WELLINGTON NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8667, 6 July 1906, Page 3

WELLINGTON NOTES.

«, _ [From Ottr Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, July 6. The fact that the city is growing in population at the rate of 3000 a year causes ma.ny suggestions to be made. Among other things, the cry for increased facilities for f technical education is becoming imperative- The Technical School has twenty-six rooms. The director desires that they should bo increased to sixty-three,, and public opinion backs him. " Another result is the increased need for. public expenditure in^all directions for the accommodation of this increasing population. Then come proposals for more borrowing, and they i. get increased support. The only idea not popular is tine increase of rates. This tejiumoured by the authorities, but the valuations fail tfae flame of suspicion in the ratepayer's breast. " The city can never be bankrupt," say the sages, " in the face of a valuation that doubles property m brief periods." The citizens shudder. The Mayor consoles thorn with a promise not to increase fates by more v^ihiam 25 per cent. The insurance of wool Ships has literally become a burning question witih us. All the authorities agree that fih& sea fires complaiped <of are due to sponr ta-neous combustion, and they blame the smaller fellm'ongers. who have not sufficient drying appliances ; but no one has advanced any proof of the spontaneous combustion, and it is patent that the whole of the wool, in the burnt ehip3 muist have been pome time in store before getting away. The Harbour Bo*rdofficials last year, it is urged by the spontaneous ccmbnsters, detected beating in 643 balsa of wool, which they themeslves dried, and they ask if other wool may not have got away wet and , heating. The surveyors have r been withdrawn because of two objections— (1) The underwriters of cargoes are not underwriters of the. wool; (2) the services of the surveyors are a boon to these. L^^d's was amongst the number who did nc+ pay a ooDPeT for fihei'T uokee-p. Lloyd's rewessntative here Kfivs ho °lways was ready to t>ay hw «h?ire. ' Th-e-re tfo& matter cwds, and tVe indwicmK? fasten oai to tho above < ■ad™?w«n that t^e surveyors ww a TH-otcwtio-n. and they we poßd^Tiiq: {■I^p-dlv over th© nn«iti iO f a - rv t©ry official e^lj»iia.-MiCKn of their withdrawal. Th-e "Premier's opinion that a I? oval Ootrm-nffwrn wrfyld be the l^st to oVal with fh» RTim fir pr anets+von is acee/nted DTfl'rttfea'nv by f-b-e. Onbin^+. A Com•misssion, it is thought, will -l-ihereffrp. fasnA. a*>d an early vw't will h» rowde +/> t>o f'Mtr centr-pR and +o Timwn, Nstvict". Tnvorcarsill s?Tid PiV^orri 0 -. The evident <if the orisrin of the fiiw is w>t conclusive as to wool, flax or other things.