WELLINGTON NOTES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11481, 14 January 1903, Page 8

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(SI'ECI.VIi TO ''THE I'EESS."')

WELLINGTON, January 13.

The guide \V;;rbrick yesterday telegraphed to the Superintendent of the Tourist Department stating that the weather had expoised at Jloura the skeleton of one of the victims buried there by matter ejected from the mountain on thi> night of the T.irawer.i eruption. It is possible tluit further «f the deposits by the uiins may shortly expose other remains. Simit foitv native ,s were buried by the tiuption iii this village. Up till the present all trace of the site of the village has been lost, the face, of the country having been changed oy the eruption. Sonu? tiiirty natives were also entombed at TAriki, at the southern end of the lake, and their remains are. .still beneath fhe debus of their wrecked villa are.

Cable iulvict.« received yesterday recorded a substantial drop in the value of fiazen mutton and beef on the London market. A " New Zealand Times " reporter, who yesterday visited those firnw in the city wholly aiid partially interested in frozen meat, encountered less than tiij usual amount of reticence on the subject. An expression of opinion was obtained that the fall would probably be permanent. Owing to the emergency market caused by the (South African war an inflated value was given to dead meat and live stock, and when this extra market partially fell away it was anticijxated that prices must inevitably fall. Tluere was a special causj operating at Home to inflate values of mutton, there having of Late been a depleted market. As new consignments go forward a further drop in prices may be expected. The late.st fall in values has been delayed somewhat, but there is no surprise manifested now that the fall has occurred, and the consensus of opinion is that the values of the period just past have permanently departed The news will be received with mixed feelings in this colony, for while the pastornlist will lament his curtailed returns the city butchers and their customers will joyfully hail the prospect of <i subsidence of prices to a normal level. 1 Ivain, however, that it is unlikely that tire prices of meat to the hou>e'holder will be reduced. The butchers state that they are selling meat on prices th.it weie arranged six months ago, and did not get tne benefit of the last ri*e caused by the demand for meat for South Africa and Australia.

The system of advertising the colony, which has been inaugurated by the Tourist and the Industries and Commerce Departments, appeara to be bearing fruit in many strange quarters. Mr Ponn? has received a letter from Calapan Mindoro, Philippine Islands, asking as to fhe prospects in New Zealand for a man desirous of settling down arid farming in a small way. He also met in Auckland some Germans from Samoa, who are on the look-out for farming land in this colony.

Mr Burton. M.R.C.V.S., of the veterinary division of the Department of Agriculture, has been transferred to Wangiusui, in place of Mr Edgar, who has resigned. Mr Burton's- place will be taken by Mr Reid, who was formerly on the West Coast of ilia South Island, and recently has been inspecting dairies in the Wellington district. Mr Alex. Scott, of Darjeeling, India, ai-tist, is at present in New Zealand. Mr Scott came to the colony for a short visit, but found so much that ivae inviting to an artist that he lias decided to paint a number of pictures before leaving. Mr Scctt has executed commissions for the late Queen and the present King.