (when Mr Lovell and his two children were' killed) and of 1855 (when Wellington _ was raised by several feet), but neither of these two latter earthquakes left the impression upon the early colonists that was left by the event of 1840. It was at Petone- also that the first newspaper printed in New Zealand — The Gazette — waa 'issued. The paper, which was published ■ weekly, was the property of Mr Samuel : Revans, to whom Masl^r Tommy M'Kenzie ! was apprenticed to learn the printing trade. The subject of this interview was therefore New Zealand's first apprentice to the news- j paper business, a business with which he j was connected until he retired from the j city's active life. The staff on the Gazette consisted of Messrs Revans, F. Yates (compositor, sub-editor, and business manager), who was su'-rsequently drowned, James Muir (pressman), deceased", and T. M'Kenzie ("devil"). The Gazette was subsequently printed in a building at the rear of Mr George .-Winder's present shop, at the corner of Cuba and Manners streets. Whilst , still ' in his teans (in 1845) Mr ivi'Kenzie, with Messrs W. H. Vincent, James Muir, and George. Fellingham founded the Independent,l>wMch subsequently became in'corporatfecr with $ie New Zealand Times. An exciting incident in Mr M'Kenzie's newspaper caieer occurred in the early years of the Independent, when he was sent to gaol by Judge Stephen for oon- - tempt, of court. ; The, story is of interest. A session" of the -Supreme Court was being held, and in those days the court sat in ,the long: room of Barrett's Hotel. A grand juror (Mr "Slater or Sir Charles Clifford) and a common juror (Mr S. Robinson) both missed "their appointments at the court through, their., clocks disagreeing .with, the time kept by the- court. His. Honor did not -fine, the grand juror,- but made the common juror forfeit £5. "Mr Robinson took his jgrievanee to the newspaper ofiice, arid Mr M'Kenzie published the common jurymanfs letter in the Independent. For that offence Messrs M'Kenzie "and Robinson were charged with contempt, and were sent to gaol at Mount Cook. The gaoler was the father of the Hon. C. H.. Mills. The public of Wellington — "men, women, and children," said Mr M'Kenzie., in fcellina: the story this morning — ros9 in great indignation at this injustice, held mass meetings, and demanded the release of the prisoners. "We were comfortably treated in gaol," the raconteur continued, " for we were allowed to take our own feather beds with us, and had plenty of visitors with i whom to pass away the time." A petition was sent to Sir George Grey, who was then Governor of the colony, and resided in I Auckland, and at the end of a fortnight I the' prisoners were released by order of the I Governor. It has also to be mentioned to Mr M'Kenzie's credit that tie had thing to do in helping to mould the Constij tution. which was given to New Zealanders |by the Home Government. He was a memtber of the Constitution Committee, composed of Dr Featherston, Mr A. E. de B. Brandon, Mr (afterwards Sir) William Fox, Mr W. E. Vincent, Mr (afterwards Sir) Charles Clifford; and Mr T. W- M'Kenzie. Which carried on an agitation for and drafted a Constitution which was presented to Sir ; George Grey, the Governor. It was considered ?by members vof this committee ■ that Sir "George Grejr used its draft Constitution as~ the basis of the one which was subsequently approved' of by her ' Majesty Queen Victoria.