COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9186, 16 October 1888, Page 3

COUNTRY NEWS.

[from our own correspondents.] Hamilton, Monday. A meeting of the South Auckland Racing Club will be held on Thursday next, at the Commercial Hotel, Hamilton, at three p.m., to receive the annual report and balancesheet, to elect stewards and officers, and to make arrangements for the ensuing season. The club claims to have secured a credit balance from the first meeting, in December, of £110 5s 2d, and from the autumn meeting of £56 8s 10d, but this sum has been nearly swallowed _up bv heavy expenses on the course, which will not occur again—such, for instance, as £67 3s od for improvements to the course, and £76 14s expended on the grandstand. The assets and liabilities are thus given in the balance-sheet:—Assets : Cash, £1 Is 7d; unpaid entries and acceptances, first meeting, £4 15s ; do., second meeting, £17 10s; unpaid subscriptions. £24 4s: total, £48 10s 7d. Liabilities (which do not include advertising): Prizes unpaid for first meeting, tl7 14s ; do., second meeting, £15; timber account, £4 16s; coach hire, £3, band, t5; drain pipes, £1 os; Waipa Racing Club collected from Halcrow, £6 10s : total, £53 5s ; leaving a debit balance of only 4 14s sd. It will thus be seen that, but for the extraordinary expenditure on the racecourse, the Club's finances are in a flourishing condition, and the close of the present season will, with the same success, will see it placed upon an assured foundation of prosperity. A church parade of the Hamilton Light Infantry Voluttteers was held yesterday under command of Captain Reid and Lieut. Edgeeumbe, when there was a fair muster of the corps. The parade was held on Sydney Square, and, attended by their band, the company marched through the town, leaving a contingent at the several places of worship. The corps presents a fine soldierly appearance, and reflects great credit on Captain Reid, to whose zeal and efficiency its condition is mainly due. When the recruits are enrolled, it will number 80 strong. Sermons in aid of the Wesleyan home mission were preached in the morning and evening, at Trinity Church, by the Revß. Rishworth and Best. The congregations were large on both occasions. Cambridge, Monday. Saturday morning's frost has done a large amount of harm to the gardens, cutting down potatoes, scarlet runners, melons, and other kinds of produce. Oraui'O, Monday. The results of the public school standard examinations are now known, and reflects most creditably on the management of the head teacher, Mr. Bedford. Out of 37 pupils sent up for examination, 32 have passed, a record wnich is far above the average. Waitoa, Monday. Early last month your readers will recollect an accident to Mr. French, traveller for Messrs. Nathan, of Auckland, was reported in the Herald, by which he sustained considerable damage to his horse, delay and expense through having to make a detour to pass a tree felled across the Katikati-To Aroha Road. His horse fell into a gullv and lie had to send a native on to Te Aroiia for another. Mr. French, through Messrs. Burton and Keesing, made a demand of £5 on the Piako Council for damages, but that body repudiated connection with the repair of the aDovementioned road. The lease of the punt at the crossing onpoMurphy's landing, Waiorongomai, is still in abeyance, the only tender received, that of C. Murphy, a subsidy of 2s 6d a day over and above the tolls, being considered too high. The tolls chargeable are limited to double the amount of the present schedule rates. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENTS.] Rotorua, Monday. The obsequies of the late Major Wood have been undertaken almost entirely by the Maoris. Mr. Malfrov, the Government agent, Dr. Ginders, and the Rev. Mr. Spencer drove to Rotoiti on Saturday, and were astonished to see the praiseworthy manner in which the smallest details had been attended to by the Maoris. The body was lying in state (native fashion), and all manner of beautiful and valuable mats were scattered over it in profusion. Feathers were on tae head and greenstone on the breast. Mr. Malfroy, on t»ehalf of the Governments thanked the Maoris for the attention, antj for the very deep and loving feeling they displayed towards one of the white race. They asked permission to be allowed to keep the remains of " their late gallant white chief " \as they called him) above ground until all their own chiefs had arrived to the " tangi" This permission was courteously granted by the Government agent. , The late Major had no known relatives in the colony, and he having died in a most remote Maori village, but few European, friends could find their way there. The Maoris, in a manner not easily to be forgotten, were only endeavouring to carry out the Major's last wish, and prevent the Europeans from taking his body to Rotorua, where nothing but a cold watery grave awaited him, such is the deplorable existing state of our cemetery here. Cambridge, Monday. At the Police Court to-day-before Messrs. Clement and Russell, J. P. 's, David Pearson, on remand, was charged with obtaining board and lodging from A. Bach, hotelkeeper, by means of false pretences. Prisoner; who is respectably connected, had been working at Te Aroha, and coming to Cambridge put up at the Criterion Hotel, giving his landlord an order on Mr. Smithyman, the proprietor of the Te Aroha Gazette, in payment. Mr. Smithyman deposed to-day that he had settled in full with Pearson, and prisoner, who attempted no defence, was sentenced to one month's imprisonment, with hard labour.