WAIKATO DISTRICT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6827, 3 October 1883, Page 6

WAIKATO DISTRICT NEWS.

[FROM 'DUE OWN CORRESPONDENTS.]

Hamilton, Tuesday The Waika.to Cheese Factory commenced operations yesterday under the management of Uaptain Jtunciman, and 120 gallons were received. l'he smallneas of the quantity, however, waa no more thin might have keen expected, considering that the lateness of the frosts hsis, as yet, kept back the spring growth of grass, but as the cows come in and the grass too, the full quantity of 1200 or 1500 gallons may be looked for. A report wa3 current yesterday afternoon that certain members of the Borough Council would absent themselves from that evening's meeting, and by the want of a quorum prevent the newly-returned members from taking their seats, and this proved to be the case. The Bame thing was done over the •>pace of several weeks some two years ago to prevent the Mayor from taking his seat, and it waa only when an absent member was fetched in from Te Aroha that the necessary quorum waii obtained. The matter is one of public interest, inasmuch as it may so easily occur anywhere, and the attention of the Legislature is required to the necessity of nmending tho Act, so as to provide for sach a contingency. After an annual election the three new members cannot take their seats until they have made the declaration. Consequently, the Council consist only of Bix members and nbe Mayor, and five forming a quorum, it follows, if three choose to absent themselves, the whole business is brought to a deadlock, as occurred laat night. The meoting stands adjourned until to, morrow, Wednesday evening.

The football season being over, the annual meeting of the Hamilton Cricket C lub has been called for Saturday afternoon, at five o'clock.

A very pleasant evening was spent on the occasion of the anniversary soiree of the Hamilton brunch of the Evangelistic Association, held last night in ths Le Quesne's Hall. The arrangements were admirably carried out by a co;inmittec of ladica, consisting of Mesdames Stead man, Hiaes, and Downing. The chair Wiis taken by Mr. Charles Tippen, and interesting addresses were delivered by Messrs. Steailman, Brown, and Aldridge. A meeting of the Hamilton Domain Board was held hist night, sifter the Borough Council meeting was adjourned, there being sufficient in the case of the Domain Board to form a quorum. There were present the Mayor, and Messrs. Lovett and Von Sturmer. Leave was given to the lessee, Mr. Crawford, to transfer domain lot 36 to Mr. Whecllan, and several iiimall accounts were paid. The letter of Mr. H. Steele a.nd other residents, promising to raise a sum of money by sub iicription towards the cost of fencing Sydneysquare, was considered, and on the motion of Mr. Von Sturmer, seconded by Mr. Lovett, it waa resolved to subsidise any such subscription pound for pound, such subsidy not to exceod £30, and Messrs. Cochrane, Tippen, and Lovett were appointed a committee to cairy out the work.

At last night's meeting of the Domain Board, the Clerk, Mr. Gelling, who deserves the thanks of the community for the personal trouble which he has taken in carrying out the work of receiving and hatching out the trout ova, exhibited some three or four of the young fry in a glass water bottle for the inspection oi members. They were rather more thaa an inch in length, and very lively. About 75 per cent, of the egga (2000) have been successfully hatched out. Cam i;[iidor, Tuesday. His Honor Chief Jud 6 e Macdonald arrived here yesterday evening, and opens the Native Land Court to-day. l It will, however, be a mere formal affair, as all the cases except that of Tatun will be adjourned, and the evidence in that will be taken in writing. In any case the holdings of Native Land Courts can be of little benefit to the towns where they are held, as under the new Act no advances can be made by land purchasers to the natives, and they will therefore be unable to stand the expense of living near the Court. This will lead to a very necessary reform, the taking the Courts to th>3 natives instead of bringing the natives to European settlements, where it has been pitiable, as here, to see them wasting, in drink, and extravagance, the greater part of tho price they were to receive for tho lands they were passing through the Court. At a meeting of the Domain Board—present, Messrii, Wells, Fit,her, Kirkwood, and Campbell—an application to the Board to do half the fencing between Mr. O'Halloran's leased land and the recreation reserve was granted. lit was also resolved to plant a portion of the bank on 'too lake. Te Awamutct, Tuesday. The faDcy dress rink ball has been quite the social invent of the season. ItiDking commenced in the Public Hall, whero the affair was held, at eight o'olock and was kept up till ten o'clock, when dancing was commenced,, and, with z.n interval for supper at midnight, was kept up till almost daybreak. Some of the fancy dresses were very rich and taßteful, and the public have to thank the Rink Club Committee for a most enjoyable entertainment. The music was provided by the Te Awamutu Band, under the leadership of Mr. Sibley. A case interesting to many in Waikato was heard in the Resident Magistrate's Court here, before Mr. Northcroft--G. F. Flo3'd v. Major Mair. Plaintiff had supplied waggon accommodation for Tawhiao and his followers on their late visit to tho Waikat) settlements, to tlio order of Major Mair as Government sigent. Tlie amount of the debt, £4 15s, was not disputed, but Major Mair, as Government agent, claimed not to be personally liable. On the other hand, an application to the Native Land Office brought forth a reply that the Government would not racogniso the claim as a Government liability. Mr. Northcroft reserved judgment. In Hamilton and elsewhere considerable sums have similarly been lost by those providing under Major Mair's orders. At a meeting of tho Mangapiko Road Board, a rate of OJd in the £1 was made. Five tenders wore received for the works on the Mangnpiko Ford-road : —Crowin and OlTerson (accepted), £109; Miller and Kay, £170; McCullum, £185 ; Alexander and Hughes, £197; and Corcoran Brothers, £238 6s 6d„ It was resolved to proceed with the grading of the Paterangi-road.