On Saturday, 21st February, the Wellington Branch of the N.Z.T.A. held its half-yearly meeting at the Trades Hall, Manners-street, Mr F. C. Millar, in the absence of the President and Vice-President, being voted to the chair. The attendance was fair, about sixty members being present. The report and balance-sheet for the half-year ending 31st January were adopted without amendment, the former recording that the branch was in a flourishing condition, the membership having increased from 115 at the end of the previous term to 128. This may be considered exceptionally satisfactory, as the membership is usually less for the August-January period than for the February-July term. The statement of ordinary receipts and expenditure showed that the former amounted to £139 4s 6d, and the latter to £119 3s 2d, leaving an amount of £20 1s 4d to be carried forward. The credit balance is not so large as might have been expected under ordinary circumstances, the expenditure having been considerably increased by the late labor troubles. The sum of £142 17s 9d was received during the term by way of levies and donations in aid of strikers; £13 15s of this amount having been expended by way of relief to the Tramway employees, £5 to the coalminers, and £120 13s as relief to those affected by the late general strike. These figures will show that the Branch has not been behindhand in contributing to the support of their fellow-Unionists who have unfortunately been engaged in strikes during the half-year. A vote of thanks was passed to gentlemen who had voluntarily contributed to the strike funds, several of whom did not belong to the Association. Nominations for the Secretaryship of the Executive Council being required, Messrs D. Archibald and F. C. Millar were nominated for the office; and Mr H. Mason was appointed a delegate to the Trades Council. The Trades Council having brought under the notice of the branch the needy condition of the coalminers on the West Coast, a sum of £2 10s was voted to them. The lateness of the hour prevented other business on the order-paper being gone on with, and the meeting adjourned to Saturday, 7th March.

Trade during the past month has been exceptionally slack, and several members have taken their departure for fresh fields. From all accounts, however, there is little prospect of their being able to better their condition, as the depression seems to be general throughout the Australasian colonies.

Mr C. Wilson, who has occupied the editorial chair of the News for the past three years, and is an honorary member of the Hawke's Bay branch of the N.Z.T.A., left here on the 16th inst. for his new sphere of duties in Marton. He carries with him the kindly wishes of a large circle of friends for his future welfare.

The recent interview between the deputation of the Hawke's Bay branch and the master printers of Napier appears to have had a beneficial effect already, as the Herald proprietary wrote to the recent meeting of the Education Board declining to tender for the Board's annual report, on the ground that prices for tender-work were so « cut » that they would not allow fair wages to be paid. The report in question is foolscap folio in size, and 350 copies have to be printed. The ordinary matter is set in long primer, and tables, which are numerous and heavy, in brevier. The lowest tender sent in for printing this report was 13s 6d per page, which was accepted. A fair price for this work would have been 25s per page, which, even at that figure, will only allow a small margin for profit. Now that the Herald proprietary have shown a good example, it is hoped that the other offices will follow.

A Board meeting was held on the 18th inst. Correspondence from the Executive Council and the master printers of Napier was formally received. The President reported that he and the Secretary had waited on the master printers of Napier anent the formation of a Master Printers' Association, and that the News and Herald were favorable to the innovation, but the proprietor of the Telegraph had completely ignored the proposal. Full particulars of the interview are given in the half-yearly report of the branch. A member of five months' standing (out of work for several weeks) wrote asking whether the Board could give him any pecuniary assistance to enable him to reach Melbourne. The Secretary was instructed to inform the applicant that the rules did not permit of such assistance being given, as he had not been a member of the Association long enough to entitle him to the aid asked for. Out-of-work allowance to the extent of 30s was ordered to be paid, and 15s for advertising in connexion with Whitcombe & Tombs' dispute was passed for payment. A new member was added to the list, and application from two other gentlemen received, but consideration deferred till next meeting. The suggestion of the Executive Council that the branch send items of interest in connexion with the trade for publication in Typo was agreed to, and the Secretary was instructed to supply the news desired. The Secretary reported that seven members had lately seceded, whereupon the Board decided to forward the names to the Executive Council. The Secretary submitted the half-yearly report and balance-sheet to the Board, which was adopted for presentation to the half-yearly meeting. The President drew attention to the fact that the Waipawa Mail (an up-country journal) had recently published an unfounded report that a Napier office which had joined the Association had relapsed, and was now practising non-union principles. The Board instructed the Secretary to communicate with the Mail and give the statement an unqualified denial.

A friendly game of cricket was played on the 21st instant between a saddlery firm and a team chosen from the Herald staff. The men of leather secured a rather easy victory, the scores being—Saddlers, 74; Herald, 38.

The half-yearly meeting of the Hawke's Bay branch of the N.Z.T.A. was held on the 21st instant. The President (Mr G. H. Long) was in the chair, and there was a fair attendance of members. The report of the Board of Management for the nineteenth half-year, ending January 31, 1891, was presented.

[Our correspondent sends us an abstract of report and balancesheet, and a good deal of interesting correspondence in extenso. Our pages, with the exception of this one, were all closed when the letter came to hand. We will make use of it wholly, or in part, next month.]

Nothing of note in connexion with the Craft has occurred here of late; the offices are busy on and off, but things are at times very slack. Four or five hands are now out of work, and some of them contemplate a visit to the other side.

Some uneasiness has been caused in typographical circles on account of the masters refusing to sign the society's rules. The chief bone of contention has been the amalgamation with the Australian Typographical Union; but that has now been settled, and the Auckland Society is only connected with the Trades and Labor Council. One of the largest firms in the city has just sent in a letter to the society notifying their acceptance of the rules, and promising to work by them in every department, and it is expected that the other large firms will promptly follow their example. This will tend to give heart to the comps of our city, and I hope will help to put the trade on a proper footing, and to bring master and man into closer and better relations with each other.

Trade is dull: there are several unemployed, and I do not think there is any prospect of work increasing for some time.

At a meeting of the master printers recently held here it was resolved to form a federation for the colony. This is undoubtedly a step forward, and they are to be congratulated on making this move. It is gratifying to find that the master printers are awakening to a sense of their duty, and instead of following out a policy of individualism and cut-throat competition, they are taking steps to form a federation that, when once established, will prove of immense benefit to all connected with the craft. Trade cannibalism, in the shape of competition at ruinous prices, is not the way to build up a secure business that will ultimately return to its possessor a competency. This federation, then, if established on a sound basis, and properly managed, will, through its extended influence and operation, be the means of eliminating the bitter feeling that has existed between the master printers—at least in some quarters. One uniform tariff of prices for the whole colony, drawn up on a moderate but remunerative scale, would have a beneficial effect.

The delegates appointed by the Trades and Labor Council to wait on the various unions affected, re National Labor Council, have not yet completed their labors. So far, I believe, they have met with a fair amount of succees, and in all probability a conference will be held between the various trade-governing bodies throughout the colony for the purpose of debating the pros and cons of the scheme.

The argument on the appeal, in the case in which Messrs Selig and Bird, proprietors of the New Zealand Referee, were fined £100 or three months' imprisonment by Mr R. Beetham, R.M., for an alleged breach of the Gaming and Lotteries Act, came on at the Supreme Court before his Honor Mr Justice Denniston on the 5th instant. The Magistrate's conviction was quashed, and the rule nisi for prohibition made absolute. This case has created a deal of interest here, and it was the general opinion that the Resident Magistrate's decision was too severe, and not justified by the evidence.