WAIKATU DISTRICT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6253, 1 December 1881, Page 3

WAIKATU DISTRICT NEWS.

[from ouk own cvrkkpo; bests.] Hamilton, Wednesday. Now that the fine weather has sst in, and the natives are able to get about across the swamps a recommencement of kaori gum digging has taken place at Hokonui, a few miles trom here. Yesterday Mr. Isaac Coates, of East Hamilton, purchased two tons of a. very superior quality of kauri gum from the natives, which had been obtained at Xawhai, near the Woodlands station of the Waikato Land Association. There have been some chacges in the trusteeship of the Volunteer and Pnblichall site, and <* committee of management for the hall has been appointed. The following is the committee of management for the new hall : —The engineer of Hamilton ex ojflcio ; Messrs. Logic and Sandes, to represent St. Peter's Suuday-se'.io'jl ; Messrs. Knox and O'Neill to represent the public : and Lieut. Hunt and Corporal Woods to represent the volunteers. Whether it is the effect of the new Gaming an.-1 Lotteries Act, or that horse-racing i= losing its charm, but it I'. nevertheless true that yesterday when the train came in there was au utter absence of the usual crowd of wellkrown faces from Auckland and others. Air. Adams arrived with his totalisator, but our usual visitors, together with the bookmakers and t.'.e wandering vagabonds of the "under-and-ovtr" fraternity, were conspicuous t>y their absence. Cambrjcke, "Wednesday. Yesterday there were two known fresh cases of diphtheria amongst the children, and it is rumoured there are more. Waitoa, Wednesday. A meeting of the Waitoa Highway Board was held on Saturday, when the engineer's report on the bridges on the main road from Hamilton to Te Aroha, boiwucu the Eureka aud Te Aroha, was received, and the whole of them, ?3 was expected, were condemned. Anting on the suggestion of their engineer, Mr. BreakeU, the Board have given instructions to rebuild these bridges, but where practical to maku deviations in the road, carrying it nearer to the of the swamp, so as to head the gullies. Thus in more than one place small culverts will take the place of bridges, aud form permanent- structures. On his return from Katikati by To Aroha, Mr. Knorpp, C.E., before visiting the Waitoa will inspect the site for the proposed Government bridge over the Waihou river, and determine its character, and also see what claim the Waitoa settlers may have for assistance in the formation of the main road above referred to. Three tenders for the erection of the two bridges—the one over the Waitoa river, the other over the Puranui creek—have been received by the Auckland Agricultural Association (Maclean and Co.), namely: Mr. Isaac Coates, £2T2 ; Mr. Booth, £271, and Mr. Lovett (accepted), £2G5.