"PASSING EVENTS."

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4119, 25 May 1892, Page 2

"PASSING EVENTS."

(By our Wellington Correspondent.) HIGBTUBIQUB. Wellington, Monday. It may be of interest to your readers to learn that the Hon G. F. Eicharcfaon, ex-Minister for Lands, hn3 entered into partnership here with a Sir Beardon, and commenced business in the Land and Financial Agency lme.. 1 understand that the new firm has received substantial promises of support, and that Mr Richardson anticipates making a great success of his latest venture. Everyono will wish the genial ex* Minister heaps of luck, and no one has a greater olaim on popular, sympathy, for Mr Richardson's actions hare ever been those of an honourable aud high-minded man, added to which his courteous bearing and invariable bonhomie have made for him hosts of friends.

News domes from Napier privately that Captain Russell intends shortly to address bis constituentsin Hawke's Bay. I learn that Captain Russell's Bp«ech will be.a great surprise, not to say a severe shock to his ultra-con-servative friends, as he is going to declare himself in favor of giving the Land and Income Tax a fair trial. This on Hit may be taken for what it is worth, but no doubt. Captain Russell, if he does make this statement, will give ns some very interesting information in regard to the novel stand he is reported to have taken up, Captain' Russell never changes his views without good cause, and therefore he has no doubt carefully considered, the question,- and an opinion of this nature coming from a : large'landed proprietor, capitalist, and arrant" Tory" like the gallant Captain will have due weight.

I hear that Mr George JFisber after nil is not going to address the electors of Wellington.. General disappointment will, result if ho does not, »nd I think for his own interests it is tin "unwise decision, but every man knows his own business best. Surely the lion heart of" The People's George" has not turned lo water in his manly breast 1 Or is he so secure in his conviction (hat he is still the popular idol that he thinks such trifles' hs explanations are superfluous I

People capable of judging state that the little trip of the "Hinemoa" to Sydney will cost the country allow a cool thousand pounds. What with new fittings, new uniforms, new paint, stores galore of fruits, game and iced champagne, and other luxuries and necessaries, to say nothing of " unconsidered trifles" such as - coals and wages, it seems quite within the bounds of probability that the little bill will total up to this amount. Fancy r Government pledged to the strictest economy bleeding this suffering country to this tune I They are in» deed a " liberal " Government with the Colony's money, Then Government House is being set in order too. New furniture has been ordered and old furniture has been furbished utp 1 and when Lady Glasgow arrives new paperings are to cover the walls and her ladyship, with her own artistic j vice-regal eye, will personally superintend the painting inside and out, Ye Godß I What a burning there has been lately.. The air has been heavy with the smell of burning feathers—pah I All the bedding has been destroyed in order to guard against any chance of infeotion to the little Glasgows, What an array of broken down bedsteads, smashed crockery, battered chairs and dingy curtains to be sure I Lord Glasgow has been fortunate in striking a Government so anxious to make liim comfortable as this one is. If His Excellency doesn't make those Upper House appointments now he is—well —the soul of ingratitude,

Tho special settlers in the Rangitikei and Manawatu districts are bitterly disgusted with their treatment at the Lands of the Government in the matter of having their sections surveyed. The lands were taken up a year ago, and though repeated application has been made -for a survey it has been entirely without avail. As the winter has fairly set in it would ho useless to survey now and consequently two whole years must elapse before the settlers can ballot for the sections. This doesn't much look as if the Government were so anxious to place the. people on the land as they so frequently protest their chief ambition is,

Prom Auckland comes the rumour tliatSir George Grey, Messrs Jaokson Palmer, and Shorn have definitely stated their jntentionbf putting themselves adrift frorn the Government side aud will act as freelances during the coming session, attacking each side indiscriminately if thought necessary, It is also asserted that Mr Marsden Thompson will no longer continue his support to the Government unless they will consent to restore the freehold tonuve right, Mr Sbera wired down from Auckland the mi'iai.' A ' v luat " t ' le stmm Vttß OUI6I u»j •• i «• ~ becoming too great" Wu.l . r * light of after circumstances meant pretty plainly that his allegiance was snapping;

The Government are going to bo studiously careful this session to avoid what has been called " reckleß.i policy"; in fact, there is tp be a marked change in their tone and actions: Nostartling or revolutionary legislation will be attempted. The above is the substance of a remark nd'Jrcßßed to me by a well known politician in this city, and I really; believe from what I can gather that the Government is desperately anxious ( to restore confidence to the capitalist, and with that end in view they will restrain themselves to tho utmost.. Perhaps wo may hear that finalit/iu connection with taxation has at last been declared, That would of course restore confidence for it is not so much the fear ef ibe present taxation that is driving capital away aa the fearof the great "unknown" future proposals. It will be noticed also that the Ministerial organ, the New Zealand 2%«,''is much more cautious in it's tone than it was.

Statistics for the three months! ending March last show that the frozen meat trade of this Island is enormously greater than that of the South, It would appear that the trade is rapidly increasipg jn the North Island .whil.e slowly, but surely, itis decreasing in the South, Tjie Railway Commissioners' report shows that the Mostertoti Railway Station sends away more sheep for freezing purposes than any. other station' iii tho Colony. Next to Masterton comes- Featherston, which, although considerably behind, js ueverthelet s, with ibe s'inglo exception;

of Masterton, ahead of any other in tho Colony,

Under the provisions of the Naval and Military Settlers-Bill passed last Session a block of land was first set aside' in the Wairarapa .for old soldiers in this province. The district has however now been shunted and a new block of land set aside for the old soldiers quite in the northernmost limits of this province in the worst nnd coldest part of the immense Waimaiino Block, The soil is extremely poor, and a great.portion of the block consists of pumice atone country. It will be a very bitter disappointment for the old.soldiers when they find their "promised land" consißts of cold, mountainous barren country, instead of the land flowing with milk and honey, which they were led to believe they would receive.

Civil Servants throughout the i Colony will rejoice to hear that at last they Are to be favored with a thoroughly sound Bill embracinc provisions for annual inoreasfs, classification, and superannuation. The Bill drafted by the. Public Servico Association at tho request of the Government is now complete, but tho Government having also prepared a Bill of their own, it is quite probable that the Houso will be asked to decide between the two or else effect rn amalgamation of the various provisions of the.two Bills.where they materially differ. The Public Service Association's Bill does not inblude school teachers in its provisions, for it has been very fairly put that owing to the fact of the several Education Boards having the. control. of the schools the same necessity does not exist for providing against the peouliar .hardships that the Civil Service proper suffers under. The Association takes Government printers and lithographers under iis wing but not Railway labourers, or, as stated above, the sobool teariers. It is, however, only fair tuat the school teachers should participate in any general superannuation scheme and provision should be made accordingly, The Public Service Association has now got into full working order aud is doing good work, The admirable •' Journal" issued by the Counoil of the Association is a'step in the right direction, and supplies a long felt, want in providing a medium by .which members of the Service can express their views and state their require' ments, I hear that the Association now numbers nearly 1500 Civil Servants scattered throughout'the length ' and breadth of the colony. Apropos ot the Civil Service, reminds me that a rumor is current to the effect that the Government intends to retire all Postal oioials who have' put in thirty years servico, I trust the rumor is not true, but if it is, I hope that ■ these faithful old officers of the hardest worked and worst paid department in tho.Public. Service will j he entitled to retire on comfortable , pensions,

The Legislative Council will bo numerically very weak this session, The Hon, Messrs C. C, Bowenj Ran.' dall, Jobnsnn and Acland, are absent from the colony, tbe Hon. Mr Shepherd, of Nelson, is laid up with a severe illness and will not he able to attend, and the Hon. J, 0. Richmond, it is stated, owing to failing health, will never appear in the Chamber again, Since last Session the Hon. Messrs . Fulton, J. Martin, and Sir Frederick Whitaker have gone to that " uridiscovored country from whose bourno no traveller returns," and their familiar faces will be missed from their old haunts, none more so than these three for they seemed part and parcel ot the New Zealand House of Lords. Dt mortuis nil nisi lomml Would that we might look for wen of the same calibre in the new appointees I

All your readers have, of course, heard of the threatened invasion of the colony by General Booth's" subl- - tenth"—this contemplated shipment of the scourmgs of outcast London to pollute this fair land with their moral filth, They have also heard the' Government's statement of complete ignorance in the matter, but I think the following rumour has not yet reached the Wairarapa, It is well known that at tho last elections the Salvation Army vote went almost en J/oc.to the Government, and being very naturally desirous of securing a repetition of this vote, the astute Premier thought to curry favour by vaguely hinting to General Booth {hat this over-sea Colony of London oriininals might find a resting place in Ne,w Zealand, never dreaming of course, that he would be taken at his word, It will be instroutive to note how the Government will wriggle out of tho matter, for it is a certainty that tho Colony will hayo none of the General's outcasts,

The Tug-okwar craze is now subsiding and everyone is looking forward to the Catl Hertz Company which opens at the Opera House to-night. .Report has magnified the attractions of this Company greatly, but there is no doubt wo may expect a display of novelties not usually seen in this Colony, not only by that wonderful necromancer, Carl Hertz himself, but by the clever London Mueic Hall artistes who act as buffers to the great illusionist, ?;s«'■ BMfowe lull of strange words suoh as, " Ti ra ra booo>de-ay I" "It ain't wot he says, but its the narsly way he says it," etc, these catch words being billed all over the town to raise the public expectation for the show to-night, and no doubt a (lumper house wijl result, I will write ynu about the show next week. Tho MontagnevTnraer Opera Company also open next week, no we shall have a surfeit of attractions, To-morrow (Queen's Birthday) His Excellency the Administrator of Government, gives a Ball at Govern* ment House in honpur pf JJer Majesty's Birthday, and it promises tp lie a large affair, as nearly six hundred invitations have been issued. But of this for the benefit of the ladies I may tell you more anon, Kosmos,