Our Wellington Letter

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 61, 8 November 1890, Page 3

Our Wellington Letter

k [our own correspondent.! '■■ j WtLLiNGTO\V*Norfniberd6. "It is an ill wind that blows no one , ■Rood,*' say the Harbor Board; for thoagh the late strike has caused tbem a, great'] ■deal of inconvenience, it-has shown them that the idea of having a barricade at the. entrance to the whar£&nd only allowing those on business to pass it, is a very godd^ thing for worker and master alike. -So pleased are. the Harbor Board officials with the way'.ah'whichth^ir men have been able to work during the strike,, •consequent upon . the absence qf the inndreds of "casuals" who have, until lately, haunted the wharf from morn till night, that they have decided to make the barricade a ' permanency; and only : allow those laborers to go on the wharf who are actually hired. If is the intention ofthe Board, the Unjdn /Coi, and the Shaw« SaviHe Co. to employ free laborers in preferences to Unionists so long as they dre competent. About equal numbers have been chosen every morning so far. On several occasions the police have made raids On gambling: houses in this Oity, but have found it exceedingly difficult to gain a conviction owing to.the thousand and one .difficulties which have to be ovei com . R*ißa.mattei;.of notoriety that gambling hellso- have 'existed in sey- ! eral bouses forajong time past, and the i police hay-e mbredthan, once tried to outgeneral the ! ke l epers bf these' nefarious I •dens, but such a strict watch is always ■ kept that should the detectives even succeed in getting inside the lower door, a I touch to ah electric bellfirpm the "watchman" is the' signal for those upstairs to at | once commence discussing the political situation, < or" some other equally burning topic, so that by the time the •' limbs of the law" ,«feV« on the Scene they find their intended" prey , enjoying a convivial «i;p of cofeee. Whilst one of their humber. is dwelhiigoh abusesr of the Civil' Service^ or on the fight between capital^andlabdr? .Naturally the police have to retire crestfallen. Fortius reason it is especially gratifying to find; thatthe late raid by the detectiyes on a suspected den kept by a man named Cress has resulted in the conviction ofthe cidprit and .the imposition of a heavy fine. The less we have, of these dens of infamy the. better for the morals of oUr yoiing men— and old ones tOO. :.""' .;' ''" '..'\ '*• Burglars ; have been trying to driye a .roaring trade lately, but thanks to thfe efficient police, force, their little game has been nipped iathe bud; .Acting constable Xacey, one. of the ; Permanent Artillery men, soine of./wboin have been doing .■street duty during the recent labor troubles,, lad a rbugh^me 'of it early on' Tuesday •morning. Heft was advisedabout 3a.m. iy abrotherinemberoftheforceto "keep lis eye-onV two, suspicious looking indis viduals, whichw ; he did only too well, for at 4 a.m. he noticed the flashing of a light iv a drapOT.vshdg^ Cuba street, and. think-,; ing that all T^Jhpt " square j*"" fie pro-" ■ceeded to iny|stigate; having askeddsey«ral ". comgsf irom the N.Z.! Times,, who, were cbmin'g. home, to watch the.'front of the shop,ltbS constable clambered over several back/ifences and over the top of one or 'twQsheds i and thus gained the back' door of the shop, which he found ajar. Entering quiStly, he/ saw twO men with a .dark "lantern hunting for somthing, evidently the. saie and till; 1 and rushing at" the foreinost^bt^glar he felled him with Ids baton iand: th'en Yackled No 2, ' In the -struggle bisVo^ lantern.v was pptout so. the hand til barSi fight was carried on in! darkness until'the "rcprnps"' outside, hearing the struggle,* came to /the rescue, *>nd .both menwere marched off by Constib c fcXacey in triumph uni are now nn !er re anand. ' Naturally, Constable Laoey is the iiero of the "hour... , ! y. . The vaga&es' of the wind lately in blowing a "howler" from the north, .then .chopping round hard from the opposite -quarter, put a .'couple of yachtsmen in. an -awkward fiica^day Or two' agO.d They had .gone out -f6i? :iSr v sail "during thdir dinnerhour, whSS/ttie 'Windi suddenly changed •rand blew heavily from the south. A leavy gusli dFWind disabled the yacht and ■ jßhe was drifting fast towards the beach At Petone, v/hen a little steam launch "belonging , to ;Guracoa started in pursuit andi* r*>cpy e ring .the runawaybrought it. aad. ita; crew safely, back again. The people of \ Wellington-are very much disgusted' wifiii the L weatHer -ihat Gaptaih , JEdwin k hasj been de^ing|ourt lately, and/ rumours are rife- that if ah improvement does not .take/nlaqe; ;shortly, he 'w^ll be given his talking' "ticket the same as the weather propht over '^the other side'? recently received dwben he offered the ; people of Australia -"Weather- -which was not palatable. •■'"•'■•-• .-'"•