The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1637, 2 January 1883, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Equal .md ex.ictjustitc to all men, Ot whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or politic.il. Heie shall the Press the People's, right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain.

TUESDAY, JAN. 2, ISB3.

At this time of the year we stand, so to speak, on high ground. Behind lib lies the valley we have been traversing-, some of us "svith glad heart and light foot, others, alas, burdened with toil and care, during the past year ; Aye remember its pleasant fields and paths, its quagmires, and its -will-o'-the-wisps; and its prominent features, though hero and there bedimraed by mist, yet seem clearer to us now than at any time before. Beyond us, stretching away towards the sunset, is the vale into which we are about to descend, and looking across which wo can discorn nothing distinctly, nothing surely. The year that has gone Avas, in a wide sonso, an ovontful one. The advances mado in scionce alone would stamp it as such, not to speak of such events as the inag- 1 nificent campaign in Egypt, and others of like historical importance; but it has more to commend it.' What we take to be the grand distinguishing feature of 1882 is the fact that during its course a very pronounced advance has been made in the direction of securing freedom to all mankind. The labours of many generations of philosophers and schoolmasters have not been in vain, and though the fruit is of slow growth, it is hardy, and will yet become fully ripo. Throughout the ; civilised world, and in. many par- j tions which we account uacinlised, \ a spirit is abroad that bodes no| good to institutions effete and 'cor- 1 rupt, and with little but their antiquity to recommend them. In its wilder moods we call it by hard names— socialism, nihilism, communism, and.tfeo like ; but it is not these that are staring i&? great heart of England and Scotland i^o its centre j it is not these that havei pntHHjptefl the thought tind (intellect of Great Btttmfl 'to extend justice to its suiter fob. $0, these results! are 5 due to the growths? f #ja#on{il principle, in; the , fl>pglica<s^ which wrong can never bo ebiWoun j > ded with right. 1 ■ We cannot hopej,< it is too mucti tb'expecfcHhaVin'ouf <te will com 6 teHSliSa'tiOnH^l that dptfte' pf'jniverlal- brotherhopd, "^fepfe^^fe' .warld o'er, sha[L^|^| be^but^f, may b^said e^aggpra-

material progress of ra^^^r^^'lin forwfliractionjfeinto (at!^ no^^°f q icjf atrag^vjrct], co|n| ffirce iMexJcou®, Jj^idgmj^ lW^r^^rfpPPling **• cutting \illstntu uses, deepening rivers, and boring under the sea. Every day's mail seems to bring us intelligence 'of' somej; fur : ther improvement in the means of locomotion and transit at our command, and uf new plans for the preservation and distribution of the great food supply of the earth. Within the year the 1 trade between England and her colonies has been revolutionised. Meat slaughtered- in , New Zealand and Australia is eaten fresh by our kinsmen in the mother country,t\velve thousand miles away. Tt is in these colonies, and especially those which compose the Australasian group, that the most noticeable progress has,, been made. Transplanted to these distant lands the Anglo-Saxon race has improved rather than deteriorated, and not only are we beginning to lead the home country in reforms, to fill its markets, but we can beat her sons in their manly games. While we are proud of all this, it is in no spirit or boastfulness of vainglory, but rather because we rejoice to feel that the scions of the good old stock are able to sustain the prestige of the parent. In our own corner of the earth, there aro not wanting signs of active and rapidly increasing prosperity, and this is truo in a greater degree of the North Island than the •South. A succession of several indifferent harvests in tho Middle Island has reduced many to a condition from which the good yield \vhich the present season promises will only suffice to rescue them. Of the North, however, we think it may be said with justice that its commercial condition is sound and flourishing. The steady prosecution of public works, the extonsion of settlement, and the active energy of many of our larger land-owners have opened a field for the lucrative employment of all our labour, and we are now on joy ing a period of prosperity which wo hope and believe has in it the elements of pprmaneney. Waikato has had its share of these blessings ; new industries are springing up around, us, our railways aro steadily approaching completion, and with the prospect of an additional market arising at To Aroha, wo enter upon the new year with a reasonable prospect of good fortune.

"Echoes from the Cafe" will be found on onr fourth page.

Yesterday, being New Years Day, was observed as a holiday in the telegraph offices. Consequently we are unable to present our readers with our usual telegraphic intelligence.

Messrs Miller and McFarlane of Cambridge are the successtul contractois for the extensive additions to Messrs Wells and Soufcter's premises. The work of erecting the new additions will be commenced immediately.

A special meeting of the Hamilton Borough Council was held last night, at which » resolution formally removing the toll off the traffic bridge was carried. It was agreed to give the toll-collector, Mr Daley, a week's wages in lieu of notice, and to intimate to him that his services would no longer be required.

Mr C. R. Johnson, coach proprietor, Hamilton, sustained a serious loss yesterday. In returning from the races, and when near Sydney Square,'one of the horses, the leader, attached to his waggonete, suddenly stopped, swerved off the road, and fell backward, dying almost without a struggle,

The result of the last entertainment given by the Cambridge Dramatic .Society in aid ot the Cambridge Public Library has not been so satisfactory, in a financial sense, as might have been anticipated. The expenses of the entertainment, which were considerable, more than balanced the proceeds, and consequently the society were unable to hand anything over to the library. This fact, ' we are informed, may be attributed to the number of "dead-heads'* present.

The qu«,rt§rJy meeting of the Te Awamutu circuit of fcH« Wesjcyan Methodist Church was held on Decoinber 2(}th at the house of Mr R. T. Millar, t|fe Rev. T. J. Wills in the chair. There was a good attendance of office bearers, and the flnaneoa were shown to be in a very satisfactory position , there being a slight credit balance to be earned forward for next quarter. The meeting wag of a, pleasant and harmonious character, at the close of which the company adjonrned to Sir Millars new store, where the tea was laid, and thei'o being several ladies present a very pleasant evening was spent by all. — (Correspondent).

It may be remembered that when the Aslnnorc left this port for Scan Francisco (says the Oamaru Times) she took over to that place a trial shipment of Oamaru stone. Considerable disappointment was felt when it was discovered that owing to the climate or some other cause the stone was useless in that place. Now, Jwwever, a gentleman in Oamaru has received ,# letter from San Francisco, announcing that successful experiments are being made in that town in utilising the Oamaru stone for, the adulteration ot baking powder. "Cast thy 'stone' upon the waters and it thai} return unto ,thee after many days."

; Our Cambridge readers will re* member that at Mr Geo.- Glarke'g auction sale of the late Mr Brown's property near Fen Court, on the 22nd ult., comparatively little business was done urthe way of disposing of the various allotments. Since the sale, however, allotments from No. 11 to 18, and No. 26 iind 27, 130 acres in all, have been disposed of at satisfactory prices by ' private sale,' leaving 8 allotments of the entire propejfjby unsold. Seven of the latter, we might mention, both as regards quality and position, »nrf from' jj^eir having a frontage" oil the* AuWfc fli?4> '^''■considered the finest allotments on fae yrgperty, and it may therefore be mmoteii. that these also will be disposed of at m\ early date. ■ . . |

Our Raglan correspondent writes : —On Saturday, the 30th List.,' While Mr F. Pook, one of ttbe employes oil Rit**s. and Stlid holme's station at Raglan, was returning home he found the body of Mr \Yalli&' , Jiittle girl. whp, was drowned on the r ' filth' '"irist: He i afound; <it i * lon , the, t , i Tautare Be^fc^about-sthi-ee rf miles to the north I 9ft««wl>a,ri#p|he]bpdv '^s/ifauqh/ dip- , wa*'h«idH»^w.HHr. f >^,'3K^eJ[l pte ■ coroner) 1 , and *' vemkb 'Ww &Q .'tl^jt , rer | turdedby'the' jiiry lafetha inq«^ifc gneiss, Layers' body on the 26th inst.Vwa|^j:ei | corded. J!\\e funeral was, cqn^ ducted^by vthe Rev. M*;Wills ,pn Sunday last, ,t&si?Wg6%hm9%pt Wp}Wm*M the deceased followed i|ier remains to ;the

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