WELLINGTON NOTES.
[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.]
(Special to Star.)
WELLINGTON, This Day
At present the City Corporation has jurisdiction only over scaffoldings on the outside of buildings that are in course of erection. The Labour Department having written to the Wellington City Council suggesting that the Corporation should supervise internal as well as external scaffoldings on private property, so as to secure the safety of workers, the City Council referred the suggestion to the Bylaws Committee, with a recommendation to draft the necessary by law.
The Wellington Trades Council has decided to ask the Premier to receive a deputation, which will present a request that all stationery used in the Public Service should be manufactured in the colony. A lengthy discussion took place regarding complaints from Unions against the refusal of the Labour Department to take breaches of awards before the Court. Delegates quoted instances in support of their complaints. The discussion was postponed.
After five years of excellent service, Mr Aitken, M.H.R., has decided that he will not again be a candidate for the Mayoralty. There are already four candidates in the field for the next election viz., Councillor John P. Luke, Councillor W. H. P. Barber, M.H.R., Mr O. H. Baylis (who has had some experience on local bodies), and Mr T. Wardell, who is a member of the Miramar Council.
The Wellington City Council has decided to submit borrowing proposals to the ratepayers to the extent of a quarter of a million sterling. The following are particulars of the five items in the new scheme of municipal enterprise:—
(1) £190,000 for the construction of a new storage reservoir at Wainui o mata, extension of 30in main from the existing dams there to the new reservoir, an additional reservoir at Karori, equipment of a Venturi meter, construction of filters at both water works, new mains in Wellington Ward, purchase of new catchment area at Karori, and planting of same, pumping plant, etc.
(2) £20,000 for the erection of a new destructor plant and necessary refuse waggons and equipment.
(3) £7500 for additions to the Central Public Library, so as to increase the accommodation for the public.
(4) £25,000 to enable the Council to take over the public lighting of the city, purchase existing running rights and service equipment (with the exception of machinery), and provide new installation.
(5) £7000 to complete the levelling and laying out of Kelburne Park.
Writing to Mr E. Bezar, of this city, who was formerly sergeant major of the 57th Regiment, Captain Goodwyn Archer, superintendent of the Veterans’ Home, gave some interesting particulars of the hardiness of some of the veterans. Two began to fight the other day, and had to be separated, but in an hour they were hard at it again. Their ages were 88 and 84 years.
Recently a funeral was ordered for another veteran who was supposed to be dying. A firing party, a gun carriage, and bands’ escort were arranged, but the veteran declined to muster for his funeral, took a recovery turn, and is alive and well, “getting through beefsteak and onions for breakfast,” as the superintendent puts it. The old warrior’s age is 87 years.
For the four weeks ended January 7 the railway revenue for the colony amounted to £201,188, as against £190,627 for the corresponding period last year. The North Island revenue was £88,832, and the South Island £112,356. The revenue for the year, as far as it has gone (282 days) amounts to £1,643,438, and the expenditure to £1,124,526.
