LATEST WELLINGTON NEWS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2740, 4 February 1890, Page 2

LATEST WELLINGTON NEWS.

(by telegraph—phkss association.)

Wellington, Last Night. Tun Superintendent of the Cable Company has advised the Press Association that the Scotia, 4007 tons 550 horse power, and owned by the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company will leave London for New Zealand on tho 20th inst. with New Zealand duplicate cable on board.

A start has been made to pump tho water out oE the barque Willie McLaren, which sank in Worser Bay some months I ago, and it is expected the vessel will be afloat by to-morrow. The early closing movement which has already been in active operation at Christchurch and Auckland for some time is now taking a definite shape in Wellington, and a meeting of supporters will be held in the course of a few days. The correspondence received from the E:irly-closing Association lately formo'l at Christchurch shows that its members have resolved to seek in the first; place the closing of shops atone o'clock on Saturday afternoons, with Friday night for late business, hoping in time to educate tho public to doing without night shopping altogether. At the annual meeting of the Wellington Gas Company, the report of the directors recommending the payment of a further dividend of G per cent, and making up a total of 13£ per cenr for the year was adopted. The chairman, in moving its adoption and declaration of the dividend, alluded to the falling off in consumption of gas, through the loss of street lighting, and the general habits of economy made possible by modern improvements, but expressed his confidence that gas will have nothing to fear from competition with electricity in the long run, this was not his opinion alone, but also that of eminent gas engineers in England. The Arawa left Rio, homeward bound on Friday last, her cargo of frozen meat being in good condition, The Eastern Extension Cable Company have intimated their Wellington Agent to reduce the rate per word in New Zealand cables to twopence per word for special messages, reporting the Federal Conference, such messages to be subject to the usual conditions applicable to press telegrams.