The Progress of Wellington.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2815, 4 February 1888, Page 2

The Progress of Wellington.

(From a Correspondent). To those who are at all observant, recent eventß in Wellington could not fail to strike them as showing evident signs of coming welfare, and - creased prosperity. • To those who ) have lived in the Empire city for many years, the position attained muEt be ' still more striking. It is welliwwn that Wellington progressed ahrot at a snails pace in the past, in comparison with Auckland, and particularly Dunedin, but a change'appears to have taken place in the order ofthings. Wellington without any gold discoveries which had such an effect on other towns, is now forging a-head by means of genuine commerce. Notwithstanding the dullness of trade in Wellington as well as all over the Colony, this much abused place is making strides in material prosperity, which cannot fail to be noticed. There is no doubt that the opening of the Manawatu Railway has got a good deal to do with the satisfactory state of things, as also has the splendid harbour and wharf accommodation which makes Wellington the port of call of the direct steamers. I was led into this train of thought on observing four large iron ships alongside the railway wharf loading with wad. for the English market. Some lafeai'sl ago a local paper congratulatecTWei-*" lington on being able to exoprt four bales of wool, and later on the wool ship "Wild Duck" used to fire off guns and leave the harbour, with" as much eclat as though the whole British Navy was leaving the port. But now we have ship after ship of large carrying capacity leaving the , harbor with very little ado, and, as I have said before, we have as many as four loading at once, besides sometimes three large direct steamers, amongst the finest in the world,' lying at the Queen's wharf at one time. There are two there at present; one, I believe, taking in something over 80,000 carcases of sheep. Several large Auckland' and Dunedin firms have taken up their quarters in " windy" Wellington, preferring no doubt, to brave that element and do business rather than do less where all is glorious sunshine. This I should take as one good sign of real progress, and another is the fact of a line of 'busses being started in 'jjfttion to an excellent tram service.pd ally appear to be well patronised. The ' most striking feature in the advance of the Empire City is that of there ". being so many tenders out for the erection of houses. According to the City Valuer over one house per day has been erected in Wellington during the past twelve months. This would possibly be thought little of if a goldfield had been opened up in the neighborhood, or large public works were being carried out, but-in the face of the dullest times we have had for the last sixteen years, it cannot be looked upon in any other than a most favorable light, and if we gauge our present advancement with that which is likely to take place when trade revives throughout the country, we . can hut assume that Wellington will rank foremost in the list of progressive. towns.