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Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 18, 11 June 1872, Page 2

We call attention t«v the Soiree to take place on Thursday evening at Ngaruawahia, in aid of the funds of the local schools. Every exertion is promised by the ladies of the township to make the evening- a pleasant one to those who attend, and we understand that ©tber ladies- resident in the iwjighbourhoo.l will assist to- the best of their ability. A number of geutlemen have volunteered to sing songs, recite pieces, and deliver extempore addresses. 'Che causa should be sufficient to ensure liberal support. The entertainment will conclude with a dance.. In our issue of the Bth inst. we announced the arrival of the Governor at Ngaruawahia and stated that His Excellency's present visit to the Waikato was incognita. We are now authorised to add that His Excellency was much gratified by the numerous demonstrations made in his honor on his two former visits to-this district, and that while it is not desired that the settlers should take similar trouble in this way again* His, Excellency will be always happy to receive any public bodies- or individual settlers who may wish tosce hiiro. We.understand that the Governor will await the- result of Mr. McLean's negotiations at Alexandras and will be ready to hold a meeting withi the natives- as- soon as the necessary arrangements are- made;. We again' remind our- readers tluat this is the time to. sow wheat.. There are. , now three flour mills in the district. With an , ordinarily good season there can be-no doubt that wheat, cam be grown at a good profit,, in fact we- understand that the guaranteed price last year by one firmi still holds good, as rjgards- the minini'un* price they are- prepared to pay for all wheat grown ini the district- We must not allow it to> be- saixl of us another year " tliese people have tine-land and plenty of it, yet they import more tliau ball tht> Hour-consumed m- the district." The- exhibition' which- wns being enacted in the township- of Ngaruawahia from- noon on- Saturday to ntioiv on .Sunday reflects great discredit on the T"owH) "Board" and the-. Geuerat' Government. About sixty heal of cattle arrived at Ngaruawahia at uocmV cm Saturday, ea route for Auckland. The stockyard is in such a del-api state that the cattle were no sooner put. into, it than- they broke out again. The- punt is? such a- miserable apology for the real tiring that the- cattle could not be forced to trust themselves- upon it. By instinct they arrived at the conclusion that it was not safe. Toe official's whose duty it is to arrive at correct conclusions on these subjects don't appear to be blessed with the same -amount of intelligence as their bovine fellow colonists, otherwise- it is only fair to> presume that there would have long, since been a new pant placed on the river. For the faults m the stockyard the local Town Board is responsible-. If the cattle trade is to be successfully prosecuted some arrangements m\ist be made by which cattle can be crossed in less. than. 24. hours. The fortnightly meeting of the Cambridge Mutual Improvement Association took place- on Thursday last. Mr. Runciman, president of the Association, hi the chair. The Immigration and Public Works, schemes of the Government formed the topic of discussion. Mr. Campbell, in a somewhat lengthy speech r opened in favor of the scheme, and was followed by Mr. R. N. Buttle on the other side. All the members-took part in the debate on this most important , question The general opinion was decidedly that the scheme in itself was a good but that the Government, from the multiplicity-of the offices they had created', and 5 from the small result obtained from the large sum ot" money already spent, were ju A carrying it out in such a manner as would conduce to the prosperity*of the colony. A late hour was reached before the- discussion terminated. The Association numbers about 20 members, and at each meeting, since its inauguration new members have joined. The Wellington Independent of a recent date says : —We have another instance of the great superiority of provincial administration in the case o$ the Nelson gas and waterworks loan. At a time, when, money is remarkably plentiful for investment in good securities the Nelson Provincial Government have actually sold their waterworks six per cent, debentures at SO per cent, below par, whilst the Colonial Treasurer has- been able-to dispose of the -Weflingtoa loan, at a high premium. The security in the ease o? the Nelson loan is undeniable—the rates of the city - and yet the Provincial Government has sacrificed 4800Z in the negotiation of the loan, when the province- nvight under other circumstances have received that amount as a premium. And this is due to the fact that the delightfully incompetent gentlemen who form the Executive at Nelson would insist upon the interest being made payable at Nelson instead of allowiug it to be optional. Had the interest been; made payable atS/d.iey or Melbourne th* proviuce- wouid have got . apreuiluai for ics debsaciu-es. Waai about provin f cial " niachinerv-' , in this instance.

Our Cambridge correspondent, writing in referei>ce to the estabiisnment of a gaol in the Waikato, says: " It ia a pity that thore i» no gaol in the- Waikato in ' which prisoners who have to undergo efcbrt sentences might be confined. The expeuse, of sending prisoners down to Auckland is something very con- ; Biderable. Including their own fare down, and the constable's fare both ways, the excuse auioanta to something like 10/., which, might te eavud by incarceratiug prisoners' atNgaruawahia, where 1 believe , there ia a building suited for the purpose." j In Belgium the day labourer earns about Is per.l day, and pays about lOd a week rent for a cottage. j In some parts of the kingdom the wages of the f agricultural laborer reach Is 8-1 a day, without j food. Wh tin fedl>y his employer he is content with ■ Vye bread, potatoes, a.nd curds, with occasionally a j bit of bacoii or salt beef. At his own cottage his j food Is still worse. The laborer in Denmark receives from 7s 6d to 9* a week, the hours of labor being 12 or I*3 hours in the summer, and while! daylight lasts iuVjjiinter. When the employer finds I the food, the wages may run from 2s Gd to 5s a I week. He is not much worse fed than the Somerset' ! shire laborer, although wheaten bread and bacoii | must in themselves be more nutritious than rye bread and colli salt pork. The Danish master is far worse clothed than the English peasant, and alxiye all far worse housed. The charges for the relief of the agricultural poor are on the increase in Denmark, being about 2s per head for the country population,