Wellington Items

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3403, 7 January 1890, Page 2

Wellington Items

(From Our Own Correspondent.) In general appearance, the Empiro City is certainly improving, and it is pleasing to notice on every hand the erection of huge buildings of tho most modern architectural design. Tlie dilapidated looking edifices which were our warehouses in the, fifties are fast boing raized to the earth, and in their stead can he observed structures which are creditable to the town, and .which speak volumes for tbe advance 'being ; inado in commerce generally. : Aniongst the buildings most .recently _ erected is that of Messrs Scoullar and Cliisholm, house furnishers, etc., which is four storeys in height, is stooked throughout, - and' displays to the greatest advantage the elaborate and

elegaiit goods manufactured, on the premises. By this building alone the appearance' of'lambton Quay lias been improved, in a marked degree. ' ~ .

Ond of the most undesirable blessings that can be bestowed upon a Now Zealandor is to be compelled to take up his abode in Wellington, It will doubtless be asked why so? Well hi the first place he is in imminent danger of being blown into regions less blissful and less dusty, and in the second, if he remains, he is almost certain to become a victim to 'the fiery element, or .other element equally ' destructive, i. Youv readeril will agree with me % this'respect, when I state-that for not a single night during the past week have the happy residents been permitted to remain undisturbed in their Blumbors, A domesticated- husband might in time be able to endure the midnight screeches and screams of a troublesome juVeiiiie if it be the first—but the clanging 61 bells/and the sudden shook sustained thereby is somethiiig from whioh your humble servant ; for tine 'would; pray to be released,. It is gttitjfyipg, however, to reooi'd thai;rjvit)i'.sli the 4 'alarm's given, little real destruction has been caused, :

: Speaking of juveniles reminds mo of the show- of one hundred of ! the "dearest,-' daintiest, and prettiest little darlings in tlie southebi. llemisphere/' which opens, in -the.', skating rink'this evening. And the jealousy which will exist amongst the hundred, maternal guardians ou the day of-the distributibn'of'prizCs'inay 'be' fliore easily imagined than described-; '• Pioture, forinstouoe, one mother-nay, 1

might say a hundred ; ruehitfg about the hall in wild eutbusißßtn; 'eacli convinced that ljer has been wrongly judged,!and should havoleen awarded theohampion prizo and this is indeed likely, toitransjiire, for each mother .will consider her child the best. And the dear little olive brandies, what will they 'liink of it all 1 Well, I suppose the successful ones willj liKe 'tlTe male po'rtioli of "a poultry show, keep up a continual crow, and the public will have ' the benefit of it. But-again; these shows are not at all legitimate, for whilst the distribution of prizes is to:be deoided on the public vote,[a good deal depends upon the "guardian of the infant,. This was proved clearly in Melbourne,'! where the child exhibited in the arms of a charming young damsel,, with dark, penetrating eyes, splendid conversational powers, and wholly' fascinating' manner was awarded ohampion prize. However, this may not be so bore, arid T will therefore. drop the ; subject- for the present. , A . crioket match lias been commenced on the Basin between teams representing Auokland and Wellington, So far our local boys have been very successful,; arid it is thought that they' will' give'; tlie- a "proper doing," The ..latter made 18 on their first innings' and Wellington Al9. Auckland continued and totalled 87 for seven wickets. The match - will- be continued at noon to-day.

A monster art- union has been arraliged"'to take place : early 'in February, in aid of the Free Public Library, in connection .witli which- is j ts bo held 1 a band contest aud word competition. The affair is being taken up' here with the- greatest interest, and will doultless - be a success. - Full particulars "will bo found in the daily papers. The weather is now exceptionally, fine, audi as the 'holidays are over will doubtless continue so. Ff<fepast experiences, -Why tins should be bo is a mystery unsolved.

Antipodean Fruit and Vegetables (Dunedin Star London Correspondent) London',; December 16. Acting on the suggestion of several interested Anglo-colonists. I yesterday called, on" .Mr "William Shepherd, one of the leading frnit merchants of Spitalfields Market, with a view, to ascertaining particulars of price,, quality,; and condition of the numerous .consignments of Australian apples, received here last season. Mr Sheppard himself was absont, but on leavnirig my business his "better-half' kindly introduced mo to their foreman who, she explained, know a .great deal more of-the. matter than her husband. The said foreman told me in the course of-conversation that ho had been in tho fruit and vegetable trade for over forty years, and had within the past five spent some months in South Australia, Tasmania and Noiv -Zealand, where he had splendid opportunities to observe tho methods of the Antipodean fruit growers, . 1

, "Well 1 " I asked, '' what do you think'of the apples that have been shipped so far." • ■ "As to quality/' he replied, " you could- not wish' for better, especially the scarlet permains and nonpareils. They are really splendid, quite equal to the American New .Town pippin—and would fetch a good price, if the exporters could only be persuaded to take more pains in packing them. Last year, for.iustance, some scarlet permains como over wrapped in paper and fairly well packed. - These realised as much as 16s per case; but others, badly packed, only brought from Is to lis."

. " Faulty packing it., I suppose, the grert drawback ?'■ ;

" Yes, colonial'notions of packing appear, to ho very .crude, Apples should' be packed very tight, -and if possible, wrapped.'in paper like oranges. It. would pay the exporters to take more pains in that department."

"Perhaps," I hazarded, "if an expert, who knew the English market and all tho •' ins and outs" of the trade, were to go to the colonies and givo thorn a few wrinkles it might be an advantage?"

• "Just the thing, especially if they secured a real A 1 man-one mind you who knew tho business thoroughly—to look to the selection ofgood keepers, and'the packing, shipping, etc, The Antipodean fruit trade would then develop into a big thing. You seo, the apples from South Australia and Tasmania would arriyo here just as we are getting short of all sorts, and the first two or three shipments ore threfore .bound to command .very re-, munerative prices.. This ia, of course; providiiig' they arrive in good condition. To insure that, the apples should be picked.a couple of weeks earlier than is usual out tliere, and tightly packed; otherwise—well, they'd abetter koep 'eiiiiathoiiie. Of course, now I am referring solely to' the good sorts liko permains and nonpareils. Its no uso sending, the inferior fruit." My informant then told mo that last j ear a couple of bags of white onions had been sent, to Spitalfields market from Qoelong. They were iii lair condition , notwithstanding their being in bags instead of boxes,. but owing to the large' quantity on the market they only realised indifferent rates. Onions were only - making about £i per ton last year. Now, : however, the.price is liunr 2v : , and in February and March tlioy will. bo commanding from 111.to £l2, If the colonials-would ship a quantity of good white onions (rod ones won't sell) packed in cwt 'boxes, so as- to arrivo here abo.ut the latter end of February, they would find the venture highly profitable, I feel sure, that about the time mentioned onions are likely to bo scarce', and the colonial article will conie in oil a rising market. My informant further Med that New.Zealand did not at present grow any apples of sufficiently fine quality to be worth exporting. Ho added, however, that when lie was ic; the colony a fow years -;back 'plenty of people were planting orchards of suit, alile trees, and in'tiine iiO; doubt the New Zealand fruit raight'successfully compete with the South Australian or, Tasraanian, n -; X