WELLINGTON NEWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6136, 24 March 1898, Page 1

WELLINGTON NEWS.

[Per Press Association.! WELLINGTON, March 23. The Tutanekai leaves to-day to begin the work of laying the new cable. She has forty miles on board, and takes twenty extra hands. Captain Gray navigates her, and Mr Logan and other telegraph officials are on board. If the weather holds fine, she v/ ill take about three weeks over the work. The alterations at the Parliament buildings have involved the destruction of a pohutukawa tree, which stood in front of the old entrance, and was the only tree allowed to remain when the rest were cut down three or four years ago. It was planted in the early sixties, and Was the largest of the few pohutukawas in Wellington. The electric lights are now in position, and work is going on briskly at the buildings. Among the proposals to get rid of the Rimutaka incline is a line via the Wainuiomata Valley. A short tunnel would lead into this valley, whence an easy grade conducts to a low saddle, not half the height of the Summit Tunnel, opening out into the Wairarapa upon Matthews' run. Besides opening up a fine country for settlement, this route, it is contended, would be much shorter than the present one, and the engineering difficulties would be far lighter. It is stated that Mr Alexander Macintosh, for sonifl years past general manager of the Royal Bank of Queensland, has been selected as auditor to the Bank of New. Zealand in succession to Mr J. M. Butt. By the terms of the Banking Act the appointment of the auditor rests with the Government. ' . The Industrial Association has adopted the report of its sub-committee, recom-, mending the Government to take over the. Manawatu Railway. It has also decided to register under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act.,- i •• ■ . -... •