WELLINGTON NOTES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11496, 31 January 1903, Page 8

WELLINGTON NOTES.

THE MINISTER FOR LANDS.

MR TUNBRIDGE'S RESIGNATION

(SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.")

WELLINGTON, January 30.

The "New Zealand Times," the Ministerial organ here, announced this morning in what appeared to foe an inspired paragraph, that the Hon. Mr Duncan would shortly resign his portfolio of Minister for Lands, on account of the state of lua health. The Minister himself flatly contradicts this statement. There is, he says, no truth in it whatever. As a matter of fact the Minister ie looking remarkably well just now.

Mr Tunbridge has decided to have the operation which the doctors here recommend him to undergo performed in London. Ministers were willing that ihe should have leave of absence in ordir that hemight visit the Old Country for the purpose of securing the services of the best surgeons, but, as he may require extensive rest after the operation, he feels that the best thing he can do unJer the circumstances is to resign at once. It is the intention of the Government to send Home for a suitable successor at a salary of £600 per annum. Both in the press and in private very flattering references are being made to Mr Tunbridge's administration of the Police Department.

Mr H. Wetihenilt, Government Inspector of Machinery, who was one of the party picked up on the Elingamite's raft, came down from 'Auckland last night. Mr Wetherilt, who hae not yet recovered from his exposure on the raft, gpes south this evening to recuperate in Dunedin.

The" Moutoa estate, which the Assets Realisation Board has sold to Messrs J. Stevens (ex-M.H.R. for Manawatu), Eaeton and Austin, is about two miles from Foxton, and three miles from Shannon. It consists of 9000 acres, but the difficulty has always -been that it is subject to flood from the Manawatu river. That, of course, has stood in the way of its disposal, and more than once the Government land purchase officers have Hported against its acquisition by the Government under the Land for Settlements Act. Messrs Meason and Marchant, the well-known firm of engineers, 'have -estimated that it would, cost something like £10,000 to erect ptotective and dra'fling works on the estate, and last session a Bill was introduced giving tlvt Assets Board power to carry out such works. It was found, however, that considerable opposition was raised to the proposal by settlers on land adjoining the estate, on the ground that their holdings would suffer harm from su6h works, and the Bill was dropped. Th* price "paid for the estate has not been disclosed.,;