THE Bay of Plenty Times. AND THAMES VALLEY WARDEN.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XV, Issue 2203, 17 October 1887, Page 2

THE Bay of Plenty Times. AND THAMES VALLEY WARDEN.

' The Spirit of the Times shall teach ma speed KINQ JOHN, ACT IV. MONDAY. OCTOBER 17, 18S7. The new Ministry enters office at a time when no Ministry ever had a better opportunity of earning the good graces of the country. Wholesale retrenchment is talked of and the tempting bait of no further taxation is offered.. All looks well. The country is to be opened up for settlement, and if the Ministry do not exactly say the Colony is to go ahead by" leaps and bounds " they certainly insinuate that is what is coming. W e shall see. If Major Atkins >n can effect such sweeping reforms now why did he not do so before? He has had ample opportunity. Ho has been iv office year after year, and in Ministry after Ministry! He has added to the National debt more than Sir Julius Yogel. He was the apostle of centralisation, and did more than any other man to build up the present expensive system of G-overnment. Well we are glad to see that he recognises the error of his ways, and we only trust that he will carry out his present promises. "It is never too late to wend " is an ol,dproverb, and it would be^veryypUeu iing to find the Premier "applying it to himself even at this late hour. The Opposition are acting wisely and fairly in giving the new Ministry every opportunity pf showing of what stuff they are made. If they can carry out their promises they wiJl deserve well of the Colony, but Government promises are often slow of fulfilment if ever carried out There is one satisfaction in this that there is a good Opposition to steer the Government straight. Sir Julius Yogel alone is a. host in himself, and with his Canterbury and West Coast phalanx he could mako things very rough for any Government if he had no further support. Outside of Canterbury, however, he has a considerable following. It is generally believed that in any case the new Ministry cannot stand more than one or two sessions, but if they do their work wel), and carry out their retrenchment policy as promised the country will stand to them strongly. They know exactly what is wanted, so definite was the voice of the people in the elections. Will they do it ? That remains to be seen. ,f*~ » f •*- --' Amatteb which will have to be taken up shortly as of incalculable importance to the district is the (drainage and settlement of thie flwarnp lands extending from Te /Puke along the Coast. Theso lands/ are exceedingly rich and only wani/ to be properly drained to be" capable of being transformed into beau/iful farms that would produce anything. Especially for the growth ofivheat, oats, barley, and potatoes they&ould not be beaten and the grazing /they would afford would be hard to/excel. There is an excellent fall but it would cost a good few thousands <& pounds to dig the drains necessary to do what is required* l^ow we wouldfßuggest that the Qo* ernment should be communicated with as to whether they would be willing to sell the land to' a capitalist company at say five shillings per acre on condition of their undertaking to drain and settle it. As matters stand the land is no use to anyone, and G-overnment would derive a large revenue from it if it were settled. It would be an excellent- 'spec." for capitalists because if : the land were properly drained, and roads made through it they would be : able to realize a good price for the land by selling it on easy terms of ' deferred payments on much the same system as the Manchester Block which has been the most successful settlement in New Zealand both as regards the Capitalist Company and the settlers who took up tbe land. If those who are interested in the matter would " fish about " a little, we are sure some individuals or Company would be heard of who would take bhe matter up. j

l ■- • ============== "The Caulfield Cup was won by Oakleigh » Remus being second and Dunlop third. The glove competition for the silver cup ! whioh was undecided on a previous occasion will be completed at Mr Pettengeli's enterI tainment to-night. Captain Edwin wired as follows at 3.40 lp.m. — Northwest, and west and south, very heavy gales, glass rise within next 12 hours, and weather very oold. Beware of packages of injurious stuff purporting to make genuine Hop Bittera ; also preparations and fluids said to oontain all the properties of American Hop Bitters. They spring up on aocount of the great popularity of the genuine, which is only jmt up iv large [square-panel amber-coloured bottles, with the names "Dr Soule," and * 'Hop Bitters'' i blown in the glass, and is the best family r medicine ever made. Read I '

! To -day, boing the anniversary of the opening of the Bank of New Zealand was observed as a special holiday at all the branches of that institution. Mr H. P. Bluett, who arrived by the Clansman on Saturday, brought with bin from Auckland two entires which he poses sending on to tho Opotiki and Whakatane districts. * Tho Tauranga Improvement Company j have accepted Mr Brnu's fender for repair- ' ing the baths, the amount being £22. Thi The work will probably be finished during the first week in November when the bath will be opened for the season. In a recent letter to the Herald Ms Samue Vaile, one of the candidates for Aucklam North Seat, states that at the time of writ ing he had before him a voting paper, dul; stamped and numbered, on which the name' of Thompson and Faraall, (his rival candi dates) were erased. Mi> Vaille wishes t< know how many similar Ampere are out o their proper place. / J The County Council have sent to M i George Fraser, Aucklanfl, some thirty pound of quartz for testing rtirposes. The ston which is from the Te Puke prospectiuj claim, was brought \vko town from Te Puk by Mrß. S. Galbraitfi. There are 1,500 chfarches and other build ings used for public/worship in this Colony there being sitting accommodation fo 256,153 persons. It is estimated tha 191,033 attend service./ ( ?^'o-nightm the T&nper«nce Hall Mr J I Pettengell, champiph middle weight boie of New Zealand, assisted br the member of the Tauranga Gymnastic Club, is to »iv< an entertainment/ the main features of whicl will consist of boxing, single -stick an< Indian club exercises. 'The combination o an exhibition ojF boxing by a champion, anc athletic exercises by our local gymnasts should ensurjfe a full house especially as th< , prioes of admission are very moderate. At the Annual meeting of the Opotik Cricket Club, which was held on Octobe] 7th, Mr Wright stated his intention of presenting a bat to the highest average scorein Club matches during the ensuing season" Mr Wyatt was re-elected President, Mr S. Elliott Vice-President, Mr Walmsley Captain, and Mr W. Elliott Secretary. The boating season has been opened ir Neison with a procession of boats. Of the honorarium paid to members lasl session the sum of £922 10s was deducted for non-attendance. Mr L. M. Grace wa« one of the sufferers, the deduction from hii pay being £34 1 2s. v , _. . :i -^ The Thursday half holiday/yiftDy^H^^j been successfully iaaugur&ift/e|h; J G^^^^f Messrs Tarnball and Hili^h^ye^^3o eomplptdd some extensive alterations' "tSyJlu billfafd room at ~the Star Hotel; ~wTisie*by tjtejomfort of those who affect the bqfetf ■$£jgreen cloth will be much increased. • JKfe ¥<som is now lighted from both aides; #fith€ building and contains a fire-place and -rinsed platform for the convenience of' 'the- -loosen on' The work has "been done under contract by Mr Conway under the supervision^Ofc* Mt A. W. Burrows, architect. « •-■'