WELLINGTON NOTES

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 92, 7 March 1885, Page 3

WELLINGTON NOTES

Wellington, March 4. Price of Railway Sleepers. For some time past Government have been inviting tenders for a large number of sleepers' for the North Island trunk railway and other works, but the price is so high that the full amount will not be accepted, and fresh tenders will, it is thought, be called shortly. Should the high price of sleepers be maintained in the colony, tho Cabinet will consider the question of importing sleepers.

The General Assomoly. It is understood that Parliament will be further prorogued till April, when Government will finally decide upon the day on which members of both Houses will be summoned for the despatch of business.

Lighting the Exhibition. A meeting of the Lighting Committee of the Exhibition has agreed to light a considerable portion of the building with electricity and the remainder with gas. Changes in tbe Public Works Department. It is rumoured in official circles that Mr O'Connor, the present Under-Secretary for Public Works, retires from that position on leave of abeence, and that he will at no distant date succeed Mr Blackett as Engineer-in-Chief. The latter, it is stated, will retire on a pension. Mr Thomas Mackay, late Native Land Purchase Commissioner on the West Coast, succeeds Mr O'Connor as Under-Secretary for Public Works.

Settling the Armed Constabulary. The Native and Defence Minister, who has just been doing such good work in the first-named capacity, is stated to have a good project to introduce in connection with land and defence. This is no other than a scheme to reduce the nominal strength of the Armed Constabulary without impairing its effective power, and, at the same time, to settle certain sections of Crown lands. To prevent the men discharged from the Constabulary leaving for other colonies it is proposed to allow the men to take up small settlements, of say 100 acres, on easy terms, under the deferred payment system. The settlements are to be on the West Coast and along the route of the Northern Main Trunk Railway, and in each case to be in close proximity to the public works. These settlers will be allowed rations, and in return they would be expected to give service to the Government. The regulations will be gazetted in a few days, when you will learn more of the proposal,