Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1442, 29 September 1881, Page 2

Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 20, 1881.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Oi whatever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here «h.ill the Press the People's right maintain Unawcd by influence and unbribed by gain.

An important era in the progress of Waikato will bo inaugurated by the formation of the proprietary of the immense estate of Maclean and Co., having head-quarters at Fen Court, into a company. The title of this institution, which has been successfully floated, is " The Auckland Agricultural Association," and the final arrangements for taking over the property have now been completed. The directorate is a strong one, including some of the most prominent colonial and English capitalists, and the object of the Company is to dispose of the estate in such portions as may be desired on the most reasonable terms. The quality of most of the land owned by Messrs Maclean and Co. is exceptionally good, and for many years past farming operations on a large scale have been carried on whereby the capabilities of the soil have been amply demonstrated. A large pi-oportion of the land is in, a high state of cultivation, and no district can be better adapted for

the reception of the' right class of practical farmers. The project is fraught with the greatest importance ,to Waikato, and doubtless will be fully recognised as such./ . .-,

The subsidy system which the Government have, been forced to in lieu of ' the sohenie proposed in the local public works measures brought down but abandoned during the past session, will be of a much more acceptable character than its predecessor. Last year the subsidy was seven and sixpence in the pound all round, and although it might have suited the case of large towns, its application to thinly populated country districts was by no means fair. We have pointed out more than once that the system gave an undue advantage to large centres of population, whose revenue-producing powers were in excess, while their requirements were far ' below those similar to the Waikato, for instance, which, practically speaking, has all its public works to construct. A change has this year been made in this direction. The amount of subsidy for country districts has been raised to ten shillings in the pound, while the amount granted boroughs remains as before. The districts will therefore virtually receive £, for £, (subject to the usual extortionate deductions for hospitals and charitable aid) and will be placed in a much better position to carry out new and much required works, and to maintain in a more satisfactory condition, roads already constructed. The line drawn between country and municipal districts is, however, a very arbitrary one. It is a pity that a place like Hamilton, with a comparatively small population, and a large number of streets and roads in its care should be excluded from participating in the benefits of the increased subsidy equally with the other centres of population in the Waikato. The conversion of the old town districts into a borough was accomplished mainly, if not wholly because it had come to be recognised that a bridge across the river was an absolute necessity, and that only by erecting the town into a municipality could the money required be raised. It is hard that circumstances of this kind should have the effect of depriving the town of those advantages which its fellows enjoy. But we fear it is unavoidable. A moment's reflection will convince anyone that were exceptions to be made the difficulty would be to ascertain where to pause. Something must be sacrificed in order that the important principle involved may be firmly established, and this must be accepted as a full and sufficient explanation for the partial injustice which has been done.

The amount of the grants made by Parliament for the Rotorua and Waikato-Tauranga roads, respectively £4,000 and £2,000, will not only go far to complete those very necessary arteries of commerce, but the expenditure will, by rendering the means of access to the country through which the roads pass easier, tend very materially to inspire confidence in this part of the colony in those who live in other lands and outside it. The " wave of depression," as it has aptly been called, which has passed over the colony from the south to the north, lias damped the ardor of many who but for it would have been members of our community. But this is rapidly receding, and with the signs of increasing prosperity, of which nothing can well be a better indication than the opening up the country, things will be changed, and an influx of population may with certainty be looked for. Pending the construction of the E-otorua railway, which it will take some time, probably years to complete, a practicable road from the Waikato to the Lake district will prove of incalculable worth, more, perhaps, because it will intersect an important pastoral country than that it will diminish the difficulty of getting to Ohinemutu. At a time when money is so scarce, it is gratifying to feel that the claims of this important district to a share in the public expenditure, advanced with so much force by our members, should have been acknowledged with such readiness by the House.

Some very natural anxiety has been manifested by the residents of Cambridge in regard to the amendments made to the Town District Bills in its passage through Parliament, before it became law. The measure as amended by the Legislative Counoil, and finally adopted by the House, is before us. Although no alteration affecting the vital principles of the measure have been made, it is in its amended form capable of much wider application than its authors originally intended. The provisions of the bill as originally drafted placed it out of the reach of a number of settlements eager to avail themselves of the advantages it was felt it would' confer. Cambridge, especially, was found to be among the number which the very title of the bill would exclude. The bill was intituled "an Act to establish Local Boards of Administration in districts of less population than a borough," and as Cambridge possesses all the necessary qualifications to become a borough, without the desire to acquire, sueh 'a distinction^ it would perforce have remained a highway district had the bill been carried in its original shape. Agaiu,

the area of'Csftubridge vfas fotofid'td' 1 ' be greater than two square miles, the limit fixed in the bill for town districts. Further than this it was founH^^^n w a^Bt'pf r l&)\\Tis in Che, schedule^ Cambridge' was omitted." The last was a., minor difficulty, the explanation that the towns included injthe schedule, having constitutions under certain provincial ordinances of Wellington and Taranaki, would, by the repeal of these ordinances, have been left without any means of local government is sufficient. Clause 4 provides for constituting any district a town district, which fulfils the conditions imposed. But the others were difficulties of a more serious nature, and demanded the careful consideration of those interested. The members for the district overcame them by getting all the words in the title after " Administration" struck out, and by adding to clause 5, which provides' that "No such locality shall exceed cwo square miles in area, and no one point in such area shall be distant more than four miles from any other point therein," the words " Eixbept in the case of military townships." By these two alterations the Act has been made to apply to a number of places which would otherwise have been excluded. A strong desire was expressed by the residents of our own district of Cambridge that the Board of Commissioners should be continuous as in the case of Borough Councils, but though an effort was made to carry this into effect by the local representatives it was objected to on the ground that it would entail an alteration in the whole of the j elective clauses, and' the session drawing to a close it could not be insisted on without danger to the bill itself. An attempt to introduce the principle of local audit was also strongly opposed, and could not have been carried. The Cambridge people wished also to see the town districts divided from the counties, but apart from the merits of the question the members for the district found it utterly impossible in the face of the strong Southern opposition to attempt to carry this point. We are not at all sure that it is advisable, just now at any rate, to sever the one from the other. So long as the subsidy system continues the town district would be the loser, and as regards the question of hotel license fees the system of accounts adopted by the Waikato County Council is ample security that the money raised in each riding will be pretty fairly spent within its boundaries. The only other amendment made was by the Legislative Council, in striking out the following sentence inserted in clause 37, which had been inserted in the Lower House at the instance of Mr Seddon, the member for Hokitika : — " Provided further that the County Council of any county in which any town district shall be created under this Act shall not be entitled to strike a rate exceeding sixpence in the pound on the rateable value." The Act has come through the Parliamentary ordeal without injury, and promises to be a really useful measure.

An interesting letter, describing a trip to the Piako, Waitoa, and Waihou, and a quantity of other reading matter, will be found on our fourth page.

Judge Symonds, Messrs Robert Graham, and F. D. Rich were passengers to Cambridge by Tuesday's coach.

There is very little that is new from the West Coast. A telegram in another column states that the yarn about a scuffle between a settler and a native which appeared in the Auckland Kerala was a fabrication.

It is stated that Sir George Greyintends to begin his " stumping tour at Invercargill.

At the Wesleyan Church quarterly meeting of the Thames Circuit, held on Monday last, it was decided to invite the Rev. Henry Bull to take charge of that circuit next year.

The Rev. William Calder left Hamilton for Aucklnnd, yesterday morniug, to be present at the Ordination in S. Sepulchre's Church, tomorrow, and to remain there until the end of the Synod. We understand that the services morning and evening at S. Peter's will be undertaken by some clergyman from Auckland.

Acting on the representation pf the members for the district the Government is about to place punts on the river Waikato at Huutley and Churchill, at both at which places some better means of communication than that afforded by boat or canoe was urgently needed.

The Fancy Dress Ball which is spokeu of as coining off in Cambridge on the 20th of next month has now become a general topic of conversation. The stewards are already beginning to arrange the preliminaries, and no doubt their efforts will be attended with success.

The Presbyterian, the Anglican, and Roman Catholic Ohurches at oatnbridge have now changed the hour for their evening services on Sundays. Divine Service will now commence in the evening at 7 o'clock instead of J6,30 as heretofore, and this hour will be continued during the summer.

Colonel Brett committed a patent " bull " in the Upper House not long ago. When speaking to a motion condemning Government for fending back Sir Julius Vogel's letter, he said that " the usual course among gentlemen was to return insulting letters unopened!"

On Sunday last it was announced in the Wesleyan and Presbyterian churches at Cambridge that Divme service would not be held in either church, on Sunday morning next, bo as to enable all to go and hear Mr Thomas Spurgeon, who is to conduct the Baptist service to be held in the public Hall on that morning. It is thought that some attempt will shortly be. made, to jmodify the tariff rate for ameteur entertainments much for the Cambridge Public Hall, the much, more that at which professional visitors are acoomodated, for. The committee of the s Cambridge Public Library who gave a concert on the race night, are not altogether pleased with the charge imposed upon them for ihe use qf thshall on rhat occasion. We hear that tin committee of the Cambridge 1 Public Hall have at last decided that as soon as the pieseut

t : -r -p 7~Z — ; ; ~ Native Jjands Court comes to "a termination they will proceed to effect some improvements in the hall to the extent of several pounds. The improvements will 0 take the shape of an additional apartment "at thYsac)<, the rSgaiwnlHoTJJne stage* , and. ttiV providing, "pf* iniore... suitable, accommodation than at present exists for the performers. It is to be hoped that the work which is at present so badly wante&'will be 'carried out witnout further; delay.' ' l

We understand that it is Mr J. B. "Yyiiyte's intention to address his Waikatp constituents at the various centres of population as soon as he conveniently -can.

The Lytteiton Times deplores tlie slaughter of the Auckland University Bill among the innocents, stating that the North is entitled at all hazards to be provided with the means of University education.

Mr Hewson, surveyor to the ; Public Works Department in Auckland, has been engaged this last day or two in I work in connection with the new railway bridge over the Waikato river at Hamilton, tenders for which are to be in by the 12th October.

Our reader^ in the Waihou and Aroha districts will be glad to hear that the Government have proniispd to give a substantial grant towards the erection of a bridge over the river Thames, and also a sum of money to assist iv forming tracks on the goldfielil. Both are matters which deserve attention.

A mob of twenty fat cattle from Mr A. Bruce Stittor's Eureka estate, the first dratt of the season, passed through Hamilton yesterday en route to Auckland per rail. The cattle are in splendid condition, and the circumstance of their having been fed on grass and no roots of any kind speaks volumes for the quality of the Eureka pasture. Mr Suttor intends forwarding drafts regularly to the Auckland market during this season.

What has for some time been felt to be a necessity, m the shape of a telegraphist and stationmaster at Taupin, is about to be provided. The trade of this district has been increasing rapidly of late, and the concession about to be made will be fully appreciated. The Government intend also to erect a bridge over the Komakorau near Taupiri, which will be a great convenience to settlers living on the farther side of the creek, who, up to the present have been obliged to resort to canoes to carry their produce and supplies.

The friends of Mr Superintendent Thomspn will be glad to, hear that ho is recovering, although slowly, from the effects of the painful accident which happened to him near Te Awamutu some weeks ago. Writing to a friend at Hamilton, Mr Thomson says the union of the fracture is retarded by the wound, which, although very painful, is progressing favorably. We hope soon to hear that the patient is about again.

Some time ago, in noticing Messrs Douglas's place, Bruntwoocl, Tamahere, mention was made of a fine Lincoln ram "Gnmsby," one of a lot imported by Messrs Grant and Foster in the latter prut of 1879, and bought by Mr J. A. Douglas for 70 guineas, the highest price paid at the sale. The next in favor to this animal was that numbered 6 in the catalogue, bought by Mr J. Graham, of Awhitu, for 55 guineas, and Mr Douglas has now become the owner of this ram also. Both animals were bred by Mr J. W. Kirkham, of Cadeby Hall, son of the Kirkham of Biscathorpe. and the last purchase is by " rartDey,"out of a Biscathorpe ewe.

If we may judge by the rehearsal last night, the concert to be given in the Oddfellows' Hall, Hamilton East, this evening, in aid of the harmonium fund of the Presbyterian Church, will be a great treat. The lady and gentlemen amateurs, under the conductorship of Mr Bell, have been most assiduous m their endeavours to make the entertainment a success, and if practice goes for anything, they should achieve their object. The price of admission, two shillings to all parts of the hall, is a reasonable one, and places the means of enjoyment within the reach of all. We trust to see a crowded house.

Those of our Cambridge readers who are fond of enjoying themselves by taking part in a set of quadrilles now and again, without undergoing the usual penalty of being jostled and bumped about through an overcrowded hall, will be glad to learn that a quadrille party is being formed by a committee oi gentlemen to meet the want which has long been felt in Cambridge. Already, a large number of names have been subscribed to the list, and it is intended that the number shall not exceed forty. The party will meet in the Public Hall fortnightly, and the music will be provided by Messrs Stewart and Johnson.

A respectable-looking man named Scott, who' had walked overland from Napier, was charged at the Police Court, Hamilton, yesterday, with having been drunk and disorderly in the public streets the previous day. The accused admitted the offence, but pleaded that he was on his way to Auckland to join his family, and appealed to the clemency of the Court. Sergeant McGovern said the man appeared to be very well conducted when sober, and the Magistrate let him off with a caution.

Messrs Woollams and Ireland, proprietors of the Novelty Gift Depot, opposite the Bank of New Zealand, Hamilton, exhibited a series of dissolving views at the Victoria Hail yesterday to a delighted audience of young people. The views comprised the following :— Views of the City of Auckland, including Queenstreet, Grey-street, Wynyard Pier, Graving Dock, mail steamer, and all the principal streets ; the Hospital, Insurance Buildings, and all the notable edifices ; Bay of Islands, Helensville (with train leaving station), Rotomahana and Hot Lakes, Terraces and Great Cauldron. General Views of New Zealand, and others. Each child received a gift of some kind, and went away thoroughly impressed with the excellence of the show. There will be another exhibition on Monday evening in the Oddfellows' Hall, to be followed by a dance, to which holders of front seat tickets will be admitted.

The difficulty of procuring the necessary music for balls and parties in Waikato has formed the ground for repeated complaints. The expense of obtaining musicians from Auckland is often an insuperable barrier, and up to the present the only alternative was to get local, which meant amateur, and in many cases very questionable talent. Our readers will therefore be pleased to see by advertisement in another column that Mr El Hadfield, Bandmaster of the Hamilton Band, is prepared to provide and arrange music for quadrille parties, balls, &c. Mr Hadfield has had long experience in his profession. He filled the post of leader and conductor of the band which played in the Manchester Gardens, and was afterwards, for some years, bandmaster of the Aberystwith Band. With Mr Hadfield are associated several practised instrumentalists, and the band under his conductorship will include 'flutes, violins, and a piano.

A correspondent writing from 'Kihikihi says :— " The late George McKeon, who was killed a short time ago on the road ■ between Te Awamutu and • Kihikihi. has left a wife with a large family of seven children almost totally

1 * unprovided ,for., McKeonJbiad only been a few years' in New ' Zealand, yet he managed out of his weekly earnings to buy an acre of land and two or three cows. In face of this, I need not teH you he was an in^is^rjoujsaiid temperate mail, and' Had, his "life" 3 ? been Spared he£ would, doubtless, in a few years, have placed his family -beyond the necessity of charity. Subscription lists in aid of the family are, lying, at the Post-offices, Kihikihi, and Alexandra; the Batik of' •New Zealand, Te Awamutu, and at Mr Corboy's store, Kihikihi." The subscriptions, are, we regret to say, dropping m but slowly, but we teel sure the public only -require \o be informed of the matter to ensure a liberal response.

" Our learned contemporary, the Lancet, has," (says an English paper) " undertaken a crusade, not only again-st, spirituous liquors a 9 summer drinks, but against every imaginable beverage in existence. Medicated waters are an abomination ; ice, ice water, or spring water are extremely dangerous, and to 'be depreceated in the strongest degree ; while beer, foaming and sparkling, as Mr Bob Sawyer wauldgay, in' its native pewter,' only inoreasea thirst, and injures the liver ' stimulants are, good and useful in, their place, but; they are misapplied when used as mere thirst quenchers.' In fact, our medical contemporary, while donouncing all drinks as injurous and pernicious, seems inclined to play the part of Zeus, and punish the whole world in the same manner that the wielder of thunderbolts punished Tantalus for having divulged Divine secrets committed to his keeping. The public are warned to drink nothing during hot weather except barley water, lukewarm tea, milk, cocoa, or chocolate."

A correspondent of the Western Wee Uij Mail (Cirdiff), thus refers to the Welsh Volunteers who took part in the grand Review at Windsor, on Saturday, July 9th :—": — " The band of the Grenadieis was playing the inarch of the ' British G-ienadiers ' when the local corps went past, and, judging from the applause, the Cardiff Detachments may be proud of the impression they made on the minds of the Biitish public at Windsor. When the wheeling point was reached, a staffofficer — I believe it was Sir Henry Have-lock-Allan — rode up and asked the name of the regiment, and, being told, he expressed himself thus : ' Very good, 2nd Glamorgan ; very good, indeed,' which was certainly very gratifying to men who had travelled nearly 200 miles to Teprehent tho county of Glamorgan. The public, too, added verbal praise to their applause, such as ' Well done, Wales,' ' Bravo, the Welshmen,' and ' Very good, Glamorgan.' Altogether there is no need for regret at the manner in which the county of Glamorgan was represented, if tho opinions of tho public are to be accepted. After seeing 50,000 men pa«s, they may be considered tolerably fail judges, and the men present may therefore well be pleased with their reception.

Regarding Lefroy the supposed murderer of Mi Gold, a journalist who wis for several years on the Australian Press, writes to a London paper that he knew Lefroy out there, and could nol, in fact, avoid doing so, as the man was notot ious in journalistic circles from Brisbane to Adelaide. When the writer first knew him he was contributing spicy police paragraphs to the Melbourne papers. His plan of campaign was to take in Colonial editors with glowing 1 iccounts of his intimacy with George Augustus Sala, William Black, Henry Irving, and celebrities of the day in. literature and and art. Only a few months ago he tried the same trick on the Newcastle Chronicle. In a letter offering his services, he alluded to himself very modestly as the nephew of the late Richard Cobden. The Daily Ncioi has taken the trouble on behalf of the Cobden family to disclaim any connection with him. In Australia he has freauently been in trouble with the police on account of scurrilous pamphlets, and other literary misdemeanours. He had also a habit of attaching himself to bushmen down in Melbourne for a spree, and sticking to them while they had a shilling left. Though he has since changed his name, he will be identified by many at the antipodes.

"Ignotus 1 ' the writer of a series of clever sketches in the New Zealand Tiiii<'b, speculating on the position of parties in the House after the general election goes on to say: — *' Mr Hall individuully, and the Cabinet collectively, will still command a large following — the largest iv the House — perhaps 30. " The only medium between the blacks and the white*" will have but a beggarly following of 12 or so. How are the mighty fallen ! Never again shall wo see Sir George Grey the leader of a atrong, compact party in the House ; Otago has thi own him off for ever, Macandrew has declared against him, and even the allegiance of Auckland itself is divided. The extreme Otago party will number perhaps a dozen, too, and at least 20 men will come prepared to support Mr Ormond's proposals, and obtain for him the leadership of the House. The various elements of opposition, though conflicting in themselves, will combine with the one object — that of unseating the present Ministry, and a vote of want of confidence at the beginning of the session, if curried by Mr Ormrod, will effect that object. Not on any broad question of policy will the Ministry be defeated, for their policy contains nothing broad ; but from its mere narrowness and weakness, and from incapacity, will the cabinet fall. From the figures I have hazarded above, it will be seen that Mr Ormond's following will not be in itself sufficient to support him an power, and two alternatives will be open to him— a coalition with Sir George Grey and the Macandrew party, or a coalition with the majority of the Government party The first is impossible ; fire and water — risrht and wrong — could as soon blend as Mr Ormond and Sir George Grey. The uncompromising honesty and steadiness of the one, the contradictoriness and extreme radical tendencies of the other, could never mix, nor would we ever have it so. The least sign of such a fact would lose Mr Ormond not only the Premiership but probably his seat. To the other coalition I have mentioned there can be no objection. Mr Ormond's views and those of the Government party are coincident ; for it cannot be thought that the latter ever felt persuaded of the desirability of the late local government measures, and on no other question has any antagonism been shown. This is what, I think, will happen ; it is what, I believe, the HLouse looks to. It will satisfy the country, and if Mr Hall can once be politely bowed out, the party will hail Mr Ormond's advent to power with satisfaction."

Mr Kennedy Hill advertises his usual weekly sale of produce, &c, in another column. W. N. Blair, Esq., Engineer-in-Chief, N. 1., invite tenders for sleepers until noon of Tuesday, 25th October. The travelling route of the well-known Clydesdale stallion, "Young Wellington," is advertised in another column. Messrs H. B. Cotton & Co. will offer for sale, at their usual weekly sale on Saturday, at their mart, Cambridge, at 3 o'clock, sample bags of bones, bonedust, boneflour, Peruvian, Maiden and Huron Island guano, superphosphates, also table and seed potatoes, Hams, bacon, cheese, &c. Mr Thomas Spurgeon, son of the eminent preacher, Mr C. H. Spurgeon, will preach at the Cambridge Public Hall on Sunday next, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Mr J. S. Buck'and will sell at the National Hotel on Saturday, Bth October, at t o'clock, hca^y draught horses, draught filly by Northern Hcrp, hacks, Jkq,