WELLINGTON NOTES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11505, 11 February 1903, Page 9

WELLINGTON NOTES.

THE WESTERN HUTT ESTATE. PUNISHMENT OF GABOTTERS. (3PBCIAL TO "THE TRESS.") WELLINGTON, February 10. Some surprise is expressed locally at the purchase by the Government of a suburban property, known as the Western Hutt Estate. The property consist* of about 1600 acres of land, on both sides of the Upper Belmont road. The intention of the Government is to cut up the greater part of the block into email farms, and reserve the remainder for the purposes of some public institution, which is to be placeu in that district. It is reported that the Government may establish a gaol on a part oi the estate, so that the prisoners may be profitably employed in cultivating the It is understood that the Government has practically decided to appoint Inspectors of Arbitration Court awards in the various district*, to see that the provisions of the awards we obeyed. Complaints of trooper* regarding the Defence Department continue to be made. Reginald C. Wright writes as follows to t'je "Post":—"I can fully endorse tne I complaints of returned troopers as to the scurvy treatment they have received from the Defence Department. 1 was a member of the Fourth Contingent, and wbLst on active service I had the misfortune to be blown up in the explosion there. I was brought buck in the chip's hospital of the Tftgus, and handed over to my friends, my wound giving me one month in bed and two months a cripple afterwards. I made no claim upon the Government, except for the actual amount I paid Dr. Collins for his attendance on me, and although I have twice written to the Defence aiininter, and once interviewed him, I have never even had tlTe courtesy of a The lot of the common juryman is usually sufficiently hard, but a jury that was empannelled here yesterday had something extra to put up with. A man named Joseph Scott, who was assailed in what . is known as the Hutt robbery, identified the two accused in the box. Hβ was then asked if he could «cc his third assailant in court. After looking attentively up and down the jury box, Scott said he failed to see assailant number three. The jury smiled in appreciation of the compliment. This morning, in the same case, in sentencing the two accused, the Chief Justice said the offence was punishable with penal servitude for life and Hogging. He had not hitherto inflicted flogging in any case, but if this sort of assault and garotting took place he would be compelled hereafter to inflict flogging iv such a case. He would never resort to flogging unless circumstances compelled it.