COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9013, 28 March 1888, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

[from our own correspondents], Hamilton, Tuesday. The Rev. Mr. Bellow and Mr. Comrio, student in charge of the Presbyterian congregation here, leave Hamilton together to-morrow for the South, going by steamer to Waitara, and driving overland from that place to Wellington. In all probability an arrangement will be come to between the Hamilton and Ngaruawahia Presbyterian congregations, bywhich the services of a student may be secured between them,a morning service being conducted at Ngaruawahia and an evening service at Hamilton. Nothing has been done by the Baths Committee or the engineer to have the snags in the newly-enclosed portion of the West Hamilton bath removed.

Noa rua wa hi a , Tuesday. The relative prices of wheat, Hour, and bread, so thoroughly discussed in your columns, a"nd copied therefrom into the local journal, has caused considerable discussion throughout the Waikato. Talking with a retired baker a few days ago, he stated that, with wheat at 3s per bushel, the price of flour should be £8 10s, and the price of the '21b loaf '2id. This would allow full profits to both miller and baker. In Waikato the •21b loaf is 4d, or 3£d for cash; that is, a halfpenny a pound more than it should be, a serious item to a family, especially in these times. The public in the larger towns, such as Hamilton and Cambridge, have been able to grapple with the butchers' extortionate prices, by the establishment of dead meat auctions, which has brought meat at the auctions and in the shops to a retail nrice somewhat commensurate with the wholesale price for beef the farmergets. To Awamutu is the only place where the price of bread has been lowered, and this is mainly due to the action taken by a few families, who have clubbed together and imported their bread by rail, three times a week, from Auckland. The same could be done in any town such as this, for instance, on the railway line. Something will have to be done to bring the bakers to their senses, as in the case of the butchers.

Whatawiiata, Tuesday. Mr. King, of Waitetuna, whose collar-bone, as reported in the Herald, was supposed to have been broken some 14 days since through his horse falling and rolling on him. finding that he was not progressing favourably, went into Hamilton yesterday lor the purpose of receiving treatment at the Hospital. When there it was found that his shoulder had been dislocated and remained so, and the time that lias elapsed since the injury was sustained will make it a rather difficult mat*.!' to reduce the dislocation, as the one part had begun to adhere to the wrong place, and the cavity had begun to till up. Cambridge, Tuesday. The Cambridge Football Club held their annual meeting at Bach's Hotel on Saturday at 7..'-SO p.m. Mr. N. J. Hunt occupied the chair, there being also upwards of twenty members present. The report which the committee submitted for the past season was adopted. It was only a moderately successful one : there were, "however, two points in it that will be of interest to all Waikato footballers, and also to many in Auckland, and I therefore give those portions in e.xte,n*o. They were : " We have also much cause to regret that circumstances—with which you are all well acquainted [referring to his having nearly lost his eyesight]—necessitated the retirement of our late secretary, Mr. A. L. Soutar, who has for the past three Years held that position to the very great benefit of the Club, and we are sure you will all join us in expressing our sincere sympathy with him in his great affliction. His absence, too, will be greatly felt in the field. In conclusion, we have to state that much to the detriment of the club, our popular captain, Mr. X. J. Hunt, after many years of valuable service, has retired. Mr. Hunt has tilled the position of captain to our team, and also to teams representing Waikato, in a manner that has given satisfaction to all, and you will join us in regretting his decision, and heartily wish him every success in the future." Replying to a vote of thanks, Mr. Hunt said that although Mr. Souter and himself had retired from playing, they should both take as great an interest in the club as thev had previously done. Indeed, they were Both elected to the management and selection committee, the others being Messrs. Porter, Wilson, and G. MeCann. Mr. D. K. Porter is elected captain, and Mr. S. C. Richardson lion, secretary and treasurer.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENTS.] Te Awami.'TC. Tuesday. On Saturday, at the Court-house, before Messrs. J. H. Mandeno and W. Taylor, J.P.'s, the ease against John Landers, of Kihikihi, rabbit exterminator, for shooting at a youth named Howell, with intent to do him grievous bodily harm, -was dismissed with a caution against the indiscriminate use of firearms. It appeared that on the night of St. Patrick's Day Howell and a lad named Doyle—both of whom have served a term of imprisonment—had been annoying Landers, as on previous occasions, by loosing his dogs and entering his house, and had called in question the honour of his natron saint, upon which he seized o gun, loaded with small shot, and as they ran away lie fired to frighten them. Several shots entered Howell's legs.

XGAR li lA, Tuesday.

A four-roomed house belonging to Patrick Canty was burned down alxiut two o'clock this afternoon. The tire was tirst observed by Constable White, but by the time he had arrived on the scene it had taken too great a hold to allow him to save am* of the furniture. It appears that Mr. Canty had made up the kitchen tire and then gone out, and it is supposed that some embers had fallen out and set tire to the building. Insurance, £100, in the New Zealand Insurance office.