The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 1898.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 308, 30 June 1898, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 1898.

TllE cry which the small section of the Press of the colony which supports the Ministry has given forth is echoed on all sides by Scddonites. " The Opposition has no policy, otherwise they would disclose it," say they. Those who are not absolutely ignorant of the practice of political leaders are perfectly aware that the cry is both absurd and dishonest. In the course of his speech delivered at the splendid public reception accorded to him in Wellington, Capt. ltussell alluded to this matter. He contended, and very properly so, that it is no business of an Opposition to propound a policy. That would be forthcoming when the time came to put it into force. When the party comes intopower and formsa Cabinet is time enough for them to put forth a policy and naaie the measures they propose shall give effect to it. As we have before pointed out, the duty

of the Opposition is to criticise, and if Ministers have sinned to I place their transgressions in all their nakedness before the House and the country, and thus secure a majority of Parliament, convinced that a change, of executive is necessary to the welfare of the country When this time arrives, and there is every indication that it is not far distant, Capt. Russell and those who act with him will be neither wanting in a policy nor in the courage and ability to carry it out. The Leader of the Opposition quotes from speeches delivered by Mr Ballance and Mr Reeves, in which they claimed time to formulate a policy after they were actually in power, and this was granted by the House. The last fact should be a conclusive answer to the silly and dishonest cry of the Ministerialist barrackers.

That the amendment to the Address, which has been moved by Capt. Russell, will be carried is verv unlikely, but this fact is not sufficient reason to deter him from taking the step. Under party Government it is the recognised duty of an Opposition to expose and protest against the wrongdoings of a Ministry, and, when these misdoings aro of a flagrant nature, it is useful that constituents should know how far their representatives are prepared to endorse a wrong act or principle on the grounds of party allegiance. To our mind it is impossible that any man who values the principle that Parliament should have the fullest possible control of the publicpurse, would attempt tojustify Ministers in securing a vote of £7OOO for a specific purpose and without consulting Parliament, entering upon liabilities of £40,000. Judging by past events, which go to show that Ministers will stand at nothing in order to carry an election, Capt. Russell was no doubt right when he attributed their departure from constitutional practice to an intense desire to gain the Wellington seat. Mr J. G. Ward appears to have come to the rescue of his late colleagues by pointing out that Ministers had power to expend £IOO,OOO not authorised by Parliament during any year. He forgot to add, however, that it is a recognised custom that such expenditure is only justified when it becomes necessary in order to meet an unforeseen contingency. This plea will not hold good in this case, and there is no other which has the semblance of being tenable to offer.

An Auckland telegram last night stated that Mr R. C. Greenwood, mining agent, was dead.

Messrs Ivempthorne, Prosser and Co. have raised the price of their special corn manure " B " from £6 10s to £6 15s.

At Wellington yesterday no less than six publicans were each charged on two informations for Sunday trading, but the cases were all adjourned.

The annual examination of pupil teachers is now being held at Auckland, Thames and Hamilton. At the latter plane Mr Grierson is acting as supervisor, and there are in all twenty up for examination, viz., 13 candidates, 11 females and 2 males, and 7 pupil teachers, 5 females and 2 males. The examination concludes to-morrow.

A sitting of the Native Land Court was oppned at Cambridge on Wednesday, before Judge Wilson, to ascertain the real owners of a portion of land at Te Au-o-Waikato, which in 1867 had been granted to six natives in trust for the tribe. An Order-in-Council was obtained, extending the jurisdiction of the Court, and the sitting was held in consequence. Mr Sinclair appeared for the claimants.

Messrs E. Pearson and Co.'s Carbolic Sand Soap Factory, in Hamilton East, has been steadily increasing its output from year to year, and the demaud for this useful household requisite throughout the colony has now assumed such proportions that the capabilities of the present plant have been found inadequate. To provide for this increase in their business, we are pleased to hear that the proprietors have recently purchased the Oddfellow's Hall property adjoining their present premises, which it is intended to at once fit up with the necessary plant for carrying on the business.

Word has been received from the cavalry headquarters at Parramatta (says ■a Singleton telegram in the Sydney Daily Telegraph) that, with the consent of the General Officer Commanding, it is proposed to send from New South Wales shortly a squadron of 200 men to England. These men will receive six months' training at Aldershot or elsewhere. The money to defray their expenses is to be divided equally betweeu the troopers themselves and their friends and the Government. It is considered that much benefit will accrue to the regiment through the Imperial drill and training for the term mentioned. So far it is understood 90 men have volunteered.

Capt. lieid (writes our Ohaupo correspondent) passed through here on Monday to attend a meeting at Pirongia tor the purpose of forming a volunteer corps at that township. On his return he informed me the meeting was very successful, and that about fifty young men were willing to join, and spoke highly of their physique, they being a fine strapping lot of fellows. I certainly don't admire the new uniform for mounted rifles. There is nothing smart about it. I don't think a young girl would care much about walking out with her "soldier boy" in a rig like that, and the forage cap sits on the head like a squatting rabbit. There is nothing, in my opinion, like the neat, round cap for a cavalry mau, and a blue uniform, instead of the kharkec now in vogue. However, that is a matter for the men themselves to decide.

In these days of innovation in church worship it is interesting to note that even the Presbyterian Church has not escaped. At the last meeting of the Dunediu Presbytery a protest was received from several members of Knox Church, Dunedin, against a resolution passed by the Kirk Session, inviting the congregation to repeat the Lord's Prayer after the minister, on the ground that it was the " thin end of the ritualistic wedge!" After a long discussion, in which the pros and cons of the case were fully reviewed, the assembled divines decided to leave the matter in the hands of the session and passed no opinion, collectively, on the momentous question. We may mention that a Presbyterian minister in this district expressed pleasure a few Sundays ago when a visitor repeated the Lord's Prayer after him and said he would like it to become a general thiog in his church. Up te the present the hint has not been taken,

Jt has been thought desirable to endeavour to form a Mutual Improvement Society in Te Awainutu, and a meeting has been convened of all those interested or willing to assist in any way in the. formation and carrying on of such a society.

We direct attention to an advertisement in another column re St. Mary's Lidics'" School, Hamilton. The aims ami object the Sisters have iu view iu regard to the pupils entrusted to their charge are fully cntimeratpd, and must commend themselves to all.

At a meeting of the Wellington Benevolent Trustees (remarks the I'ost): —A trustee: "That tram (an applicant; for help) has been a good citizen and earned good wages ; sunk them all in houses." A brother trustee : "Licensed houses." First trustee : 'A man told me that he (the applicant) could drink thirty-two pints of sh in ly-gaff iu a day and he had known him do it." The brother trustee: "Good heavens! A man who has paid so much in beer duty to the State deserves assistance iu his old age." Assistance granted. The unfortunate man James Bushby, who was admitted to the Waikato District Hospital some days ngo suffering from a cut on Ins leg, died at the institution on Tuesday afternoon. From the first Dr. Kenny regarded the case as a serious one. The length of time—some eleven days—which elapsed from the accident until the patient received propsr treatment, made the issue a doubtful one, and unfortunately for Bushby be was too far got\p for surgical treatment to be of avail. The funeral was held yesterday afteruoon, the Rev. R. O'G. Biggs conducting the service at the Hamilton East Cemetery. As will be seen from our columns this morning, there are two replies to the letter from " Subscriber " concerning the Hamilton Public Library, which was published in our last issue. In the first Mr Barton, Secretary to the Hospital Board, states the position of the building fund, and in the other Mr P. E. Stevens, the Secretary of the Comedy Company, intimates that " Dandy Dick" will be placed on the boards as aB possible. In connection with this production, we understand that the Volunteer Hall has been engaged on show nights, and it is contemplated staging "Dandy Dick" and another piece on these nights. A youthful Nero has been unearthed in Lyttelton, in the person of a boy, aged 14, who was taken before the Court on a charge of having burned with a match the lips and eyelashes of a little fellow not half his ago. The evidence disclosed that the offender had on previous occasions squirted from his mouth a quantity of tobacco juice into the eye of a little boy and had also plucked the feathers out of a live sparrow, which he then let go. The Bench sentenced him to a practical acquaintance with the pain hedclights in inrlictiuc, and ordered him to receive twelve strokes of a birch rod, at the same time expressing a hope that the strokes would be well laid on.

We understand that Col. Banks will shortly proceed to Pirougia in cor.nection with the formation of the contingent of the Waikato Mounted Rifls in that district. Time was when there were three good cavaliy contingents in Waikato—the Te Awamutu, Cainbridge and Hamilton corps, and judging from present appearances in the near future, we will have three new corps, representing us nearly as possible the three old centres. The interest taken in the movement throughout the district is maiuly due to the activity and untiring perseverance displayed by Captain Reid, and the success of the late encampment shows what can be done in the district in the way of turning out good volunteers. The installation ceremony in connection with Lodge-Beta, Waikato, No. 12, will be conducted at the Masonic Hall, Hamilton East, this evening. The incoming officers are W.M. Bro. F. W. Browning ; 1.P.M., Bro. A. Swarbrick ; D.M., Wor. Bro. G. Edgecombe, P.M. ; S.W., Bro. J. W. Oldham; J.W., Bro. A. H. Atkinson ; Treas., Wor. Bro. C. J. W. Barton, P.M. ; Sec, Wor. Bro. R. J. 6wynne, P.M. ; D. of C, Wor. Bro. W. Dey, P.M.; organist, Bro. G. F. Hi. Edgecumbe ; S.D., Bro. M. A. Going; J. 1)., Bro. J. E. Hammond ; 5.5.,~8r0. J. VV. 11. Bright; J.S.. Bro. A. S. Brewis; Tyler, Bro. L. Newton. Very Worshipful Bro. A. S. Russell, P.D.G.M., will act as installing officer, and he will be assited by Very Wor.Bro.T.L.Murray,D.G.M ,and members of Lodge-Beta, Waikato. The Lodge will be tyled at 6.30 p.m. sharp so as to allow time to get the business over before 9 o'clock. During the evening Wor. Bro. R. B. Peat, P.M , of Lodge Beta-Waikato, will be presented with a P.M. Jewel from the members of the Lodge. It was decided to make this presentation to Bro. Peat,on his removal from Frankton in February, 1897, but time did not allow and this is the first occasion he has been able to visit his Lodge since then. The ceremony will be followed by a hall in the Volunteer Hall, which gives promise of being a grand affair. Last evening a large number of the brethren and several ladies were engaged in beautifying the building, and their labours have certainly had a charming effect. The ball will commence at 9 p.m., and will be opened by a Grand March, foliowed by a set of Lancers.