WELLINGTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2950, 14 July 1888, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

(From our own correspondent):

OUR MWERM,S.

The Evening Post in & late issue had a very able article on the subject of mining, in which'it was pointed out that oa previous occasions of . general depression valuable discoveries of minerals had been made, and that there now seemed a likjihood of history repeating itself in tliis connection. 1 At the sametimo tluHon.MrG.F; Ejoli-: ardson,whoholds the portfolio of Mines, with tliat of lands, was censured, and.most justly, for his remarkable apathy towards the mining industry., I father than • this, and point out{ the general apathy that exist a co ncern ing tbia source of wealth. If 'New' Zealands politician and' journalists have, one fundamental article of faith; if they make one boast louder : tlian-, another, that faith and that boast is the vast but undeveloped mineral, of, this country. .London boasts itstrade, Sydney", our beautiful harbor," Melbourne, the wideness of its streets and .its "enterprize, but the New passes his liand with lordly wave over map of his territory and exclaims " The most magnificient mineral j*. sources in the worldl" And that is about all lie does. With the: exception of a little steady mining on the West Coast of the Middle Island, aiid at the Thames, and on the Southern goldfields, the "vast resources" remain pretty well unsoratobed, for the future use of Victorians, Chinese, or who ever else has the energy and nous ,to dig them up.

GOVERNMENT PBOSPEOTINO.. It is the fashion in New' Zealand for -Government to perform, and to be expfected to perform all sorts of grandmotherly functions no other, civilized Government attempts. Here Government feeds the unemployed, puts them on the land,- builds 'useless railways and potters about a lot' of unremuneraI 'tiVe jobs generally. About the only thing Government, with state capital, could make pay, it gives the cold shoulder to —scientific and thorough prospecting for the. " vast mineral xeaourcfts' 1 aforesaid. Certain I am, as I can be certain of anything, that a payable goldfield exists not two miles frojn Wellington General Post . Office, and there,uuworked, and despite the local moiins of depression, it is likely to exist. It may be said that such enterprises ought to be undertaken by private capital. Bo they ought, but the fact remains they are not. . The truth is, small capitalists' have • been bitten so ofton by reputed gold miuea ivhioh contained; no gold, 6r by'leads. ,which were never properly'prospected or thoroughly worked, that they statid aloof# Moreover, companies liaye obtained a bad name in New Zealand, principally through the fault of shareholders who poy- up merrily just bo long as a venture is a novelty, and refuse to pay just at the pinch, or the crisis of the, undertaking. In • mauv cases Companies have abandoned mines where good gold is' and would have been struck with a few more weeks', perseverance.' Why does not Government in these bad times go to work—as no New Zealand Government ever lias yet-to discover and open up mines. It is said that there is a party in the House, the landed interest,. that discourgaes miniii". This, on the face of it, is absurd. Anything that would bring settlement or population must be as beneficial to the landed as to any other interest. At any rate the " Bloated Squatter" just now is in a minority, and the "Friends of the People" rule the roast. Why do not the " Friends of the People" justify their self-inflicted title by doing something for the people? At present all they have done is to tax them. ILLNESS OF' HIEMIEK, I regret to say that Sir Harry Atkinson is again confined to his room with a severo cold; the Speaker is also hors-de-combat with, a similar affliction, and the House generally coughs and, sneezes with a sickly iteration. If members did not also indulge iu quite so much private con. versation during the course of public business it might be better for all concerned. But recently a stranger mighthave supposed himself to be not iu a pluce where the business of the country is conducted but in a cafe—a cafe chanlantMr Fish is not laid up however; he is still audible but never audibly still,

.. . AMUSEMENTS. There continues to be a dearth -of public amusements in Wellington, On Monday night, however, the Wellington Amatour Operatio Company open for a season of six nights in lolauthe. There is a rush for seats,' and the Amateurs will most probably have, bumper houses. On Monday evening the class that frowns .on theatrical entertainments will be regaled by Sir George Whitmore with "Reminiscences of Waterloo," at which Yolunteers are ordered to appear in uniform. It is not generally known that Sir George served at Waterloo, but such would'appear, from the advertisement, to be the case, If he was there he wears remarkably well, On Saturday (14th inst) the Native Team of Footballers plays Wellington at Newtown Park, and a grand game is anticipated, THE MAYOII'S SALARY,

The existing cry for retrenchment is miking itself beard in hitherto unsuspected quarters, The Welling, ton City Council, not to be behind, have passed a 'resolution fixing the"' salary, or honorarium, as they called it, of. future Mayors at £lO5 per annum. This gave considerable umbrage to Councillor Petherick, who «Biwpeqted of a dark .design to aeiiw

the Mayoral 'seals < of" November. At the-debate (jj'oa'Hhe^fl ftsaeirtioii'. was Kiohardson and J, Young to tlielffeciflf tLat were Mayors in by£|f the :.Co jaiid %oit tlitf to the honor'and ■digiutyiorihe'ioiy{of]| chair tliah at ijpimft% delicious considering !that t%'coracilS lora are of ing also the tlieyi lora) continually'play before "higrjji , MI3CELIANEOUS.- M ' More economy: Defects BeiiijainjH has boitrne Exhibition. To our" loading upon the scoop, The Speaker of the Viotonan'AssfiH bly has just prociired ftm EngMjM robes and a. wig^the'p™ewtpfitM parts of those worn by Speaker oml the English Commons.! The Robos are so heavy with gold lace|| that they-stand upright'-with/ Speaker inside: to support , themr^-All, the .Melbourne papers are in'a pspirafS tion of delightiWith the robes,>< The Australasian gives two) fags' of them, .The female la ereme of Mejbourne Society" visits, to' the rbomjwiiere these garments wig and gown. How Melbournites£| would-have worshipped' the ;'Goldenfs!( Calf in the .Wilderness I:-. tralasian asserts that it is suspected;in the' Harry Atkinson has all along;' been;i'irs| league withßobert Stout .to; give:liw|l| own party the go-by,; and carry a pblidySM of.protection by,the votes of the,| Opposition, with a view to taking' the"l leadership, of a. distinct protectidmsil'S party, perhaps witli Sir Robert Stout J ? as ft colleague, a? soon alMiBoBSs! can get a seat,"