SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 1884.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1884, 2 August 1884, Page 2

SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 1884.

Tin: quality winch New Zealanders most l.ick is md( pendpnce. We vs i the word in its true, not its con veil tional s^n.se. The man who will best deserve our giatitude is he who .shall formulate a new '• self-re-liant " policy. Whether it be that we are too much governed or too little, th.it we are too heavily taxed or too lightly, we are at any rate fast degenerating into mere limpets clinging to the rock of the Consolidated lie venue, if we do not ; un the nsk of becoming .something much worse. Well, indeed, may we pray for a t- table- and wise Government, -.eeiug that wr lay upon it the burden of ill our necessities, great and small. But th're can be no good and stable Government under such condition-, us we impose upon it. It is absurd to expert that it can long continue to exercise the functions of a road board. It has bent itself heroically to the task, but it might as we'l have been beating the wind or lashing the sea. A radical change is needed. In the front rank of the measures to which the new Par'iament will address itself this question of local self-government ought to hold a prominent plac. N , It i.s a question fraught with much difficulty, and infinite caution ought to be exercised in gauging the respective value of the many systems w hich have seen the light even during the late short election campaign. What we require is a scheme which, while it will foster and increase that spirit of self-reliance to which reference has been made, will at the same time provide the simp lest and most efficient machinery for the construction of such works as constitute necessary steps in the development of the colony's resources, agricultural and other, as their needs- arise. The elaboration of any such scheme will not be a holiday task, but it is not by any means an ini possibility. The chief difficulty in the way is the inability of Hie urban population to recognise the nature of the obligations they are under to the country districts. In order to the full enjoyment of " self-reliance," nothing should bo spent that has not first been earned. This is the general principle, but it is not capable of being universally applied. In the sparsely populated rural districts of a new colony, for instance, it nepds not to be demonstrated that unless something be spent beforehand nbthing can be earned. The pioneer must therefore get advances, to be afterwards' repaid in some shape or other v Any system of local government to be. sound must make provision for suclr cases, and be elastic enough to meet the individual wants of each.

A srKBTiNO is to be. held ab Cambridge this evening for die purpose* of taking steps to establish a cheese factory in the neighbourly od. The promoters of the movement an; treacling upon pretty safe ground. They are not in the position of a person trying an experiment ; they tro simply following in the wake of i hei» fellow settlers in other parts of the V\ aikato. We do not mean to s:iy it is a foregone conclusion that a factory at Cambridge will pay handsome dividends; but it is quite witliin the mark to assert that such ati industry will greatly increase the income of the settler. We !i ive, seen what has been done at Ie Awamutu and at Hamilton At the former place the shareholders have had to contend against a series of adverse oircu instances sufficient to have killed almost any other industry, but which, so far from having that effect, have only served as a spur to fresh and more energetic efforts. The Te Awaniutu ! Company lias not paid its shaveholders anything, but the benefits conferred upon the suppliers cannot easily bo estimated. Similarly, but in a higher degree, the Hamilton Company has been a boon and a blessing to more than one farmer in the vicinity. After making the necessary deductions to allow for the expenses of starting a new concern, of which no fairly accurate estimate could be formed beforehand, it is indoed little short of marvellous that the debit balance- at the end of the year should have been so small — lor it must be runombored that the Hamilton factory paid a halfpenny a gallon more for its milk than any of the others. So far then as those shareholders who ■were suppliers are concerned something Aery much in the nature of a dividend has been paid even for the first year. As to those who, not being farmers, hold stock in the company, none of them will deny that they hare in a greater or lesser degree benefited in proportion as the agricultural class around them ha\o prospered ; and though the sum of mouey disbursed by the company this year was not large, neither,, on the other hand, is the subscribed capital of very enormous proportions. Bu this money, be its sum great or small, is earned in the district and belongs to it, and unlike Government loans, has not to be repaid with intei'est at some future day. As we have pointed out more than once, the effect of these factories has been to put into the hands of the farmer a commodity which under ordinary circumstances he sees very little of, we mean ready money, rie barters his eggs, his butter, his bacon, and often his grain crops, but the milk which he sends to the factory returns to him after not many days in the shape of golden coin. Tnlike many other things to which in the course of his career the farmer of this district has put his hand, this cheese factory business cannot well be over-done. As ('apt. Steele very justly pointed out at the W aikato Company's annual meeting the other day, the industry will not pay as it ought until we have factories spread all over the district, so that we can enter on a large scale into the, business of competing in the foreign market. What is wanted is that Waikato or the province should establish for its cheese a name and fame, in order that it may be regularly quoted in the market. Until that time comes we can expect no fixed price for it, but must bo content with the fluctuations which invariably attend on the disposal of miscellaneous produce. We trust those who attend the meetings an Cambridge and Pukclo to-night will bear these f-nv facts in mind, , and not be deterred by the fear of overdoing an industry which by its very nature is, humanly speaking, not susceptible of being overdone.

Commander Edwin telsgraphed at 1.3") p.m. yesteicUy :—"lndications: — "Indications gl<is.s fuifcher libii, and fiost or voiy cold toHis Excellency the Governor armed at Wellington on Thursday afternoon. Both members for the district ha\e taken their dcpaiture for Auckland, en loute for Wellington- Mr Lake went down on Thursday, and Mr Whyfce yesterday. They leave for the South by the Huicmoa on Tuesday next. Mr H. H- Smith exhibited his giand panorama of the woild to a large and appreciative hous>e at Cambiidge on Thm^day night. The Ngatikauwhata natives, who on several occasions have been ejected from the Pukokura Block by Mr Walker and paity, have now left the land. At a meeting of the Piako County Council, held on Thursday evening, at Cambridge, a tender of £70 was received for the construction of a pound at Morrinaville. The tender was considered too large, and was not accepted. Mr F. Rose is at present carrying out extensive improvements to the Oxfoid Hotel, of which ho is the proprietor. The additions include several new rooms, and other necessary accommodation. The hotel promises to be a convenient half-way house for tourists to the Lake Country during the coming season. The Rev. P. H. Neal, an English clergyman making a tour of the colonies, will conduct the services to-morrow at S. Peter's, Hamilton, and at S. Stephen's, Tamabere. The offertories at all the services will be in aid of the Home Mission Funds. The lime-light entertainment for the children attending S. Peter's Sundayschool, Hamilton, to be given on Tuesday evening next promises to be very attractive. The subjects of the slides comprise natural history, biography, cathedrals, Egyptian scenery comic, &c.,&c.,andtheexhibitor(lhe Rev J. S. Hill) is an adept in the art. Any surplus receipts, after paying expenses, will go to augment the Sunday-school funds. At a meeting of the Piako County Council held at Cambridge on Thursday evening, the question of the working of the Te Aroha Tramway was discussed at considerable length. Ore. phepmell and Gould attacked the present management as being altogether too costly, and not what .it might be. The management was defended by Cr. J. C. Firth, who considered that the present management was as satisfactory as could be expected \uider the circumstances. It was agreed to ask the Minister of Mines to permit the Inspector of Mines, Mr r Gordon, to report upon the tran\way,' its working gear, and trie management generally. - . ' The Pakuranga Hounds threw off at Hautapu'on Thursday/ wb'eri the_rJ3 was a fair field'of ' horsemen. j^The • 'course^tstken* 'was through Mr fPeareon?s?andj Mr 'Eaiion'flt properties, then aaross/Mr ißi&cbrmgld^&ti^ii to Broadmdadowjß;/atid'thfqu^^^n|; Court to '■Cambrjd'ge:^ ;pe'(erok¥M|^C|,wiif((j

considered excellent. Though there were severat spills, thevo were no accidonts. The hounds threw <i{f at the racecourse gate this morning. The Re 7 Ralph Brown, the popular phrenologist and physiognomist has arrived at the Bluff ftom Victoria. The Austialian papers speak in the highest terms of Mr Brown as a lecturer. He is at present on a lecturing tour through the Colonies and America and we understand will visit the Waikato somewhere -about the end of the present month. The tiroe-table to come into force on the opening of the Cambridge and Mci'iinsville lines* hah not been received by thu settlers of those districts with much favour. They object to the tiain arriving^ •it its destination at six o'clock at night, as those living any distance off would be unable, owing mainly to the wretched state of the roads, to reach their 1 espective homes that night. Representations are about to be made to the Minister for Public Woiks on the matter. A correspondent writes from Ohaupo :— Messrs W. J. Hunter and Co. have nearly completed alterations to their jard«, numerous pent, being added. The use of the second gate iv belling yards was noticed on Tuesday last, by the celerity with which the cattle weie put in and out of the yards. Those attending were well pleased with the hitting aceotnodation now piovided and the comfoit of the sale room. Although the yards were well filled both with cattle and sheep, the whole sale was concluded by four o'clock. Farmers were thereby enabled to reach home with their stock before dark. The following special messages to ' the Press Association, dated London, July ! 30th, have been published : — The Prince of Wales has invited the Agents-General of j the colonies to become members of the Executive Commission for the Colonial Exhibition, to be held in London in 188(}. He suggests that the colonies should contribute to the guarantee fund. The amount of such contribution ib not stated, but it will probably not exceed £20,000. —At a laige conference of Liberal delegates the latter denounced the Loids for their lefusal to accept the present compromise on the franchise question. At Thursday's meeting of the Auckland Clown Lands Boaid, Mr James. Farrell, Chairman of the Kihikilu Town Boaid, applied to ha\e the reserves vested is the town board, as it was a coiporate body. The reserves included the pound reserve, the public hbiary Mte, and the museum endowment-,. The boaid decided that the latter not being for local purposes, could not be vested m the tow n boaid, but that a recommendation would be made for vesting the other reserves in the town board. A correspondent at Ngaruawahia writes :—ln: — In taking a walk in the vicinity of i Ngaiuawahia, I was much struck by the imprvements made on Messrs Kmnpp and Leatliam'ri estate. Sonic '1000 olive trees aie aheady planted, and doing well. I heai it is intended to sow about 123 acies of foiust trees this year. Last yeai's trees are showing up well, and I I'ave not the least doubt that under the able management of Mr Mayo, they will be a complete success. He is taking advantage of thi^ season to get the plants down. Messrs Chloe, Lnnmer and Skewes aio busy ploughing with their teams and altogether the estate bcems to wear a. busy aspect and lively appearauc ). What wore fern and ti-tiee lulls are now ploughed, planted, and being laid down m giass. In another column will be found the piogranime of a grand conceit to be given at the Public Ho.ll, Hamilton, on the 7th inst., in aid of the Wesley an Parsonage Fund. The fir->t part, it will be seen, will consist of sacied selection-, and the second will take the shape of a miscellaneous concert. We need not descant on the excellence of the fare provided, as a glance at the programme will afford ample evidence of its meiit. Apart from this the object for which the enteitaininent is given is sufficient to commend it to the good offices of the public. Few cougiegatiotis have di->-played a spirit of greater enterpiise than the Wesleyan body of Hamilton. It is not long since they built a commodious chinch, and now with commendable .solicitude foi the comfoit of their minister they have purchased a pietty cottage overlooking Hamilton West for a parsonage. We tiust to see a laige audience gatheied togethei ou Tlnu'&day night. At the ordinary meeting of the Kiiikiiiroa Road Boaid held >e^teiday the following tenders weie received and dealt with . — For Smith's tiack, near Hinton's gully : T. Cassidy, diam, 7d per yaid ; side cutting, 17s per chain ; .J. Smith (accepted). .">xd, !)o '.Id ; Fianklm and Di\on, o^d (informal), 3Vd per yard ; Wiseman and Heibeit, sd, llis ; Caseby and Piatt, 7d, 25s ; Lovett, Messengei, C. Cuthy, iufonnal. Refoimingand grading Hinton's .gully :— Caseby and Piatt, 7^l and 7d ; \V. Jones (accepted), 7d ; Wi-eman and Herbeit, 7id ; Thos. Ryan, Ski (informal) ; Jas. Cooinbes, 8d ;W. H. Kelly, BJ,d8 J ,d ;J. J. C Booth, 8d ; W. Lovett, 8W , "James Hamilton, lOd, £1 for pipes ; J. and J. Piimrnse, fld ; T. Cassidy, IHd. It was resolved, on the recommendation of the engineei, to put wings and sheet piling at the ends of the bridge over the lagoon at Taupiu, the approaches having been continually giving way dm ing the last year or two, theieby causing great expense. Several small accounts weie passed for payment, and after disposing of some outine business the biaid rose. In the course of a very interesting gossiping letter by the San Francisco mail (say.s the Timaiu Herald), a prominent New Zealand colonist and ex-pohtician, now on a visit to Europe, for the beneht of his health, gives some important intelligence about the fiozcu meat tiade. He himself being largely concerned in that business, has gone frequently to Smithfield and talked with the salesmen about it. He says the uii'veral testimony is that t!:e iuipoiteis are ruining the tiade by underbidding one anothei, and that that is the main cause of the low prices now prevailing. He adds, however, that the merino sheep in the caicass looks mean beside the coarse sheep in vogue at Home, though " in the joint" it is infinitely superior ; and this fact is taken advantage of by the butchei'S to make a tremendous profit on New Zealand mutton. He himself had distributed joints of his own .sheep to many friends, jind the unanimous verdict was that the meat was delicious. In spite of this, however, he declaies, and he knows as well as any man that it will not pay at present to send merino sheep to England