THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1380, 7 May 1881, Page 2

THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Press the People's right maintain Unawcd by influence and unbribed by fain.

SATURDAY, MAY 7, 1881.

A first instalment of the census returns, applying to this provincial district, has found its way into print. The enumeration is only approximate, and may, upon further inquiry, undergo alteration. Past experience, however, strengthens the conviction that the alteration is not at all likely to be material, so that the figures given may fairly be accepted for comparative purposes. Beginning at home, we have the population of Waikato, in which are included the counties of Waikato, Waipa, Piako, Raglan, and Kawhia, set down in' round number's, at 80i00., We assume 1 that, in Accordance with the form of compilation, which

separates counties from boroughs, the population of the latter is not included. In that case they are still to be added. We have only got one borough in Waikato, viz., Hamilton, the returns of which, per last triennial census, enumerated on 3rd March, 1878, amounted to 2000. There is the best authority for saying that these numbers have not undergone material change, so that the total European population of the Waikato may be stated at 10,000. Compared with the pre- j ceding return, made on the lastmentioned date, this shows an increase of 2211. The separate numbers of the various counties have not yet transpired. Last census they were — Waikato, 1938 ; Waipa, 2538 ; Piako, 447 ; Raglan, 797 ; and Kawhia, 69, which, together with the 2000 returned for Hamilton Borough, gives the amount set down above. Of course it will be understood that no adequate idea is given in these figures of the total population ; Maoris, as well as halfcastes, being excluded from the reckoning. To arrive at an approximate estimate of the latter, it is necessary to adopt the figures in the previous triennial returns. We know of no reason why that estimate should not be accepted as the basis for a fair computation of the situation as it now exists. Nothing has occurred in the interim to occasion marked change in the number of resident Maoris. Certainly, we have no right to assume thattheir numbers have in any way deceased. The tribes and remnants of tribes located in the Waikato then, as upon the 3rd March, 1878, summed up a total of 6571, which, added to the European population just enumerated, makes the grand total 16,571. In the year 1871 the population of the Waikato was 3274, so that in the space of ten years th.^re has been added, in round numbers, 300 per cent, to the European population of the place. In other words, the population has been doubling itself in the space of six years and nine months. To achieve a similar rate of progress throughout the colony fully ten years have been required, so that, it will be seen, the progress making by Waikato occupies a very respectable place in the estimate given by New Zealand as a whole. Applying a similar test to the provincial districts we find : Auckland has advanced pretty much in the same ratio as the colony, and Otago has rather outstepped the average. Canterbury would seem to have doubled its population in about nine years, and Wellington in a little over eight. The progress made by the smaller provinces has been much more rapid. Hawke's Bay has fully maintained the rate achieved by Waikato, and Taranaki is not much behind it. Nelson and Westland, on the other hand, have remained nearly stationary; the one having added about 3000, and the other not more than 1000 during the entire decennial period. It appears from this, that Waikato has made as high an estimated rate o£ progress as any provincial district in the colony, and very considerably higher than that made by the colony itself, reckoned as a whole. This is, no doubt, encouraging, and does indeed augur well for the future. In past years the settlement of the place has had exceptional difficulties to contend against. The land has been absolutely locked out from European tenure ; at all events, the amount open for selection was a mere bagatelle compared to the extent of territory adapted for settlement, within our borders. These obstacles are now in a great measure overcome. In last issue we had the satisfaction of reporting that, consequent upon the labors of the Land Court just closed, the settlement area of the district had been increased by 500,000 acres, and that the land had been taken out of what had heretofore been King country. Other evidence was afforded by the proceedings of the Court of a fixed purpose on the part of the natives to remove the barriers still remaining to settlement, so that we may reasonably assume the rate of progress heretofore will not only be be maintained but largely increased. With regard to the provincial district of Auckland, the population, we find, is set down at 95,000. In addition to. that, there are, we believe, 28,500 half-castes and Maoris in the district, which makes up the total population to 123,500. If that estimate proves correct, and we see no reason to doubt it, the population of Otago, which includes the annexed province of Southland, is not much more than 7000, compared with the last available returns, in excess of Auckland. Compared with Canterbury, the excess is 20,000 in favor of Auckland, and something like 66,000 as regards Wellington.

The great scarcety of pheasants this season has been the subject of much comment amongst sportsmen. While hares have been increasing rather than otherwise it is now a matter of notoriety that it is impossible to get anything like a bag of pheasants. Not only is this true of the more settled districts, but also of the country lying as it were beyond the' confines of civilization. Last year birds were by no means plentiful, a circumstance which was freely attributed to the ravages of the potting fraternity out of season.-. .Ttiis we have pretty apcurate means, of knowing was very near the jmark, but we do' not think : that' alone i£would' ? ac count for the enormous decrease in

the ranks of the game which had then been observed. This season such a solution is almost inadmisable; we believe indeed that, poaching has not been carried on to any considerable extent during the past nine or ten months, and we are therefore compelled to account in other ways for the great lack of pheasants. The Acclimatisation Society by their recent action have apparently found the cause in the destruction of the hen birds, and at first the shooting of hen pheasants in this provincial district was prohibited. This, however, would only be a partial remedy, and as will be seen by the following extract from the last Gazette the prohibition has been withdrawn, in so far as it affects the greater portion of the province : — " Hen phea- " sants may be taken or killed " within the Auckland district, ex- " cepting the counties of Tauranga " and Whakatene during the period " and under the condition of the " previous notification." The real cause of the decrease in this species of game is, we believe, firstly the depredations committed in the hens and young birds by the hawks, and secondly the appropriation of much of the food upon which the pheasants formerly subsisted by the myriads of small birds, which the Acclimatisation Society have in their wisdom seen fit to foist upon this part of the colony. This view is based upon the experience of persons who have given this subject a considerable amount of thought. There is no alternative then but to adopt measures for the destruction of the hawks and sparrows, because assuming as we have a right to do that the solution given above is the correct one, the preservation of the pheasants themselves would be productive of very little good. We have repeatedly advocated the establishment of Sparrow Clubs in this district, believing that it is only by combination that anything can be done towards the removal of these pests, and the course will have to be taken in regard to hawks. A short time ago a resident of Te Awamutu wrote to the Secretary of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society, pointing out that as that body derived considerable revenue from game licenses, they should afford some assistance towards the formation of Hawk Olubs. To this Mr Oheeseraan replied, stating that in his opinion the good done by the hawks in other respects, in the destruction of vermin, more than counterbalanced the damage done by them to the game, and that therefore it was not probable that the Society would give the assistance asked for. If aid of this kind cannot be obtained, settlers must set about the matter themselves. It is clear that if it be thought desirable to retain the pheasants, something will have to be done, and the sooner the better.

The Mayor of Auckland and Mr Thomas Morrin have been on a sporting toui' in the Piako district, but owing to the scarcity of game the bags made wore small,

Messrs W. Aitken and Bailey made a tour of the Waitoa district this week, and from our knowledge of the enterprise of these gentlemen we naturally conclude that the visit must result in some good to the district.

Considering the length of the dryweather it is a remarkable fact that the cattle in the Piako district' notably on the estate of Messrs Morrin & Studholm are in splendid condition. There are fully a hundred head which may be considered fit for beef. We had an opportunity of fully proving this last week.

It is surprising that the Waitoa Highway Board, considering the reputation they have gained, do not keep the road from Piako to the Waitoa Bridge in better repair. We would suggest that immediate attention to this part of the road is necesary. The Board should remember the old proverb, '• a stitch in time, &c."

It has been stated by our Auckland morning contemporary that Maclean and Co, have called for tenders for some 15 miles of draining. We believe the firm contemplate laying out a considerable quantity of work, but so far nothing definite is known concerning it, and certainly tenders have not been invited.

Letters were received in Auckland on Thursday from Mr Brennan, of Tauranpa, stating, that he had received information from Dunedin of the safety of his wife and three children, reported in the telegrams as Jnsfc in ill-fated Tararua. It appears that Mr-* Brennan, while the vessel was at Dunedin, was prevailed on by her relatives to stay over a few days, and go by the next steamer.

Mr B. Montague, who has successfully carried on drainage operations in various parts of the district during the past three or four years, is maintaining his reputation from the mode of pro- ! cedure on the drainage works at Waitoa. ! The nature of the work is very difficult, i but Mr Montague appears to be making I good progress.

I At the Police Court Alexandra on ! Wednesday before J. C. Y. Tisdall, Esq., I J.P. a native was charged with the larceny of a quantity of brandy, &c, valued at los the property of Mr. T. Finch. The offence having been proved the prisoner was fined 15s and costs in default to be imprisoned for 48 hours. The prisoner went to gaol.

An amateur Dramatic Club has I been formed in Alexandra under very favourable auspices. At present there are about ten membors, and it is in contemplation to Sive an entertainment at an early date.' Mr Chepmell, formerly a prominent member, of the Cambridge Amateur Dramatic Society is one of the moving spirits.

The Alexandra Band, the constitution of wldoh hag been to a certain extent reorganised, has now about IS members. Herr Muller still holds the office of conductor. The members have bi-weekly practices and are making rery satisfactory progress. ,

( With the advent of the -winter season the Alexandra Rink Club has opminenced operations in the Pablio Hall. The attendance oil Wednesday and Saturday eveninga frequently numbers 30, a fair proportionlof the rinkists beinff of the fair sex. , The pastime is Calculated to promote habits,! pt/aooiabtlityA and 1 phymcal health, and' ought to be more generally ndloptedthwiitfe. , ,

Residents of Cambridge and its neighborhood are informed by advertisement in another column that a variety entertainment by a local troupe—" Waikato Lady and Gentlemen Novelty Minstrels " — embracing ten performers, will be given in the Public Hall, Cambridge, on the evening of Thursday, the I'Jth inst. It is described as the first amateur lady and gentlemen minstrel troupe brought forward in New Zealand, and the opinion of a newspaper authority is quoted in support of the statement that " Rocked in the cradle of the deep " by one of the lady performers (Miss Tremaine) is simply magnificent. The entertainment will conclude with a dance, for which special arrangements have been made, and the best musical talent provided. Indeed, it would seem that a pleasant evening's amusement is in store, and we have no doubt the Cambridge public will appreciate the exertion made to afford them a pleasant entertainment.

At the meeting of the Waitoa Highway Board on Saturday last, it was reported tDat Mr (Jassidy had finished his contract at Johnstone's creek. It in expected that Smith and Grimes will finish their contract on the Riohmond-Morrina-ville road in the course of another month. In addition to sundry small jobs it was decided to repair a bad piece oa the Matamata road near Smith's road ; and to get the road between the Nottingham Castle Hotel and the "Rocks" cleared of flax and the water tables cleared out. Accounts amounting to £167 odd were passed for payment.

A special meeting of the trustees of the Cambridge Highway District was held at Camp's hotel on Wednesday last, to receive tenders for widening the road on the cutting at Ewen's hill. There were present — Messrs Graham, Snowdon, Mam, Pantham, and Smith. The following tenders were received : — Ewen, earthwork £30, fencing £1 10s ; Hutchinson, £45 ; Norris, £57 ; Graham, earthwork £55, fencing £2 5s 6d ; Watts, earthwork £38, fencing £2 7s ; Fergusson and Cnckett, earthwork £49, fencing £2 4s ; Degan and Co, £69 15s 9d ; Smallman and Oowley, Jtl43 5s Id. The tender of Mr Ewen was accepted. This was all the business.

We would draw the attention of the Kinkinroa Highway Board to the necessity for certain repairs on the main Piako road. We have always uuderstood that the Board have a permanent staff of workmen, but it appears that these men have been engaged altogether upon the Hokonui road, and there has been no consideration given to the wants of the other main roads. We trust the Board will, in justice to this poition of this district, immediately arrange for the services of at least one of the surface men to be utilised on the Piako road.

In view of the near approach of the wet season, the llangiaohia Highway Board strongly represented to the Gevernment the necessity foi 1 completing the road from the railway station to the township of Te Awamutu. The Board offered to complete the job on condition that the Government made a grant of £400, and carried the metal free. The Government have replied to this, stating that Mr Hales, the District Engineer, had received instructions to complete the road. In consequence of this Mr A. Hope, arrived on Thursday to inspect and report upon the road.

Of late the natives in the vicinity of Alexandra have been committing a series of petty thitsfs evidently taking advantage of the circumstance of there being no police constable nearer than Te Awamutu. The nuisance is becoming intolerable to the reßideats and the authorities ought to lose no time in vesting ihe powers of a police constable in one of the members of the A.C. Force. We would point out that in the event of a conviction such trifling punishment as that inflicted by Mr. Tisdall is not likely to act as a deterrent.

The quarterly meeting of the Vestry of St. Saviour's Church, Aloxandra, was held on Wednesday evening 1 last. Present, Rev. U. J. Phillips (in the chair), and Messrs. Aubin, Gentill, Stunner, and Uhappell. The balance-sheet was read by the church-wardens, Bhowinjy a credit balance of £11, and adopted. The churchwardens also reported that they had re ceived intimation from the standing 1 committee of the Diocese that the amount of the stipend owingto the clergyman had not been paid owing to there being certain arrears due the Committee on account of the Church building. It was resolved that the standing committee be remonstrated with andrequested to pay the amount owing to Mr Phillips who was not the incumbent of the district when the debt referred to was contracted.

Great dissatisfaction is expressed at the manner in which the mails are delivered at Alexandra. Notwithstanding that a coach runs daily between Te Awamutu and Alexandra, the mail bags are carried by orderlies from Ngaroto. The consequence is that, in wet weather especially, the letters are very often damaged. Besides this, the inhabitants feel that the Government should extend to them the same consideration as other places. It is not improbable that, unless some such encouragement as that embraced by a mail subsidy be offered, the proprietor of the coach now running will find it to his interest to take it off the line altogether, in which case Alexandra will be comparatively isolated. We have authority for saying that the amount required for carrying the mails is very little, and in the interests of the district it should no lopger be withheld.

A rather serious accident happened on Wednesday evening to a young man named Dunniug, a carpenter in the employment of Mr OBrien, the contractor for the Te Rore bridge. After tea some of the men proceeded to amnse themselves by wrestling. Dunning, while on the point of being thrown by his antagonist, got his right foot into a hole, the result being a dislocation of the ankle. He was taken to his tent, and a messenger at once despatched to Te Awamutu for Dr Blunden. In the meantime the sufferer was very kindly attended by Captain Beere, who, we understand, succeeded in replacing the bone. The doctor was unluckily away at Cambridge, and had not arrived on Thursday afternoon when our informant left.

Considerable damage has been done to the bush on the slopes of Pirongia by some miscellaneous persons, who from time to time have gone up the mountain pigeon shooting. Perhaps for lack of other sport, or more probably out of pure wantonness, they have set the dry bush on fire in several places, the result being that much of the timber has been destroyed. The scenery in the locality is exceptionally beautiful, affording some of the prettiest forest views in the district, and it is nothing short of disreputable that the enjoyment of pleasureseekers should be marred by the acts of the hoodlums who have lately frequented that neighborhood. "We trust that an example will be made of the offenders if caught.

The p.s. " Waikato,?* favourably; known in connection with the passenger traffic of the river, in days when there was no other mode of locomotion available, is now in the hands of the shipwrights, by whom extensive alteratiou are in course of being made. • ,Her heavy, deck-fittings and extensive saloon accomodation are to be done away with; so as to Hghten her.water'drjtught.'and renderher Qtherwfee - n^wo as » oargb

boat. When the alterations are made, it is proposed she will do service on the Waipa branch, thereby enabling the Rangiriri to devote the whole of her time to the trade of the lower Waikato. Under an airangement of that kind, the trade of each of the river branches will be conducted by a separate steamer.

Our Dunedin correspondent telegraphs last night : — "Nothing new re Tararua wreck. Garrett, who was injured in the Xtoslyn tramway accident, died last night. "

The Government having recently imported a quantity of new silver coin of all denominations, with the view to the withdrawal of the worn silver coin from circulation in the colotfy, it is noteworthy that the new coin will be gizea m exchange for the worn coin en application* at any of the branches of the following banks : — Bank of New Zealand, National Bdnk, Colonial Bank, Bank of New South Wales, Union Brink of Australia, and Bank of Australasia.

A New Zealand Gazette" notifies that Mr Theophilus Keeshng has been appointed Deputy - Commissioner of Stamps and Registrar of Joint Stock Companies at Auckland. Mr Fredrick Morris Preston Brookfield, and Edward Marsh Williams are appointed Judges of the Native Land Court. Mr John Birnie is gazetted captain of the Auckland Scottish Volunteers. The resignation of Lieutenant Benby, of the Hauraki Engineers, has been accepted. The resignations of Lieutenant Connelly and SubLieutenant Parkinson, of the Bay of Plenty Cavalry, has also been accepted. Mr L. A. Durren has been appointed auditor for the county of Piako.

The number of rabbits in the Te Awarautu and Alexandra districts have increased to such an extent that the fanners are beginning seriously to think of taking repressive measures. We need not fear that the rabbits in the more thickly peopled districts of Waikato will ever become the pest they have proved in the Southern Island, and there is not sufficient food for them in the uncultivated country beyond It is, however, to be feared that if they obtain a footing on some of the larger estates now been brought into cultivation, they will not so easily be eradicated. Prevention is better than cure, and land-owners should see to it that they check the nuisance while it is yet in its infancy.

There being no opposition, Mr Robert Fitzmauncc Sandes is declared duly elected to the office of councillor for the Uorough of Hamilton [yicr Councillor Mullions). A meeting of Volunteers and subscribers to the Te Awamutu Public Hall will be held in the hall on Wednesday evening 1 next, at halfpast seven. The members of the Cambridge Fanners' Club meet on Monday evening. Mr Kuox will hold a clearing-out sale of drapery and houbehold furniture*, at Mr Gelling's, to-day, at half-past one. Messrs W. J. Hunter and Co. hold an important sale of horses at Cambridge to-day. Mr J. S. Buckland will sell 25 horses from the South, in Cambridge to-day. The new pure cash system now being initiated by G. and C. will certainly pro\e a. benefit to the public. It has been a great success in Sydney and Melbourne, and when strictly carried out the customer who buy;, .it an establishment where the goods are marked low to ensure a rapid sale must be a great gainer. G. and C sell their drapery milhnary, and clothing at such prices for cash as gives the buyer the advantages of a shareholder in a co-operative society, without the risk of being called upon to bearaportion of theloss should the year's business prove unsatisfactory. Garhck and Cranwell will aim to retain the confidence which the public have hitherto shown them, .and are determined to give the pure cash system a fair trial ; whether they gain or lose the first year Country buyers on remitting cash with order will be supplied with goods at co-operative prices ; just the same as though they made a. personal selection. Furnishing goods, such as carpets, floor cloths, bedsteads, bedding, and general house furniture, the largest portion of which is turned out at our own factory, will be marked at the lowest remunerative pi ices, and a discount of five per cent, will be allowed to those who pay at the time of purchase. G. &C. having realised the entire value of their stock during their la^e cash sale, the present stock is nlw Avd chkapi y bought. An inspection is invited. — Garlick and Cranwfi.i, City Hall Furnishing Arcade Queenstreet, Auckland