COUNTRY NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9308, 18 September 1893, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS.

[FROM OUR OWN imRESPOXDENTS.] MILTON, Saturday. Thursday's Municipal election was a fail trial of strength betweeithe two parties int< which the politics of thi colony is at present divided. The Knights of Labour, which ha* a lodge here, and thost sympathising with them did their best to bring their candidates to the top of the poll, but in vain, as they did not poll more than a third as many votes as their three opponents, who headed the list The greatest interest wag taken in the election as shown by the number of votes polled 160 voters polling 199 votes, of whom 30 voters were females, of whom there are 34 or the burgess list, and the four who did novote are accounted for either by illness o absence from Hamilton on the day of election thus showing that the women, if enfranchised value the privilege of voting, and are ire pared to exercise it. It is stated that th reason of Mr. VV. F. Bells not seeking re election was that he intends offering himsel for the Mayoralty. At the annual meeting of the Hamiltoi Cricket Club the following officers wen elected for the ensuing season :—Patron, Mr E. Lake ; president, Mr. G. Edgecumbe ;'vic« presidents, Messrs. I. Coates, L. O'Neill. > R. Cox, N. I. Hunt, and T. Buxton ; capt'aii Mr. N. I. Hunt; deputy-captain, Mr. G. , W. Barton. A general committee was apointed, consisting of Messrs. Stevens Button, James Hill, Fielder, and W. GribV. Messrs. Barton and Hunt were appoint*! delegates to the Waikato Cricket Assoation. A large number of new members hv« joined the club. The Raglan cricketers have formed a leal club, of which Mr. Mathias was appoited president, and Mr. Sewell treasurer and secretary. An excellent committee ha.< also been appointed, an« a sum of £10 wa.' subscibed at the meeting to start the cub in funds.

Mr, \V. J. Hunter had a good sale it the borough yards on Thursday. Prices ruled easier, although a smaller number of cattle than usual were yarded. Calves' auc yearlings fetched from £1 10s to £2 7s; faicows, £4 9s to £5 lis; store heifers, 41s t> 555; dairy cows from £4 to £6 17s 6d; fat steers from £6 to £7 10s.

OllACi'O. Saturday. The following is the financial position of the Waipa County and ridin.es:—Newcastle Riding: Amount of vote, £148; total expenditure to date, £566 ISs 2d; overspent, £418 18s 2d. Hamilton Riding : Ainonnt of vote, £128; total expended to date, £1-24 93 9d ; credit balance from previous locations, £27 9s 4d; to expend. £30 19s 7d. Pukekura Riding: Amount of vote, £286; total expended to date, £679 12s lid; overspent, £393 12s lid. Tuhikararaea Riding : Amount of vote, £42; total expended to date, £29 3s 4d : to expend, £12 J6s Bd. Mbngapikc Ridiug: Amount of vote. £166: total expended to date, £216 12s 8d ; over spent, £30 12s Bd. RaugiaohJa Riding : Amount ot vote, £246 ; total expended to date, £40S 3s: over spent, £162 3s 51. The debit balance of the County Council now stands at about £500. Rates to the extent of only £7218s s£d were collected last month, and the clerk has been instructed to proceed against all who have not paid their rates by the 30th inst. The weather has been, and still is, most unpropitious for farming operations. The heavy rain of Wednesday has been followed more or less-by heavy squalls and constant showers day and night. Many fanners had their land nearly brought to a seed bed, but have been unable to proceed further. The land was ready for the seed wheat, but the rain renders it impossible to sow the grain, and the season is quickly passing by. One farmer, aud his case is that of many" others, had a large paddock ready worked to receive the grass feed, which, with the boneclust, was on the ground ready for sowing on Wednesday morning, but the wet afternoon stayed all further proceedings, aud it will take two or three fine drying days to enable him to get his seed in, and of these there is at present little prospect. At Mr. W. J. Hunter's sale here on Tuesday the following prices were realised:Dairy cows, £4 to £6 (this kind of stock is in great demand); weaned calves, 32s to 345: yearlings, 41s to 555; 18-months to two-year-old steers, 70s to 82s Cd; tbrce-vear-old steers, 88s 6d to 97s ; four-year-old steers, £5 to £5 10s ; empty cows and heifers, £2 9s to £3 10s ; fat steers, £6 12s 6d ; fat. cows, £4 15s to £7 13s (the latter from Raglan); fat heifers, from £4 to £4 15s.

I'K Awamutu. Saturday. Mr. William Taylor has purchased 'the whole of the draught horse stock belonging to-the late Mr. John McNicol. Amongst them is the three-year-old Clydesdale entire Royal Conqueror, for which he gave 350 guineas. Royal Conqueror was bred by Mr. Thomas Mee, of. Oainaru, out of the mare Clydesdale Fanny by Crown Prince, a South-ern-bred horse got by the imported horse Lord Salisbury. Royal Conqueror will be an acquisition to the Waikato district. Cambridge, Saturday. The executive of the Waikato Agrictttural and Pastoral >" Association have instituted a special canvass of the district, with a view of furthering the success of the show to be held at Claudelands next month, when the members of the general committee will make a house to house canvass in their respective districts. Meantime they have issued a circular to members, inviting their cordial cooperation in making a general canvass of the public. The Pukckura Road Board has received a reply from the Railway Department, in answer to a request for a reduction in the freight of gravel for road-making purposes, that they cannot accede to the request, as the freight for gravel was already the lowest ou the tariff.

Tawhark, Saturday. The measles are in full swing here. The attendance at the school has dwindled down to as low as four a week ago, still the committee has decided not to close the school, and now it is gradually increasing, though still much below its average number. Mr W. J. Hunter held a very satisfactory clearing sale at the farm of Mr. T. N. Diprose on Wednesday, of stock belonging to Mr. Diprose and Mr. Clements, chiefly dairy cows. Prices ruled very high, partly owing to the presence of a buyer from Tauranza, Mr. D. Lundon, who bought 62 cows, fir. Diprose's cows realised from £4 7s 6d to .£B, the majority selling from £6 to £8. Mr. J. Clements' cows fetched from £4 12s 6d to £7 15s.