The Waikto Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2117, 2 February 1886, Page 2

The Waikto Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Equstl and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever » tate ot persuasion, religtoui or political. Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain.

TUESDA V, FEB. 2, 1886.

To-night the burgesses of Hamil ton, in public meeting assembled, will be asked for an expression of opinion in regard to the proposed loan of ,£6OOO. The meeting will be an informal one, as the question will again have to be brought before the ratepayers, in conformity with the Act ; but the Mayor and Councillors have wisely determined that it shall be thoroughly ventilated before it is put to the test of a poll. We do not, however, suppose for a moment that the proposal is in danger of rejection. It must be quite evideut to the people of Hamilton that if the town is to fitly occupy the position to which nature and circumstances have elevated it many things are necessary, and to secure these money must be obtained. Further than this, the borough is bound by a compact with the Government to do certain things upon certain conditions. The Government are to hand over 170 acres of land on the distinct understanding that the borough shall erect suitable buildings for public purposes, to embrace Crown Lands and Survey, Public Works, Municipal and Registrar's offices and the like. But this, though necessary and in the bond, is not all that is required. The larger area of domain lands now placed under local authority requires not only to be beautified, but much of it needs draining and otherwise putting in a condition to Ue available for leasing and so contributing to the local revenue. It is estimated that the rental to be derived from the 170 acres, when the lands have been improved, will go a long way to pay the interest on the loan, while the extinction of the present overdrafts will set free a sum of £90 now annually swallowed up in bank interest. This sum, added to the estimated revenue derivable from the newly acquired domain lands, will virtually meet the interest charges on the £4000 proposed to be expended forthwith out of the £6000 loan, which it is anticipated will be borrowed at 6 per cent. The balance, £2000, not allocated, it is proposed to put out at interest, to be expendwl ftt *o»e future time

in such a nianuvr as the burgesses may direct; The full details of the scheme will be found in the report adopted at lnst night's meeting of the the Boroutrh Council, which will be laid before the public me etingto-night. No one, in dimly reviewing the proposals, can fail to be struck with the enormous advantages which their adoption will confer upon the town of Hamilton, and through it upon the Waikato district generally. The want of Crown Lands and Survey offices in the Waikato has long been felt. The loss of time and the expense involved in making repeated journeys to Auckland to obtain information which ought to be available on the spot is incalculable, and if in order to acquire these offices it was necessary to erect suitable buildings for their location, the money required would be well spent. But when it is considered that a quid pro quo is given in the shape of a landed endowment, the revenue from which will enable the council to undertake other and equally important works, which will largely increase the value of the borough property, a double blessing is confem'.l. Hamilton is of course the only place where such offices, to be available for the whole of the district, cm be established. This will be admitted on all hands. There is, then, everything to be said in favoir of, and absolutely nothing against the scheme, and we expect to see the ratepayers of Hamilton, both at the public meetings and at the polling-booth, mark by their voices and their votes their unanimous approval of its provisions.

The famed Holiness Evangelists are at present at Te Aroha.

The Hamilton public schools resumed duties after the midsummer holidays yesterday.

The many friends of Mr EHewitt, of Cambridge, will be sorry to hear that he is confined to his bed with a severe attack of sciatic*. He is attended by Dr Waddington.

We understand that it is the intention of Mr W. R. Waddel, the present Mayor of Auckland, to contest the Auckland North seat at the next election against Mr J. Thompson.

We are requested by the mother of the lad Ryan, who was recently committed for trial on a charge of burglary at Hamilton East, to state that hii age is 15J years, and not " about 17 " an stated in our report of the case published at the time.

The goodwill of the five acres of Cainbridga Domain lands in Cambridge West, offered by auction at Buckland's horse bazaar on Saturday did not find a buyer, the reserve of £20 being considered too high.

The annual meeting of the shareholders of the Union Sash and Door Company was held at Auckland on Saturday. The balance sheet was a very unfavourable one and it was resolved that the meeting be adjourned in order that a committee of shareholders mightexaminetheaccounta and balance sheet &c.

The New Zealand Stud and Pedigree Stock Company have re-sold the Cranstoun Estate to the Auckland Agricultural Company. The stock will be offered for sale by Mr J. S. Buckland at Ohaupo to-day, and the implements and other material will be sold at Cambridge next week.

In consequence of the melancholy and fatal drowning case on Sunday, the Chairman of the Cambridge Town Board proposes to provide two buoys, with sufficient lengths of rope attached, to be kept permanently at hand at the baths in the event of any futuro necessity arising whereby they would probably be the means of saving human life.

A special meeting of the Eirikiriroa Road Board to open tenders was held on Saturday. The following tenders were received : — For works near Ruuaney's farm, on the Hukanui-Taupiri road :— Cassidy (accepted), carting aud laying pipes, £5 155, earthworks, CM per yard ; Rumney, £6 10s and 7d. No. 2, River road, formation :— Oaasidy, clearing, &c, 4s lOd per chaiu ; James Coombes, 4s Cd ; Zenas Owen (accepted), 4s 3d.

Mr Geo* Aldridge conducted the services, morning and evening, atLeCJuesne's Hall, Hamilton, on Sunday. In the evening he took for his text, "The Gospel of the (ilory of God." There were large congregations at both serviced. Last night a special service was held at the bame place, when there wan again a good attendance. The subject of Mr Aldridge'a address was 11 The Rainbow round about the Throne." The discourse was listened to with earnest attention.

At the Wesleyan Conference at Chriatchurch on Saturday, a report on the state of religion in the Church was presented, stating that the increase in Church membership and attendants on the ministry was very large. The Rev. G. Bond presented a report on Sunday-schools, showing the number of school* to be 208, with 17,000 scholars. Notices of motion were handed in, calling attention to the loss of elder scholars from the Sunday-schools, and the too common desecration of the Sabbath.

The third annual gathering under the auspices of the Auckland Sailors' Rest and Home took place on Saturday, and proved to be a most enjoyable evening. Suitable addresses were delivered by the Bishops of Auckland and Melanesia, the Dean of Christchurch and the Archdeacon of Wellington, and an excellent programme of vocal and instrumental music was contributed by friends. The institution was said to be in a very flourishing condition, thanks chiefly to the munificent bequest of the late Mr Costley.

A correspondent at Raglan writes : — '• The Property Tax, which in the minds ef the majority here w a moat iniquitous tax, is, through Mr Sperry or his clerk*, made more galling still by notices posted in Wellington on the 21st ult., and reaching here on the 30th, with an intimation that if any objection is to be made in the valuation the prescribed form must reach the office in Wellington on the sth February, an impossibility from postal arrangements. Such high-lianded officialism can surely be no longer borne by a certainly too long-suffer-ing public. The last straw ha? about broken the camel's back, and people will now make their voices heard."

I observe (writes a correspondent) the Te Awatnutu correspondent to the Weekly News of 30th ult., in commenting on the public Doliticiil meeting held in Raglan on the 23rd ult., states that the elector! would vote only for the candidate who should "pledge himself to obtain Government expenditure for carrying out a number of public works for the district, one of which is the construction of a bridge at Raglan, to cost some £5000." Having attended the same meeting I can positively state that such a thing as Government expenditure in the district was not even mooted. So much for the veracity of the Te Awamutu cot respondent, who has eridently drawn on his imagination for facts.

After the deluge on Friday the weather cleared up on Saturday, and Sunday and yesterday were both bright warm days. The rain hat leftui none too noon, for having accomplished the work of freshening the pastures and giving an impetus to the root crops, is was beginning to interfere seriously with harvest operations. Several crops of grain cut and in the stook when the weather broke on Tuesday last have not been improved by the week s wet, and one or two promising fields of barley have fared badly, the colour having gone and all chance of the grain being used for malt being lost. It is feared that many potato crops will suffer, as the tubers have matured and there is danger of a second growth. The turnips are looking much better and grass will aoon be again abundant.

Senous complaints are being made by the settlers at Pukerimu and Cambridge West ot their cuttle and horses being stolen, or in some mysterious way petting lost out of tbeir paddocks. Mr John Finnerty adverti«e« in tin* issue for a l»y colt, wd we h© iufo^wd' tbut no leu

than seven hornes have been taken from other settlors in the same district. Some suspicions are thrown on the Maoris who were about in large numbers at the time, but nothing can bo preferred a^ninxt them with certainty. The farmers are, naturrally, considerably nnnoyed by these repc.ited losses and think the police should bcxtic- themselves a little and make strict enquiries into the circumstances, as these evil practices have been going on for somo time.

The Evangelistic Services in the Cambridge Public Hall, on Sunday night, were largely attended by an attentive i ..dwell conducted audience. The Rev. W. Evans, Presbyterian, and the Rev,. J, Wilson, Baptist Minister, officiated, mid g.ive earnest and eloquent addresses, appealing strongly to the nrgligent and thoughtleu to turn to God, and accept the abounding lo\e and sacrifice of Hii Sim Jesus Christ. These services ware inaugurated by the several Protestant clergymen in Cambridge in a purely voluntary manner, and in this they were influenced by no other motive than the call of duty. Their object is to placo, in a most simple way, the truths of the Christian faith within the reach of those who'not attend nne place of worship, and of whom in Cam* bridge there are, it i« claimed, far too many of all classes.

The Ashburton correspondent of the Lyttelton Times writes:— The Scriptural prico of the sparrow was two for a farthing. We are offering half-n-crown o hundred for heads or eggs, and can't get anything like enough. If some genius or other among the unemployed would invent » means for destroying the " spugs " wholenale, he would make a good thing out of our sparrow nuisance, for we have them here in million*, and they have devoured just about an much of our pats' asjfrould have supplied porridge to half fhe^unemployed in the colony until pfrospenty returns again. Three road boarda^jjUtma on the county for outlay in buyin£"3e3cf- sparrows and sparrows eggs amount to over £130, and as all the boards in the county have been encouraging the " sparrow hunt, the bill to pay will be substantial. The county gives only Is 6d per 100, and the boards make up the other shilling, so that there has been a very fair slaughter of birds, and a considerable number of sparrow factories have had their plant confiscated. Notwithstanding all this, there is a fearfully wide field left for an enterprising genius to work upon.

The following special messages to the Pres* Association, dated London, January 30th, ha\e been published :— Th« City of Melbourne Bunk have opened ft branch in London. Mr 0. M. Longmuir has been appointed temporary manager, and Messrs Peterson and Keep have been elected directors. — The French Government are accusing England and Germany of dividing the Pacific Islands between them. —Sir Michael Hicks-Beach will not grant the Agents-General an interview on the question of import duty on Colonial wines. —The report that Mr Henniker Heaton was shortly to be knighted is without foundation. — The wheat market han lost its recent firmness, but the values have not changed. Ex warehouse is quoted at 5(65. Buyera refuse to offer more than 34s 6d for a Victorian cargo on the passage. No sales of off-coast cargoes are recorded. The flour market is dull. A parcel of Australian flour on the passage has been offered at 34s.— In connection with the island of Raiatea, England is to enjoy equal commercial advantages with France.— Good anthorities on financial matters express the opinion that the Victorian loan will be floated at over 105. The Economist expects that the loan will be a decided success.— The Wine and Spirit Association of Great Britain are urgiug the Government to adopt a uniform duty of Is 6d per gallon on imported wine, with a maximum of 39 degrees^Prince Bismarck justifies the expulsion of the Poles from Prussia on the ground that they are disloyal.

The Leader, the Auckland, Temperance journal, thus refers to the demise of its Freetheught contemporary :—" After six months of life the Rationalist has ceased to appear. Certain persons have, no doubt, lost money over it, and in so_ far as they are out of pocket they are entitled to some sympathy ; but, after making due allowance on that score, the community is to be congratulated on the disappearance of the paper. It did, not do all the harm it wanted to during its lease of life ; but, that was not for want of will or of »lapda&h, extravagant writing. Its aim was simply destruction, the killing of the religious instinct in the heart of humanity. Its violence was such that it alienated a portion of the small circle of Auckland Freethinkers, who, being sober and moderate men, were disgusted at the indiscriminate abuse scattered round each week. Mr Stout, Freethought champion though he is, came in for his share of sneering rebuke, because he advocated temperate measures in the promulgation -of the teneti he upholds, and refused to agree to the extreme course favoured by the proprietary of the Rationalist. It goes without saying, the Christian ministers of every denomination were treated with the latin; there was scarce a good word ever spoken for one of them. Bishops Cowie and Luck were two of the most prominent butts of the paper's ridicule, while men of lower standing were dealt with in the same-fashion. As for argument, scarcely a shred of it could be detected by the most minute observer ; there was exceedingly little besides an inferior kind of blustering declamation. The public declined to lie charmed with this sort of piping, and so the Rationalist is to be published no more. As rtmotto for its tombstone Non. Resurgam will perhaps suit as well as another."

Curiosity prompted us (Wanganui Herald) to keep a record of the accident" find fires which happened during Christmas week, or, strictly speaking, from Chmtmas Day to New Year's Day, both inclusive. There were iv all 87 mishaps. This number contained some cases of persons who died from fits, and other* who were found dead. Hone accident* top the list with a total of 29, of which five were collisions (two of them with train*), six were trap accidents, the effects in fcnme <caneg being fatal ; sixteen were falls from horseback, of which two were fatal, and a large proportion serious accidents, one was kicked and one trampled, the latter being a fatul case. Drownings and narrow escapes from a watery grave totted up to fourteen, of which two were seamen drowned, two boys, five men, and one a girl, the remaining four being cases of falling in which were not attended with fatal, reuults. In no other line were the ■ totals so large as in these. One man was very seriously injutfd at a Caledonian gathering by a lGlb weight falling on his head, and another had a 241b " hammer " against hin leg, which twisted his foot. A child in Wellington fell into a boiler, and a little 2 year-old out of a balcony. A sailor on the Tainut was killed in the electrical room,: one man suicided, a woman fell from a tramcar and died from the effects, and a man fell between a railway carriage and the platform, with the result that he too died. There were two cycling accidents, two bird's nesting tumbles, and one fatal fall from rocks. One woman broke her neck by falling downstairs, and two died very suddenly. At Onehunga, a boy shattered an arm while rabbit snooting, and at Woodville a little fellow was gored in the eye by a cow, the result of which was death. A jockey wag killed by being run over at Otaki, and three others met with accidents at the various race meetings. The others are too numerous to mention, but the list given in itself in appalling. It in useless trying to count the fires, as the number of houses burnt in the Napier fires jit not known. There were large fires at Wellington, Hawke's Bay, Oxford, Rakaia, and Templeton districts in Canterbury, Dashwood Fats in Marlborough, and other places. Ah the insurances are not complete we cannot give them in their entirety, but for thirty-nine houses the total (with contents) was £11,305.

A managkr of a dime show travelling in the West imposes fines on members of his company for speaking bad language of any sort. Whenever the manager wishes to reduoe expenses he delays payinjr the salaries one day and employs an exf crt shorthand writer to take notes. A contemporary says :— " A Frenchman is teaching a donkey to talk. What we want in this country is a man who will teach donkeys not to talk." This is unvarnished truth. The need is conspicuomlyseen in the House of Representatives but it is felt in a measure in all other homes. The art of holding the tongue deserves to be placed at the head of all acquirements. Silence is golden, The other day when six women were driving at full speed, they suddenly paused and we thought we were among the angels ; the quiet was more sweet than harpers wM their hw pi,