TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1884.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1795, 8 January 1884, Page 2

TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 1884.

«. • FEW townships in the colony exhibit more vitality than Kihikihi has of Jate discovered. For many years $Uis' border sottleuient struggled

under a fifth rate reputation, doing its little quota of trade, but making no noise in the world worth .speaking" of. Indeed, except that for strategic reasons, a foiw, oil Armed Constabulary was always stationed here, the very name of Kihilcihi might have passed out of Icon. Dut within ihe last two or throe years the (ownship has brightened up wonderfully, until it bids fair to rival any of its more pretentious urban brethren, To any one who lias not seen it for two or three years, Kihikihi will offer a pleasant surprise ; places, that we remember not long ago to have seen as waste ground are now occupied by sub stantial and commodious buildings, and roads that not long ago were mere tracks and quagmires are now well-formed streets. The ideas of the residents have grown with the increase of worldly prosperity, and whereas they were content to jog along under the guardianship of a road board. they have now attained to the dignity of being governed in local affairs by town commissioners. But while nature and the energy of the settlers have done, and are doing so much for Kihikihi, the Government, or at any rate that Department of the Government known as the Posts and Telegraphs, is sadly neglectful of its duty. The other day we referred co the expense and inconvenience to which the residents and those having business relations with Kihikihi have been subjected by the fanciful system upon which telegraph matters arc conducted in that township. The telegraphist is also lineman, and, as we stxted, is upon occasion called away to repair the telegraph lines in dif fcanfc parts of the district. During his absence it is not, of course, practicable to hold telegraphic communication with Kihikihi. This has happened more than once of late. Jn addition to his duties as lineman, the telegraph operator is also used by the Department as a sort- of extra relieving otticer — the other day, we are told, lie had to take temporary charge of the ofhec at Alexandra. The worst of it is that not only is the telegraph o'licc closed when the operator is away, but as that gentleman is also pos' master, uo letters are delivered during his absence. Tim' is ro.illy carrying the joko ion far. '! lie important of Kihikihi ib 100 great to allow of its being 1 treated in this stylo, and we cannot for the life of us make out -why tho people have put up with their disabilities for so long a time. Probably the necessity for increased postal facilities will be one of the fir.=t questions taken up by the newly-constituted I Town Hoard ; wo .shall be greatly surprised if they allow the matter to remain any length of time in abeyance. "Whilst wo are upon this subject, it is but right that wo call the attention of the }>ostal authorities to the want of accommodation in the postoflico buildings for the postmaster and his family. Very convenient offices have recently been erected, but no provision whatever has been mudo for housing- the- officer-in-ehargo. The kite postma&ror happened to be a bachelor, and consequently suffered little inconvenience, but the present holder of the post is, unfortunately for himself, a benedict with a family, and, failing quarters at the office, is obliged to live in lodgings. As the Kihikihi postmaster is expected to perform the work of two or three men, the least the Government can do is to look after his social comfort.

The new peal of bells for S. Andiew's Chuicli, Cambiidge, have an is eel pei the Bntish King, and aie now on their way from Auckland. The Wesleyans intend for the fiitnio to hold monthly services at Moirins\illo and Waitoa, commencing on Sunday ne\t. the 13th inst. Messrs Cornwall and Kingston, the contiactois for tlie windstays to the Hamilton lailway bridge, commence operations to-d.iy. A very nice cottage has just been completed .it Kilnkihi for the chief, Heteie, who intend- to ieside for the future in the township. The house has been furnished in Kiuope.in style, the necessary furnituie has been oideied fiom Auckland. Professor Herbert, the renowned illusionist, will give an cnteitiiimnent in the .school-house, Ngaiuawahia, this evennig, entitled, " Seeing is not believing," to conclude with a dance. The professor will appear at Te Aioha on Fiiday aud Saturday ne\t. Nominations for Hurdles, Cup, Stakes and Publicans' Pui.se, in connection v ith the W.iipa annual laces to be held on tin- 2') th, close at 9 p ni. on Thuisday, Januai y 10th, and acceptances on night of yenei.il entiy, 22nd. Nominations aie to be addiessed to tlie secietaiy, Mr R. W. Roche, To Awainiitu. One of Mr Carter's buggies, containing a paity of gentlemen arrived at Kotorua on Fnday night, having gone over the bush road. The visitois lcpoit the road in good condition, a paity left Hamilton •\esteiday in one of Johnson'b buggies to go by the same loute. The contractor for the large cul\eit at CiawfoidV gully a]>])ear to be pushing on with the necessaiy woik, having Mime half-dozen hands engaged. The job of gia\ oiling the load fiom the Nairows budge w ill soon be completed, judging fiom the piogiess aheady made. The farmers in the Tamahere distuct aie to be congratulated on the fine appeaiance of theii giain ciop this season. The wheat is looking paiticulaily well. A magnificent ciop owned by the Messrs Cowley is a treat to .see. Theie aie many otheis equally good, and it is to be hoped that the pieseut promise of fine weather will lemain unbroken, and so enable the foitunate owners of these grand ciops to to save them well. Rails and sleepers have been laid tempoi arily over the railway bridge, and the iii»t tiolly will pass over the bridge this mm uing. We may now boon expect to s>ee good progress made in ballasting and laying tlie permanent way, as a staff of fully sixty men aie on thp ground. The gravel-pit lately purchased horn Mi Claude has been opened up, and promises well for a good supply of ballast. At last night's meeting of the Hamilton Borough Council, the question of the advisableness of borrowing money from the Trust Fund Commissioners was briefly discussed. Thesubjectwas introduced by the Mayor, but it was pointed out by Cr. Yon Stunner that a loan as suggested would prejudice the council if they at any time wanted to borrow a large amount for some needful object, while the saving to be effected in interest was insignificant. Cr. Bradley agreed with this view, and the subject dropped. A correspondent writes :— '* Sir # It is to be hoped that the local correspon-' dent of the Herald is misinf orniod in regard to his communication in reference to the unfortunate man Cotton. There is something truly shocking to ordinary Christian feeling in the idea of a row (tot hjs ptat

career bo what it may}, who was apparently doing his best to livo honestly in a retired coiner of civilisation, being remorselessly hounded from place to place by those whose proud privilege it is at this season to pi each peace and q >odwill on earth. If true, the police sergeant showed a kinder heart than the cleric-s. It is, howevei, to be hoped that the story i.-, not tiue, for the sake of Chauiit." A meeting of the directors of the Rukuhia Cheese and Bsicon Factory Company was held on Saturday last at the office of the company, Rukuhia. Present : Mosm-i Bteele, Way, Giibble, Kusabs and Buttle. Letters were leceived from Messrs Ingrain and Co., in refeience to the machineiy, and the following tenders for painting the factory weie read and discussed, via : Heye-> at is 2d per yaul ; Mor»by at 2s per V.u'd, or lump sum of £23, exclusive of paint ; Downing, Is per yaid, or lump sum of £2.). The latter tender was accepted, the company reserving the right to purchase the material, which Mr Kusabs was authorised to pi ocure, deducting the cost from the contract price. Accounts for over £100 weie passed for payment, including the milk supply since the factory started. The usual monthly meeting of the Hamilton Domain Board was held last night, but the business was chiefly of a routine nature. The secretary of the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society wrote m answer to a letter from the board, stating that the season for getting perch ova was past, and recommending the board to apply again in September. Mr Raynes lepoi ted that the trout put in his care had thrived lemarkably well, and, he thought, were now out of the reach of the eels. — The mayor was appointed chairman of the board for the ensuing year. — Messrs^ Yon Stunner, Cochrane, Lovett, and Tippen were appointed a committee to manage Sydney Square, to let the grazing, &c. — Scvcial account-, weie passed for payment and the board adjourned. The regular monthly meeting of the Hamilton Road Board was held on Saturday, when the following business was transacted : — Mr Way was authorised to employ labour to clean out the upper drain on the Narrows bridge road. Ihe clerk was instructed to write to the Waipa Council re giant for main road, aud also to telegraph to the Public Works Department enquiring if the t'lW imprest for the main mad had been forwarded to the Waipa County Council. It was also lesolved that an application should be made to the Colonial Tieasiuev for payment of the year's i dtes now clue to the board. The clerk was 01-o oideied to furnish demand on Mr Andiew Bell for payment of labour employed in dedicating furze lately grow ing on the load ways miming through hit. property. Before separating, it was decided by lot that Messrs Gelston and Ridler should be the ictiiing membeis from the boai d for theensiiing year. Several accounts weie passed for payment and the meeting closed. The usual monthly meeting of the Hamilton Boiough Council was held last night. Piesent: His Worship the Mayor (Mi Peat), Cis. Cochrane, Bradley, McDonald, Davy, Lo\ett, Yon Stunner, and Gaudm.— Ci. Johnson made the usual decollation, and took his seat at the council. — An account was leceived fioin Mr J, Coombes, as betw een the council and himself when poundkecper.— Rcfened to Crs. Lovott and Tippen toiepoit.it next meeting. — The works committee loported on ! v.uioiui ropaiiij to loads in the borough. — file Town Cleik lepoi ted that it would be necewaiy to appoint an inspector uuder the piovisions of the Adulteration of Food Act. It was resolved to appoint Constable Wild to the post. — The whole council was appointed a works committee, and Ci. Cochiane was appointed chairman.— lt was lesolved to ask the Government to make a survey of the Hamilton traffic bridge with a \ icw to determine- the condition of the piei s. —The question of supplying the trough near the bi ldge with watei was referred to the chaiiman of the woiks committee. — The Town Cleik lepoitcd that the overdraft amounted to £08*) (is, a dcci ease of over 4JIOO dining the month.— A number of accounts were passed for payment, and the council lose. The following special messages to the Press Association, dated, London January 4th, have appeared in the N.Z. Herald :— lt is lcporfccd that France forbids Tiu key to interfere in the Soudan, but has offoied to lepel 301 Mahdi if England declines to do so.— The mutton, ex Teviotdale, is realising 4^d per lb.— The Medal's Redmond report irom San Francisco that three hundied branches of the Land League have been established in Au->tiali.i, and that the colonists have subscribed £4000 towards the Parnell testimonial.—The Roman Catholic Bishops of Austialia have recommended either Archbishop Croke, or Professor Morgan Walsh, of Maynooth College, to succeed the late Archbishop Vaughan in the Metropolitan Archbishopric of Australia. The six days' walking match, Edwards v. Huckstep and the Hendry Brothers, was finished at 11 o'clock on Saturday night, lesulting in a victory for Edwards by 9 miles 8 laps, Edwards' score standing at 471 miles 19 laps, and the combined at 402 miles 11 laps. On Saturday night the Theatre Royal was packed from floor to ceiling with an interested and impartial audience, each spurt by either of the competitor being warmly applauded. The combined scoie would have showed up much better, and the close of the match rendeied moie exciting, had Huckstep continued walking till time was called ; but, taking umbrage at the hooting of some lauikins in the stalls, who were under the linpiession lie was " breaking," ke left the track in a temper shoitly after 0 o'clock, Edwards of course winning as he liked, without exerting himself. At the conclusion of the match, Edwards was loudly cheered, as also the brothers Hendry. Edwards, in a short speech, thanked the audience for their attendance, and for the kindness with which he had been treated since his ariival in Auckland. He leaves by the mail steamer to-day, en route for New York, where he will meet Vaughan, the American pedestrian, whose record for six days stands at 531 miles. The annual meeting of the Ash* bin ton Dairy Factory Company was held on Wednesday, the 19th ult. The balancesheet showed a balance to debii. of £1170 on the year's woiking, but the statement did not show how or in what department the whole debit originated. "Loss as per cheese acconnt " was down for £457 19s. Therepoit stated that much of the loss was attributable to the company having tried to win the Government bonus of £500, for which they held their produce instead of shipping as soon as possible, and they theieby lost a good maiket. The amount of cheese made was 4(5 tons, and the cost of production was To2d per lb. Last year it took ll^lb of milk to make lib of cheese ; this year the manager stated the milk was 10 per cent, better for cheesemaking, and 101b of milk made a pound of cheese. The expenses will be much lower, the machinery having been improved, and a less price is being given for milk. The cost of manufacture was stated to be now not more than '{d per lb. The quarterly meeting of the Wesleyan Chinch of the Upper Thames Circuit was held in Te Aroha church on Tlnusday, December 27th, under the presidency of the Rev. Henry Bull. Theie were eleven officials present. The chuich menibeifchip returns showed a considerable increase upon the quai ter ; also the Sabbath School statistics, theie being 193 scholars ontheioll. The oidinaiy income for the quaiter was £46 15s 2d, and the nett pro« ceeds of bazaar £51 8s 9d. The ordinary expenditui c was met by the ordinary income, while the bazaar proceeds defrayed the circuit debt, and left a balance in hand of £5 Is Bd. On the motion of Mr J. Phillips, the cordial thanks of the meeting were presented to Mr W. Ashby for his acceptable services in connection with the bazaar, also to the ladies and other fiiends who had so readily and liberally assisted to render the effort successful. The Rev. G. T. Marshall moved that the cot dial thanks of the meeting be given to Messrs Tetley and Phillips for their able services as circuit stewards during the past year, also to the several society and sacramental stewards throughout the circuit. This was unanimously carried. On Mr Marshall's nomination, the following appointments were made for the ensuing year :— Messrs Phillips and Henry Buttle, Circuit Stewards ; Messrs Bennett and C. A. White, Society and Sacramental Stewards for Te Aroha ; Mr Tetley, Society Steward for Paeroa ; Messrs Farmer and James for Te Aroha West; Mr W, Chappell, for Waitekauri ; Mr Short, for Owharoa ; Mrssrs E. Belhouse and Hames, for Shaftesbury. A conversation was held upon the need of securing additional aid in the person of a Home Missionary to carry on the increasing work of this extensive circuit, and the chairman was requested to lay the matter before the ensuing Conference, with the object of securing, if possible, such additionl aid. The Rev Mr Mar^all, w^h. Mcssr? Buttle, #oun<sU Mid

Ellis, were appointed a Waiorongomai Church Site Committee. Permission was given to have special collections on one Sunday next quarter for the Te Aroha Trust Fund, also for the Paeroa Sundayschool. Mr Marshall informed the meeting., of the promised visit of the American Evangelists. This closed the business, and after prayer by Mr Phillips, the Benediction was pronounced. — News. Messrs Blackwood are the publishers of Anthony Trollope's autobiography. It appears (says the London correspondent of the Otago Daily Times) in two \ olumes, with a poi trait of the author. He desci ib «• his experience with great frankness, and s-ome of them are very sad. His school life was miserable. He was poor and awkwaid, and, .as a matter of course, bullied. For many year* he held an appointment in the General Post-office, and he w.is fO years an author befoie he deiived a rogul.u income from his writings. In course. <»f time his novels became very popular. He paints with great correctness the li\es of lespectable, unromantic English peo])le. His characters are well-bred, and sometimes very dreary. His style is .sweet and soothing — like a good cigar or the ripple of a brook. There are times of lanjpur and disgust when nothing pleases one like these gentle restoratives. Apparently the number of languid and disgusted people ib very considerable, for Trollope's novels realised in 20 years about £70,000. Worth, the woman tailor, is still alive, and as actively superintending the affairs of his business as he did 20 yeaisago. He is a " plump and pleasing person " of 55 years of age. He has pleasant features, a mild voice, and a b.ild head. Worth has rigged out queens and other royal personages without number. Once the Princess de Metternich and the Empress Eugenie were his best customeis. Now the Empress, of Russia and the Queen of Poitugal dance attendance on him. The coronation of the Czar of Russia drove him nearly wild. He had some 30 dresses to prepare for th.it event, whereof six were for the Empress herself, and it is said that the responsibility of the matter so weighed upon his mind that he fairly took to his bed when the last grown was packed and .sent off. Apropos of the coronation, it is said that the Empr^ss| of Russia declared that the handsomest tiolets worn at the fetes on that occasion were those of Mrs J. W. Mackay. On the subject of the frozen meat trade the London correspondent of the Argus writes :—'• It may be inteiesting to refer to opinions expressed by some of the large firms of salesmen in regaid to the trade generally. They appear to regard Australian beef as better bred thin American, but as not likely to be so popular, owing to its having to be thoroughly frozen for transmission to England, while Ammcau beef, even from Chicago, is only kept at about 34 degrees during the voyage, and is, consequently, less hard. An impression appears to prevail that many of the New Zealand sheep sue killed too old, that it would be better to send two-year old sheep instead of three and perhaps four-year-olds. Sheep from 001b to 801b in weight aie prefened. The salesmen insist that the sheep should not be slaughtered immediately after a long journey, but after an interval of test. When killed, they should be dressed plainly, without the use of water, the kidneys and suet being taken out hot. After' hanging in a cooling-room until they are quite firm, they should be packed separately in wrappers, and placed on board ship. The neglect of these precautions is considered to have caused the fiiihue of the Mataura shipment. The salesmen at. a b;»dy I are strongly in fa\our of diiect consignments to themselves, as they contend thuie is no reason why the consignor should not j save the commission now paid to the land or financial companies employed to arrange for the sale of the cargo by the salesmen of the metropolitan meat market. While disposed to view the frozen meat trade favourably, the most experienced salesmen discountenance the idea that an unlimited market can he found for Australian and New Zealand mutton. They consider that for some time to come 2000 shcop a week could be absorbed all the year round, at prices which, though much below those obtained for English and Scotch mutton, would yet prove remunerative. If laiger supplies are sent, they may be disposed of, but the price will suffer. " Direct steam communication with New Zealand (says the European Mail), coupled with cold air stoiage, is likely to have a very important effect upon our food supplies, and to render us less dependent than we have been upon America and other countiie-s. Theie has recently been on view at Messrs G-. F. Brooke and Co.'s, Leadenhall Market, some excellent specimens of cheese imported from New Zealand by Messis Bowron Brothers, of Palmerston Buildings, Old Bond-stieet, and, it is .said that eighty tons are now on the way to this country. The importation of butter from the colony has also been commenced. It is stated that all the conditions are favourable to the development of dairy produce. The mildness of the climate, and the fertility of the soil, conduce to render New Zealand, for all practical dairy purposes, preferable to either England or America. Mr W. Bowron, v, ho is well known in the southern counties of England from his long connection with the dairying and cheese-making business, has lately visited the colony, and, from the warm interest he has taken in the capabilities of the colony in this direction, has been appointed (xovernment Inspector of dairy produce factories. Under his auspices, the City Press says, several factories have been established, and many otheis aie in process of formation. The great requirements, however, in the colony aie : Practical fanners with a thorough knowledge of dairying and cheese-n.aking, competent managers of cheese factories, and experienced milkers. Mr Bowron has suggested that there are many practical dairy farmers in England who would be willing to emigrate to New Zealand if landowners in that colony would offer the inducement of letting farms with dairy stock, and thus provide a considerable portion of the capital required. Certain landowners have responded to the suggestion, and Messrs Bowron are now negotiating with farmers on theseterms, which include— Free passage ; the letting of farms from 50 to 500 acres, at rents to be agreed upon according to locality of land, about 20s per acre ; calving cows to be let with the farms and to be included in the rental, according to the carrying capacity of each farm ; and a si.xroomed cottage will be provided on each holding, and an outbuilding or stable, and so on. The whole of the details need not be given, but the subject is eminently woithy of attention, .seeing how depressed the farming business has been here for a number of years. The following amusing and instructive address was delivered by the Rev A. R. Fitchett at a Church of England soiree held in Dunedin the other day :— " A Politico-ecclesiastical View of Hard Times." Most people knew what, was meant by " hard times," but he had been trying to find out what this national depression really was. A doctor to whom he had spoken said that times were lemarkahly bad, and worse than all, that they doctors) were the first to feel it. He also said that the lawyeis weie in an evil case indeed, and spoke of a Christchurch lawyer who described, with teais in his eyes, the sad straits to which the legal profession was reduced. Fancy a lawyer being reduced to tears ! It was, as he had said, a Christchurch lawyer. It was not known that any Dunedin lawyer had over shed tears— (laughter),— but it was m evidence that a Christchurch lawyer had been overcome in this way. Another class was the publicans. They heard of the beer interest being very much depressed. The repot t of a local brewery he read the other day stated that the financial position was not particularly healthy, and that this might be attributed partly to the bad times and partly to the activity of temperance organisations. The speaker could well imagine that many would not be very grieved at this, but at the same time, although not a shareholder in this brewery, he was a customer. — (Laughter. ) He had an inner conviction of the utility of a glass of beer about lunch-time. Nevertheless, whilst of opinion that this and similar industries would last as long as the community existed, he was glad to believe thai the temperance societies as well as the hard times had exercised some measure ol restraint upon the evils of intemperance. Then again, the runholders did not seem te be in such a very bad way. The frozen meat industry had doubled the value oi their possessions in sheep, and there were .thirteen million of sheep in this country. Bui who then were the people that suffered! He supposed the trading classes suffered generally, although trade was not at a standstill— and the labouring classes, Nevertheless, he ventured to say that there was no great pressure at the present time upon the labouring classes in Dunedin, There never had been here, and by God's mercy there never would be such crushing poverty as among the same classes in Great Britain. Yet jbhere was a certain pressure, and the secret' of it was easily told. W< h«4 bean hoprwiPf tare, »q enwwot

amount of money. Compared with Victoria our population waa five to nine, and yet we had opened more miles of railway and telegraph lines, and contracted proportionately a far larger public debt. In Victoria every inhabitant was chargeable with only £24 of public debt, whilst in New Zealand they were each chargeable with £58. They wore each taxed with £3 18s here, and in Victoria with only £2 12s. This would nut be so bad if we were an economical people, but we were not. For one instance, that enormous evil, the racing sweeps here, must take as an .almost continuous fund for their support something like £100,000 from our currency. From a Churchman's point of view he could only think this was demoralising in the highest degree, and worked an almost incalculable amount of mischief. But looking at the whole case, really hard times would not be experienced heie with our present .small population. We should not reap more than a very small part of the wealth of this country until our population was multiplied tenfold. The hard times we heard of in New Zealand merely meant that some people were not getting rich so fast as they used to or would like to, and that some people had no prospect of getting rich at all. This was not a \ cry hard case. He hoped we never should have a class here who could live without work. — (Applause.) None had a light to live so upon (4od s earth. Thovj who were born in a high estate had high and onoious duties to discharge, and if other people were poor that was not such a very great hardship. The poor man's son need not be uneducated or umefined ; he might have all the essentials of a gentleman ; and if we could thus bring the different classes closer together, there would be a moie hopeful chance for this colony than for some of the older countries which boasted greater wealth and more titles.