WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 December 1924, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

THE WUOI, .MARKET; (Special to “Guardian”.) WELLINGTON. December ,1. The Wellington wool brokers are rather pleased at the fact that throughout the Dominion the tendency is lor wool growers to market iheir wool foeally rather than ship ho L'undtm for sale there. This is •shown by the expanding catalogues at all selling centres'. Wellington could not offer much wool at the first sale because of the unfavourable weather, which delayed shearing and made transport very difficult. For Wellington’s second sale there will lie a tremendous catalogue. Five sales are to he held this month beginning at Auckland on Friday, followed by the Napier sale on December 11), and Wellington on December 111. The buyers then go south for sales at limaru on December 17, and Dunedin on December 2d. In January when the bulk of the clip will he available there are to he seven sales, which will give buyers some travelling to do. No fixtures have been made for February and March and it was hoped with tho consent of Hie buyers to give Gi.shonlo a sale this season. It seems that there is to lie no regulation of offerings this month because none is needed, for although catalogues show an improvement on lasi season the offerings are still comparatively small. Rut next month wool will roach the selling centres in tremendous quantities, ami it will he impossible to oiler Ihe lot, consequently then* will he need for regulation. The Wool Committee has not yet been set up. hut that should lie attended to immediately, for brokers will want to know as early as possible the quantity that can he catalogued by them. Prices are so ex Iremely good just now that it is Imped growers will not make the mistake of placing high reserves on their clips. The buyers know that current prices are good and they resent any attempt to try and force them to pay more than the wool is honestly worth. At Wellington there was the unusual incident of the buyers requesting the brokers to withdraw several lots of tin* one brand because tin* reserves fixed were much too high. At Christchurch 100 when a lot was passed at a good priie. the buyers would not tolerate the rest of the clip being offered. This action of the buyers is certain to have a salutary effect on growers with fanciful ideas of I,he value of their dips. OLD llorSF PROPERTY.

Considerable Ira Hie in old house property in AVcllington is reported. As a matter of fact building operations are going on steadily and with new houses and reconstruction of old houses it should not be long before there is some easing of the housing dillieult.v. The transformation ol old houses into modern dwellings is a conspieioiis part of .building oporatiinii. in Wellington. It is being iiinloi taken as a speculation and Irani all accounts it is very profitable. It is also to be noted than in many of the suburbs quite a number of new houses are being creeled, and this would I"' vastly inn-cased if transport facilities wen.* provided. The C'it.v ( oiim-il " expel inieiit with the railless car is said to have proved sin ecsslol ami there an' many suburbanites wlm would I" .'la.| to ... it . , ,1. M ion The t II v ( lias not M't com.' to a d.'liioile arrangement with respect to the Rowell St. tram route. ’I Ins matter has been under negotiation for the past twelve months and docs not seem to lie near solution. Resides this speculation in old houses for renovation and reeotisl rnslioii, a

; ;ood deal nl' money is beilio invested in cit v property in the miiiii I'ares. There lire sonic rickety old houses in some of our principal streets mill us most of these are held in trust, or deceased (‘states there is ooiisiderahle diliieiilty in persiiadine the trustees to sell. I h(*s(* shops and warehouse art‘ let and the collection of rents becomes a vested interest. The old out id date buildiiej;s will remain until the City ( oiineil condemns, and orders their removal. KI.KCTItIC CII.VXCK OVK.n.

IM,IM lull. I 11 i• i < Very soon there will lio n <hnn<:oover 111 tile City's electrical syst.no from 10.-, t„ -JOll volts, mol there ore iplest ions to apparatus. The May,,l- lias stat.nl that as a mat tor of equity lho basic principle bail boon accepted that all oin ilovioos, snob as lamps, irons, motors, ole., which had been in use ami lor which permissin to nso same had been oranted bv the dopartmonl. should bo replaced or provided for at the expense of the depart mont. The Council and the liohtiuo depailmetit will boar such share ol the cost, as will place the consumer in the same position when the dm tine-over is coins plotod as lie was under the Mid volt system. The .Mayor stated that it wiis proposed to set up an ONohanyo system as the change-over weld ahead. As the Work' pmurcssed the department would have upon its hands a considerable quantity of material, particularly of ltld volt lamps and certain oilier appliances which were more easily replaced than altered to the new voltage, of no further use to the consumers in the channe-ovor districts, but still of considerable utility value for the districts not then reached by the ehaiH'e-over system. Such articles would be made available to 10d volt current purchasers at a very reasonable price. As the whole ehan.ne-over neared completion the department would have to lin.l other means of disposin'; of the accumulated appliances.