WELLINGTON ITEMS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6496, 27 May 1899, Page 6

WELLINGTON ITEMS.

j ■ . „ , v * •■*■'••;■•. ■ . ' ' [FriOm ; Onn Corbesponbent ] ' " ■ • WELLINGTON, May 26. The Labour Department having" removed into new offices in? Lambton Quay the • Department. of the. Registrar 0f,. -Friendly Societies and Registrar under the Old Age Pensions Acjfc (Mr Mason) has been accommodated with much-needed space ■ in the offices .vacated by the Labour Department. 'Talking to'ati official in tho Old; Age Pensions Office to^lay, I learned that considerable inconvenience' has been experienced of late owing., to the very cramped space in which, the- staff had to carry on its work. The Registrar and Ms assistants, have been most assiduous in their exertions, and they have had the cordial and hearty co-opera-tion of the. Post< Qflice officials. Thus, in spite of the initial difficulties attendant on bringing the system, into working order, not a single hitch of any moment has occurred. -The Act was passed in October, -and about a month - was consum?d -r .in . Hiafcmg the -necessary appointments of assistant registrars- • and °thsr officials. Then, some time',%as, occupied iit the" preparations," printin^'and distribution of forms of application, certificates, etc. The inquiries into claims 'began in January, and were continued to the end of February, and. the payment of pensions was commenced in March, the last month nL^, &I£l ßcial. year. There were then 2400 claimants, but the number' has since then reached .8000 for the. whole colony ±he experts believe that this number will slightly increase as tune goes on,- until it reaches the maximum percentage of old aged persons to the total population. After that, the qalculations as to probable deaths shows a gradual decrease, settling down to something like a regular average, but when the maximum is reached it will be the highest that can possibly occur in proportion to the -population. The highest cost Ijlf7 ™" amouit to about 4.160,000. ;ivata the present total, claims, a percentage of 5 per cent will be deducted ,J . dlseiltitle d to full pension. The City Council has postponed affording work to the unemployed until Tuesday next, pending permission from a property 'owner in Sydney to cut a street through his property in the suburbs. Meanwhile many oi the men are in a condition bordering on destitution. 'JftLiiF?*' the **"*** who .has been months, declares his determination to prosecute his appeal in the Privy Council- ajunst i Court th& NeW Z«^d -Zppeal Court. Though he cannot obtain any moneJK Sj he h ° pcS t0 r^rse theSSeThe Hon W. C. Walker, Minister of Educa^on ret^d from the 'south Sday tioner denies that the pWdenf is a^nst promotnag a puisne judge to the. podtion of Chief Justice, and alleges that the precedent^ turns, the other way. It i» ttuefhe says that a rule obtains that a person who v a temporary, judge, and is, therefore, the holder of a revocable appointment should not be promoted, but of the other rues there are numerous examples in the colonies- and. at Home.,- He instances the cases of Chief Justice Higinbotham of Victoria, and the present Chief Justice in England, who were both promoted. "We have at present on the Bench a gentleman who, for .twenty:- years, as judge, and for some years as President of the . Industrial Arbitration Court,, did his work so well, and nas shown such grasp, as to make him prominent as a lawyer as well as a sociologist. The rule which has given to the holder of the office of Attorney-General the first claim to promotion to high judicial office rests upon the. presumption that he has shown himself to be a master of affairs, as well as a. lawyer. Now, only one of those whom you mention as ' talked of ' has occupied that position in the colbny, and no one could, have anything to say against his promotion to the high office about to be vacant, but, failing him, no one at the Bar can be said to have occupied such an eminent position as to warrant his being made President of the Court." The Wellington Trades Council has passed the following resolution :— " That, in the opinion of this Council, in the employment of all casual hands by the Government, such emplbyment should ha for the term of six or three months, and that the same tune should elapse before the same casual hands are/ again employed." The Jellieoe incident promises to fill a large space in the public eye. In to-night's " Post " there is an announcement that "an address of thanks " will be presented to Mr Jellieoe on Wednesday evening at the Opera House, when . " resolutions relative to the conduct; of the Judges" will be submitted and . Ifc ' discussed. - It is further intimated that Mr Jeljicoe has" prumised^fo- sp'eato" It .'is^alsq- reported, t'ha-t he J has this evening ■ given .notice ' to the proprietors '*' of' the "Post" of an action, for libeli arising out' '6f' i receir v cohunen£s in' that journal da'- his "professional conduct: ' ■'V ••■'■ - j