WELLINGTON NOTES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11500, 5 February 1903, Page 2

WELLINGTON NOTES.

• ■ _ •—-.->.: ■:■■ I, REPORTED SUPREME CCfOfSS CHANGES. NEW ZEALAND'S TRADE COMMISSIONER. SIR J. G. WARDS VISIT TO AUSTRALIA.' " . (spicull to "thr pmss.") WELLINGTON, February 4. To-nighfe " Post" says: —" It is reported that the retirement of Mr Jiurtke Conolly from the Supremo Court Bench, which has been talked of for tome time past, will, iv all probability, take place after the March sitting of tbe Court of Appeal. It ie probable that Mr Justice Edwards will then leave Wellington and. will take up tho Auckland district circuit work, his place in Wellington being taken by Mr Justice Cooper,' -who would in that cast i relinquish his present position as President of the Arbitration Court. Thia change would make it necessary for the Government to appoint an additional Judge, who would act as President of the Arbitration Courts" Another attempt is to be made to recover the sunken treasure «f the .steamer Tasmania, which was wrefcked in July, 3337, near Xnpier. The .steamer sankwith £24,000 in gold, and a quantity of jewellery valued at £5000. Mr Warwick, who has beon searching for the treasure ic*t urith the Elingainite, intends 'to ne(.'oliatft with interested parties, but if n"> arrangements can be arrived at he intend* t» (it out an expedition himself. Some weeks, ago the Chief Health Officer and tits representatives of the City Council and tho local bodies in the immediate vicinity of the city, selected ■» «te /or nn infectious diseases hospital, towards the cast o£ the erection of which they are prepared to contribute. This was «, portion of the reserve belonging t« the Mount View Asylum,%nd the Minister in charge <>/ the Department was as<ked to facilitate .its acquisition. He promised to do this nnd to ( consult the Cabinet on the subject. So fur no. reply has been received from the Government? News hue been received here that Mr Ohas. Phar«*yn, formerly of the Wairarapa, | who is now living in London, has purchaser! jSI2,BCO acres of cattle country in the northern part of fcJouth' Australia. It is understood that Mr J. G. Gow. who recently vieited Jiaglandi. South- Afrioa, and tiw Eaafc, in ther capacity of New Zea- 1 land Trade Commiflsioner, has now received the appointment of Resident Commercial '■ Agent for the colony jo England. He will j leave for London at an early dwte,. Tho Government will prdbably appoint another | Commissioner to tantel abroad later in the interests of the colony's trade. \ The, Hon. Dr. Grace, M.L.C., who has been ill for some time, shows no signs of i improving, and his recovery in doubtful. The Wellington Employers' Association has found it necessary to appoint a secretary who is ab.e to give the wholft of his timo to the dtitie* of Uβ offiw. iCf H. formerly the employers' r©pre«ntative on the; CdiwdlkAitai Hoard, has accepted the position, and his eerrkes will be available to employers in Hating cojee for the Conciliation Board and Arbitration Court. The visit which Sir Joseph Ward , is about, to pay to Australia has m> political significance. He> feefo that he Is entitled to a holiday, and take one. Hβ and Lady Ward and: Mis* Ward will leave Wellington for Australia via the South next week. The sequel to the first motor car accident whiioh, happened he*e last week, by which the daughter of a Salvation Army official wae ran-over, oooarred in the Magistrate's Court to-day. Robt. Andiwon, tie driver of, the car, was charged with furious and negligent driving.. Opinions as to the rate of spesd *t wijieh. the oar wan propelled, and whether the defendant gave sufficient warning of toe approach varied , . Ultimately the ; Juetioes imposed a fine of 40b, with costs. • ' Tlie grievance of the D Battery with ih* Defence Department, which threaten* to end , in the dis'ban'd'ment of the conp«, is not confined to the treatmeot which it has weewed in regard to,deduction* from ite capit&tioa alldwiMice for tfenewing the barrels of the tw«hre carbines wsued to it The Department bae decided to place :v battery of Iliree new 15 j»ounde» » esch of the four centre*. 6bt: of the guns ha.ye been, used by the D Battery for some time part., but three of them are to be sent away to one of the other large citie*. The Battery feels that it» efficiency will be seriously impaired if it i» to have only the three ■ gun*.