THE The Bay of Plenty Times. AND THAMES VALLEY WARDEN.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XX, Issue 2850, 4 July 1892, Page 2

THE The Bay of Plenty Times. AND THAMES VALLEY WARDEN.

'The Spirit of the Times shall teaoh me speed. — Kiig Joto.Aetir. MONDAY, JULY 4, 1892.

By tli is time, we presume, most persons who lake an interest sufficiently keen in ibe political affairs of the Colony, to uudertake the task of i reading and assimilating the contents of Mr Bal lance's Financial Statement, have done so, and come to the conclusion that taken as a whole it is good and acceptable. One point that must be regarded as eminently satisfactory is that Government is understood to express a conviction " tU&t the time has arrived when the native land?, which are rapidly increasing in value from the progress of colonisation going on around, should pay the same tax as other private lands." This is a matter for which we have contended often in these columns, and it is one becoming daily more urgent. The natives are now progressing fast in the path of civilised life of the agricultural and pastoral class and are at the same time assuming therewith the tights, manners and customs of the European landowners, and it is only just that they should also be made to assume the responsibilities of the station as well. There are large i sections of roads within our own County where the native traffic with i drays and horses equals or exceeds that of European settlers, this is especially the case in the neighbourhood of flax and flour mills, yet while the native derives, relative to his requirements and habits, far more profit from his commercial transactions carried on by means of the road, than his European neighbour, he contributes actually nothing to its maintenance. Mean wliile the native of to— day is as fully wide awake to the value of the unearned increment in the value of his land, as any European speculator; thus, wmle the net amount of rates required to keep the jointly used road in repair actually increases upon the European property, this latter has to be still further burdened by taxations in order to purchase for further settlement, the native land with the increased value earned for it, not by the native owner, but by the unfortunate European landholder and ratepayer. It is truly a marvellous and anomalous state for the legislation of a highly civilised country to be in. We believe such a case is without parallel in the history of any other annexed, conquered * or protected country in the world. Mr Ballance's proposed remedy for this state of affairs, however, is hardly as satisfactory to us, as his boldly expressed conviction that some remedy is necessary. He appears to propose to hold a threat of levying rates, in terrorem, over the heads of the native race, as a means of persuading them to sell to the Crown certain blocks of land ! which are at present desired to be obtained for settlement, with the understanding that if this be acceded to, the imposition of rates will be indefinitely deferred. We cannot but regard this as a mistaken policy. Let the rates be fairly imposed at once and we shall find the natives willing to sell soon enough, and with due precautions agaioit leaving *iem landless, & satisfactory solution pf fta

land problem would we believe be arrived at, especially if the Government at the same time devotes'earnest attention to a complete retision of the laws regulating the sale and purchase of native lands. A move in this direction has long been urgently wanted, and a consideration of these two questions might very profitably be carried on concurrently.

Many local bodies throughout the colony, and our own in this district among the number, will learn with regret and alarm that the Government has decided to reduce the subsidies hither • to paid to them, by one half next year and to abolish them altogether in 1895. The little legal fiasco of the wrongful appointment of Mr Edwards to a Judgeship, is estimated to cost the colony £800. Extensive preparations are now going on for the ball on Wednesday evening and we have been asked by the Committee to afford the following information to intending guests. A cloak room will be provided for ladies upstairs and seats will be placed in the gallery for lady spectators. Further provision will be made for spectators on the left hand side of the entrance where raised tiers of seats have been provided, overlooking the band stage. A gentlemen's cloak room will be found! on the right hand side of the entrance. . The County Council and Charitable Aid Board both fiold their monthly meetings tomorrow ; the former will open and deal with tenders for the maintenance of the County roads for the ensuing twelvemonths. Mr J. H. McCaw, Town Clerk, left by the Clansman on Saturday for a short but well earned holiday. The change will, we hope enable him to resume his duties on return with his accustomed energy, and completely restore his health. We don't know what the * oldest inhabitant J has to say about our weather lately, but if he can rake up anything in his antediluvan memory to beat the moist, bleak wretchedness of Saturday and yesterday and to-day, we hope he won't mention it, or our reputation for «m unexcelled climate will be ruined in one act. is a prospect of Te Puke again seeing the cheese factory in operation shortly as we understand, that Mr Goss, senior, has! made arrangements to work it next season, and is nqw'getting "things into order. We hope he will 'meet with the cordial support of the settlers, as the existence of a cheese factory is a greajtadvantage to the district. A change>-for the worse .occurred in the weather on Friday night and Saturday was a hopelessly wet day. /The past month was the wettest Jyin& for majiy years: past, and appearances point to a generally wet winter. The Te Pake road beyond Mr Brown's farm irvery much cut up and on Friday night two waggons were stuck there. Phoenix-like Mr Bennett's flax mill at Te Fake has arisen from its ashes jind has now oommpneed running JolT tintie^tfgaj»j-%£l will now we hope meet with no further mishaps,

The export of fat cattle and sheep is continuing from onr eastern settlements. On Friday a mob of 30 head of fat beasts were driven through here en route for the Thames, by Messrs Vercoe Bros, and on Saturday a number of sheep were shipped for Auckland, per s.s. Clansman, by Mr P. 0- Crump. Mr Webb, of Belle Vue House, intimates that he wishes for someone with means to take over his establishment as he wishes to go to England. He offers meals at Is ; beds, Is 6d ; and horse feed, Is. His wines are having a large sale in this district, which is no wonder considering their first-class quality and the low price at which they are sold. We understand that Mr A. Turner has purchased some 500 tons of firewood at Whangamata, which he intends bringing to Tauranga by his vessel, the Margaret. A movement is on foot to obtain a charter for a Working-men's Club in Tauranga. The s.s. Australia will call here from Auckland on Wednesday morning and sail for East Coast ports and the South ot 10 a.m. / The old ballast waggons, which ha/jpeiib long lain decaying on the allotment opposite the Government Building, axenowjbdmg broken up, by drdepxOfthe Gart'ernmetrt, by Mr A. Haua, the ironwork only being saved for sale or farther use.

Major Clarke will leave with his family, by the s.s. Australia on Wednesday next to take charge of the Native Sohool at Hick's Bay. Major Clarke has been for many years resident in this district and his many friends, while regretting his departure, will wish him every success in his new quarters. The Auckland Branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has communicated with Mr Jackson Palmer with the view of obtaining some amendments in the Police Offences Act. It appears that great t difficulty has been experienced by the Society in punishing owners of horses for allowing them to be worked when in an unfit state, and that the drivers of horses in this condition rather than risk the chances of dismissal by their employers, frequently take out animals who are suffering from sores. The Object of the amendment to be brought forward by the society is to punish the owners of horses unfit to be worked, rather than the drivers, who simply act under instructions.

The severity of the weather this winter is a subject of general comment. It may, therefore, be some consolation to known that it cannot yet be claimed to be the coldest winter we have had. On August 7, 1874, Dunedin Harbour in the vicinity of Anderson's Bay and Vauxhall was covered to the extent of many l acres with sheet ice— an occurrence said to be unprecedented since the settlement, and one j which has not occurred again so far. — Otago Daily Times. The Postmaster-General proposes to make a rule by which the post office shall be responsible for the loss of a registered letter to a maximum of £2. A lucky Civil servant in Auckland, in one of the public departments in the Customs Buildings, is said to have come into a legacy of about £20,000 from England. The Hon Mr A. J. Balfour, addresring a meeting at Manchester on June 29, expressed the opinion that the adoption of a universal eight hours' system would probably destroy British industry, and declared that he was willing to ameliorate the condition of the working classes in every way short of such cast iron legislation. A correspondent of the Wellington Press suggests that it would be an excellent thing for the Governor to advise Her Majesty to confer the honour of knighthood on some leading member of the native race. Baronetcies have been conferred on Indian personages, why should not a great Maori chief be honoured with the smaller dignity? Considerable progress is now under way in the last block of 17,000 acres of Government land, near Onewhero (Lower Waikato), most of which was taken up some months ago, some I ten or fifteen miles further back than Onewhero Some hundreds of acres of bu3h will be felled this coming season, and already several large ; contracts have been let, ranging at from 22s to 24s per acre for felling the timber below two ! feet m diameter. The settlers are agitating for a road to be constructed through the native block to come through Onewhero.

The best medicine known in Sander and Son's Eucalypti Extract. Test its eminent powerful effect in coughs, colds, influenza, etc.— the relief is instantaneous. Thousands give the most gratifying testimony. His Majesy the King of Italy, and medical syndicates aH over the globe axe its patrons. Bead the official reports that accompany each botttle. Moeler, M.D., Prof. University, Greifswald, :— The Eucalypti Extract proved magnificently success • fulin very severe contusions, bruises, sprains, wounds, scaldings, broken ribs, and limbs. (Metl. Journal^ Nov., 1881). In diseases of the kidneys, either active congestion or sappiession (urcemia) or albuminuria, dropsy, lithiasis nothing will equal in its action Eucalypti Extract Doses, sto 8 drops. Mesler, M.D., Prof. Uni \ versity, Greifswald, reports: — Diptheria. Tonsils continually coherent presenting ulcers with white exudata. Cured in 14 days. Surgical Clinic of Prof. M'lntyre, College of Physicians and Surgeons, St. Louis— Scirrhus of Breast Excision. Eucalypti Extract employed. No swelling, baa ox djff^rAtjop.Caiea a U d&yi.—[Adrt. j