WELLINGTON.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 13, 27 October 1880, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

4 — i (FROIC OUR OW.V CORRESPONDENT.) ( THE POST OF ENTRY. ( And so. after all the " Powers that be " ( have decided that Foxton shall remain a Port of entry. I must congratulate you on you" fortunate escape from the iron i clutches of this monster " Retrenchment. , The announcement that the Customs officer would not be withdiawn from Foxton was coupled wih the intimation that Customs officers would be withdrawn from some other minor ports, and that notwithstanding your escape this dm*, the imperative demands of fho retrenchment cry must still be satisfied even iv Foxton, but iv some other way. TheHgRAM) ha* already suggested a scheme, albeit someone felt bis toes rither trodden upon, and it is more than possible that it will come to this yet, as amalgamations seem to be the order of the day. AOBMT ORNBRAI.. The office of Agent General having become vacant by Sir Julius V«gel's retirement, speculation is rife as to who hiR successor will be. Sir Julius himself, ia the days of his power, had a happy way of disposing of disagreeably - obstructive Opposition members by giving them certain lucrative public appointments, and indeed iv one or two instances by giving them seats on the Ministerial benches there tire persons now who seem to think that a Himilnr spirit actuates the present Mm istry and certain prominent oppositionists are pitched upon, each in their turn, as " the cominjr man." The Timaru Herald, however, thiuks that Minister* are men of a different stamp to that, and considers that if the appointment is not offered to Sir Edward Stafford, we may than look forward to a vacancy in the Ministry at no very distant date, adding, with some little force, the adage " blood is thicker than water." "We shall see. Sir Edward Stafford would doubtless be the man for the post, but his acceptance of the office i* a very doubtful matter.l think, even if it were offered him ; and bo far as Ministers are concerned there are only one or two who could be complimented so highly as to bo deemed in any way fit for the position and tho one or two would, I tnink, be onlikely to accept. NEW RAILWAY STATION. The new Railway Station on the Reclaimed Land is rapidly approaching completion. It is not a very imposing structure, indeed it i 3 very much in accordance with our now greatly subdued ideas. Mr Hutchison, in the House of Representatives, said it was the most abominable building he had ever seen, and a friend of mine thought (at that time) that it resembled a rather lengthy cowshed. Hut time changes all things, and time and human device have changed that Railway Station, so that by dint of plenty of putt? and paint and pieces of wood intended to be ornamental nailed on here and there wo at length havo a moderatelypresentable building,wbich is to be used for traffic purposes for the first time on the sret of next month. But if the Station building is of an inferior order, the same cannot justly be said of the Station yard, the Government having very wisely reverted to the original plan and erivon up about onehalf of the Thorndon Reclaimed Land for Station purposes. The numerous lines of sidings are only now being laid, and doubtleas our financial position will not admit of the extensive Goods Sheds and other offices and appurtenances contemplated being erected immediately, but when che Wellington Station is completed in accordance with what is said to be the proper design, if that time ever comes, then »ye shall have no need to complain of lack of conveniences, THR MAYORALTY. The election for the chief magistracy of the. city takes place next month, and the names of four notabilities are already announced as candidates for the suffrages of the citizens. First, is Mr Hutchison, the present, and apparently would-be permanent, mayor. His chances of again <>ccupyipg the chair have been very considerably diminished by bis complete non-success as a representative during last session. His plausible utterances obtained for him the support of the great majority of the working classes previously, but the experi ence now gained, and rather dearly paid for, will, it i< to be hoped, prevent a repetition of any such grievous mistake in the future. Then we have two gentlemen at present sitting as Councillors, viz , Dr. Diver and Mr A. Young, borh of then, excellent men in their respective spheres, but neither of their spheres being politics, either muuioipul or general; and lastly a person named Dvran, an old West Coaster, an auctioneer, whose return is least to be hoped for. lam strongly of opinion that neither of the three last named will get in. and if Mr Hutchison is again successful it will be on account of the weakness of the men put forward to oppose him, and the consequent neceaity of choosing the least of two, or rather four evils.