OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 81, 10 June 1879, Page 2

OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. FOBEIGN UMBER. In the present depressed state of our colonial trade, and of the timber trade espe- . cially, it seems veiy unwise policy, not to say unfair to New Zealand millowners, for the Government to be going outside the colony for sleepers ; yet such is the case. A barque was here a week oi- two since, nud discharged a large cargo of Tasmanian sleepers, and the brig Clematis is now alongside the breastwork discharging about 6,00 J more from the same quarter. It is stated, too, that the price paid for these sleepers, delivered in Wellington, is a very satisfactory one ; . in fact, I have heard, and I believe the statement is substantially correct, that contracts hive lately been let in the Colony at a shilling a sleeper less than we have to pay for these. This is damaging our own trade, and losing money iv doing it. NATIVE MATTERS. Notwithstanding the good that the present Administration have effected in some directions, it cannot be denied that in native matters they have been unsuccessful When Sir George Gray assumed office our relationships with the Maoris were of a very satisfactory character. True, the King party held aloof from us, but we could very well afford to laugh at their mock dienity ; but now, through the leading membeis of the present Government thrusting themselves in the most undignified manner into the country where the Queen's writ is inoperative, and indulging in excessive familiari" ties with the natives, the respect which even the proudest rebels could not help feeling for oui* Colonial Government in the days of Sir Donald McLean, has been dis* pelled, and they have been led to think that the Pakehas have need to implore of them, rather than they to submit to us. However, the Government have awakened to a sense if the needs of the hour, and we hear that very warlike preparations are being made at Taranad, but of this we are not in a position to speak ; but preparations of another kind are being made too, on a very effectual plan, if it" is notj.too late to carry it out. The work of railway con 1 struction through the disaffected district, which hitherto has been proceeding at a mo3t tedious pace, is t,o be greatly aocelera' ted, and already tenders have been called for conveying considerably more than 1000 ton 9of rails and about 16,000 sleepers from here to Waitara and more are to follow. Let us have good means of communica* tion through the disuict, ao that any force located there could be easily supplied and rocruited, and tho old " Native Difficulty " will soon be no more. COAL MINING INDUBXIIY. New Zealand is rich in coal and other minerals, yet our coal mining industry does not seem to thrive as it should. Two Wellington companies engaged in this business have suspended operation* lately, and will probably wind up.and at present two of the staam colliers formerly trading between here and the West Coast — the Luna and the Samson — are laid up, and the Grafton only is running. By tie way, the owner* of the Samson, now that she is in the market for sale, are beginning to. realise that their purchase was not a very favorable one. She can only carry about 100 tons,and is very deep in the water at that; and of this quantity she consumes the moderate allowance of 25 tons in making the passage up. For this splendid craft, the sun of about £3000 was paid, and when she was offered to her former owners some timo since at half the money, they replied that they h-td no opening for her. They knew they had made a good sale, and had no desire to make a bad purchase. EDUCATIONAL. The Wellington Board of Education has many faults, but this year it seems bent on restoring itself to tho esteem of Welling, tonians, if building good schools will do it. The Board's estimates for the ensuing year provide for an expenditure of £18,070 in the City of Wellington for new schools and school sites. If this amount is judiciously spent, Wellington should have cause to be pvoud of her primary schools.