WAIKATO DISTRICT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5760, 4 May 1880, Page 6

WAIKATO DISTRICT NEWS.

[from our own correspondent.] Hamilton*, Monday. At a meeting of the Hamilton Comus Dramatic Society, Mr. J. B. Whyte, M.H. B. t was c'ected president; Mr. F. A. Wliitaker, M.H.R., Vice-President; Captain McPherson, Secretary; Mr. T. A. Bell, Stage Manager. The next performance oomes off on the 9th instant, at the Oddfellows Hall, which will seat about 400 persons, and in which a good stage, with ladies' dressing-rooms behind the wings, and gentlemen's dressing-rooms below the stage, ia being built. There are five ladies and six gentlemen working members of the club. The tolls taken on the bridge, lor the month of April, amount to £92. The loss of cattle traffic tolls, caused by restrictions of the Cattle Board, is estimated at £S, so that the tolls for the month reach former average of £100. Considerable dissatisfaction ia expressed at the alleged proposed alteration of trains Oil the Auckland and Waikato railway. According to the latest returns, this railway pays second best of all North Island rail•ways, giving some 30 por cent, on working expenses. About a year ago, the same tliiQg was proposed, but abandonedj and the traffic, with liberal accommodation, has correspondingly increased. The alleged alterations are to have only one passenger-train daily, and a goods tram running south one day and north the nest, and to take no passengers on the Hamilton branch extension. The latter proposal JS harmless, as passengers do not travel the last mile and a-half by rail, preferring the omnibusses. It is urged that when the cattle traffic again commences, the goods traffic of the Waikato could not be served bv the proposed arrangement, and visitors to Auckland would have to remain there two nights instead of one, through tho discontinuance of the regular afternoon downturn.

Cambridge, Monday. No fresh cases of plsuro have occurred— indeed, it is coming to be thought that too mcch has been made of the matter altogether. aud that it would hare been wise to have n: t published every sensational rumour and u:sstble scrap of news. The Auckland papers have acted wisely in simply publishing the business of the North Auckland Cattle Board without going into sensational particulars. The consequeuce is that while cattle are saleable near Auckland, they are reduced 40 per cent, in value in Waikato, and much capital is frightened away from the district. I know of one intending settler -with £10,000, and another with £7000, who, catchina the pleuro scare, have abandoned negotiations for properties in Waikato, and sought other fields for their investments. Inhere is to be a grand field-day tu-morrow *t Gorton, when eleven guns will try conclusions with the pheasants, Mr. K. H. D. Fergusson expecting the commodore and several officers of the men-of-war at Auckland to join the party. Te Awambto, Saturday.

The railway construction between Ohaupo and hero is being rapidly carried forward, and there seems to be no doubt but that the line will be ready to be opened on the 24th May, so that visitors to our annual races will be able to come right through by rail. Te Awamutu will also on that day see the first copy of a local newspaper, the Te Awamutu Chronicle and W<xioa Observer, as it is somewhat pretentiouslv styled. It will, however, be a purely ephemeral affair, printed at the Waikato Times office for that day only, the race-day, and will be filled with local squibs, fun, ani facetiae, with a wee spice of scandal, perhaps. There is, however, serious talk of a second paper being started. A party from Hamilton drove round the district last week, and canvassed the possibility of receivine. it is said, great promises of support, both here and at Canterbury. Our roads are now in excellent condition. Last Friday week a party of four gentlemen from Hamilton performed quite a novel feat in the history of travelling in Waikato, leaving Hamilton at 7 a.m. with a buggy and pair of ponie3, reaching Alexandra via Ohaupo for breakfast. They arrived here midday, went on to Kihikihi, and through Rangiaohia to Cambridge, which latter township'they reached before dark, and having dined there, returned to Hamilton in the evening, arriving at the starting point at 9 a.m. the same night, a distance of about sixty-three miles. It was claimed for the Minister for Public Works and his party the other day that they did this same trip in one day, but then they had four horses, and changed for four fre3h horses oa the road. Mr. Cumming brought his pair of ponies home to Hamilton at night none the worse for their day's work. The new Catholic Church at Kihikihi is being rapidly pushed on, and will make a very handsome building when completed.