Untitled

Waikato Argus, Volume IX, Issue 774, 8 October 1900, Page 2

Owing to our being in process of moving into our new offices wo are bringing the paper out under difficulties, and we ask the kindly consideration of our subscribers in the event of our issues during the next few days not being up to the usual standard. The Rotorua hack meeting, advertised for the 30st inst,, has been cancelled. The adjourned meeting of the Te Awamutu branch of the Farmers' Club will be held on Wednesday. Business important. Mr (rilrntli, Government bacteriologj.st, lias reopived information that Mr 0. ,1. Sanderson, who went to .South Africa wirli one of our contingent* been appointed principal vctinary aurg»on ro the Transvaal. Trooper Smith, of Cambridge, has received notice to report himself in Auckland on Wednesday next, when he will he examined by a Medical Board. ,He is very anxious to return to South Africa, but we fear his wish will not be gratified. Our Cambridge correspondent writes: 1 liud I was mistaken in the number of sheep consigned by Mr Anderson to the Thames, as recorded in last The number was "210 and not 48b' as stated. I have this from Mr Anderson, so it is correct.

Acetylene gas is still advancing in Cambridge, and, failing electricity, it will undoubtedly be the light of the future in that town. Mr Smith, of the National Hotel, has lately fitted up his billiard room with it, and it auswers splendidly. The table has also been entirely re-fitted, and in now one of the beet in the Waikato.

Mrs McNicol, of Locbiel, Ohaupo, having disposed of her farm, has instructed Messrs McNicol and Co. to offer at the homestead on Monday, October 22nd, at I o'clock, the whole of her household furnuure, implements, etc. The stock,which comprises a choice lot of young cattle, will be offered at Ohaupo the following day. Messrs McNicol and Co. have been favoured with instructions from Messrs J. and J. Primrose (who have sold their farm) to offer at the Hamilton Borough Yards on Saturday, October 20th, the whole of their live stoek, comprising cattle, sheep and horses. The sale, which is without reserve, will commence at 12 o*olock. Entries of other stoek will also be received.

The whole of the candidates presented themselves for examination in ambulance work at Cambridge last week were successful. The examiners was Dr. Brewis, and Dr. Roberts kindly allowed the examinasion to take place at his residence. Mrs Hauesler and Miss Gwynneth passed the more advanced stage and are now entitled to a medal, and the. ladies who succeeded in the " first aid " department are :—Misses E. Cave, K. W. Wells, H. P, Wells, K, Souter, G. Brooks and M. Roskruge. The thanks of the community are due to Dr. Roberts for conducting the classes free of charge.

That the member for Waikato, Mr W. F. Laug, has the best interests of his constituents at heart we have had many opportunities of proving in the past, and the following letter which we have received from him will serve to show that even in- small matters he takeß the keenest interest in the welfare ot his district : "The sum of £ISOO has bcpn voted as a subsidy for flags for public schools. It is the intention of the Government to distribute flags free to siuh public schools as will ereet flagstaffs. In case-any schools in Waikato wish to take advantage of this offer it will be well for them to apply to the Minister of Education as soon as possible, in case thre should not be sufficient to go round."

The Hukanui folks are again to the fore with a monster concert and dance, which will take place at the Hukanui Hall in about a fortnight's time, and all- those that patronise them will have no cause to no away dissatisfied. The proceeds will be strictly devoted to the benefit of one of the Woodlands employees who has been on the sick list for the last two months,'and who has always been to the fore himself in helping others, We hope the public will roll up to the concert in numbers to second the efforts of the committee in making the benefit a substantial one. Amongst the evening's attractions will be a native haka, also the poi dance by native girls. The exact date will be advertised in a future issue of The Waikato Argus. Tickets can be obtained from Mr T. Slade, Mr Floyd, and also at our office.

A most delightful and enjoyable ball was tendered on the evening of the 3rd instant by the young ladies' of Cambridge to their bachelor friends. A large number of invitations had been issued aud promptly responded to by the recipients. The gathering took place in the Oddfellows' Hall. The young ladies Rhowed every kindness and consideration for their gmsts. xMiss Pyne, the secretary, was conspicuous in this respect. As M.O. she performed her duties in a careful and painstaking manner. Music was supplied by Mrs Lowe. Misses Pyne and Forrest superintended the refreshment department, and were ably assisted by Mesdames Popple and Craig. About fifty couples occupied the floor, and dancing was maintained with great spirit till a late hour. Great credit is due to Misses Pyne aud Forrest, to whom the success of the affair was mainly due.

"We have not (the Westminster Gazette siys) heard quite so much lately of German occupation. Owing to more pressing matters of interest, this bugbear has for the moment been relegated to a back compartment in John Hull's cupboard of worries. But if be had leisure to study the latest Consular reports on German trade, especially a recent one on the commerce of Frankfort-on-Muin, John Bull's nightmare would trouble him again. In his report on Frankfort Sir Charles Oppenheimer has some remarks on German business methods, and, very happily, hits on the secret of the German's success in bis competition with the Englishman :—" The interest of the British merchant is contracted on the merchandise. He manufactures the best he can and sends it on to his customer. The German does not start with the merchandise, but with the customer. He first seeks his customer und studies his wants." A very obvious lesson, but ouo that only bitter, experience can teach us. But we should perhaps learn this lesson more quickly if our technical and secondary schools were as excellent as die German and if foreign languages were insisted on to the same degree as in Germany as the first necessity or success in trading.. You cannot discover your customers wants if you don't.

Information was recently cabled to the colony that a million tons of the best Welsh coal was being shipped to France, and the move was interpreted to have some sinister motive. Fairplay. the London shipping paper, deals with the matter of these coal exports in the last issue to hand, and says :—" Sensational statements appear almost daily in some paper to the effect that enormous quantities of the best Welsh coal are being shipped to Frauoe, and that this coal is being stored for the use of the French navy, presumably for operations against our own fleet. The writers of these statements talk of the inadequate supply of Welsh steam coal at our naval depots, and draw fancy pictures of the disasters in store for us if the Government does not interfere and put a stop to the scandalous steam coal exports which are going on. As a matter of fact, the shipments to France are not of the best Welsh coal, but mainly of small coal, now largely used throughout that couutry for manufacturing purposes. There is no foundation for the scare that is so industriously being kept up." In 1891 there were 900,000 people living in Loudon whose condition amounted to illegal over-crowding as delined by Act of Parliament (says London Truth). Since then the population of London is computed to have increased by 300,000 aud a great part of this increase is in the over-crowding areas. Such a pitch of over-crowding has been reached now that in many districts, after the leeal number of occupants of a room have been stowed in or upon the beds, another equal number lie underneath the beds. Beds which used to he let on a 'Box aud Cox' arrangement to a day and a night tenant, are now let in eight hours' shifts, three occupants getting the use of them in rhe twenty-four hour?. One of the mow!; appalling facts is that it is becoming more and more common for working men to he unable to find any kind of lodging at all, and they are actually driven to taking their wives and children to the workhouse, while they themselves find shelter in a common lodging-house. Von may go on piling up wealth ; your trade leturns may expand and expaud ; you may add province after province to the Empire ; but unless this evil is cured your Empire has a canker at its heart which will grow and grow until the whole f.ibric comes to the ground with a crash.