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Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2308, 26 April 1887, Page 2

The final match in the Cambridge tennis tournament was won by the local crack, E. W. Cooke. The election of school committee for Cambridge took place laat night, but was too late for us to get the result. Meeers Richard Burke and John Burgess Teasdale have been elected members of the Rangiaohia Road Board. Mr John Liyiagstone has been elected a member of the Hamilton Koad Board. Owing to the improved European out-look, Hungary will not expend snore than half of the recent vote for -ariE3n".ents. ; The death «is announced of the Hen. S. Crozior, member of the Legislative Council of fiouth Australia. The Danedin Jockey Club have .appealed against the decision re totalisa(tOC. A telegram received last night tfrom Chrjstehureh announces tke death of »Oapt. B. Melntyre, formerly American (Corwul at Wellington, and well-known in t{he colony.

Parliament opens to-day, when the speed) will be delivered l>y His Excellency. An extra will be issued from this office during the afternoon.

A petition is being set on foot in Auckland to be presented to the City Council, praying tltat the tramways should not be authorised to run on Sundays.

Prince Bismarck, speaking in the Reichstag, remarked that it was impossible to foresee whether bellicose France would keep th« Frankfort Treaty.

The European Mail of March 11th states that several consignments of New Zealand butter have been sold in London, and good prices obtained. This is encouraging news for farmers and dairymen.

A fifteen-roomed dwelling-house of two storeys, owned and occupied l>y Mr James Caldwell and family, was totally destroyed'by fire at Devonport on Sunday evening. The property was insured.

We understand that a petition is being prepared for presentation to Parliament this session, praying that the employment of barmaids, other than those now under engagement, may bo prohibited. Messrs Coates and Metcalfe's term of maintenance of the Funiu contract, Trunk Railway, expires in a week. The lino is now in excellent order, and is a credit to all concerned.

The contractors for the second, or Kuiti, section of the Trunk Line, Messrs Coates and Mfltcalfe, expect to complete the job in about six weeks 'from date. Since the arrangement with the natives the work has gone on rapidly.

The Messrs Anderson, of Christchurch, who secured the contract for constructing the Waiteti section of the North Island Trunk Railway, have sent up their manager, who is now on the ground making preparations for starting -work. The Bruce Herald, in dealing with the speech of the Native Minister, says: —"The hon. Mr Ballanco addressed his constituents at Wanganui on Tuesday evening. The pressure of more important matter precludes any notice of his speech."

Three candidates having been nominated to fill the two vacancies in the Newcastle Road Board, viz., Messrs E. C. Shepherd, Thomas Rothwell, and Alfred Corbett, an election will take place on Monday, 2nd May.

The Land Court will not open in Cambridge until the 2nd May. Notice of the adjournment was not received in Cambridge until the last mail on Saturday evening.

Latest news from New Caledonia reports that the French officials there have despatched the warship Duchauffant with a Government officer to occupy Wallis Island, with the view of establishing a coaling station there when the Panama Canal is opened.

The steamer Waitaki, which left Napier at 7 a.m. on Friday for Wellington, went ashore about two miles south west of the White Rock. It is supposed that the whole of the crew have left the vessel. Unless there is serious damage to the vessel's bottom there seems every probability of her being floated off.

Mr S. E. Hughes was yesterday removed from Cambridge to Auckland. He had to be carried to the station on a stretcher, and was then placed in a specially reserved carriage. His son received a telegram last evening saying he had reached Auckland safely.

We would again remind members of the Hamilton Light Infantry Volunteers that they will assemble for drill this evening at the Oddfellows' Hall, Hamilton East. A meeting of the committee will be held at 6.30 p.m. sharp, at which the draft rules will be again revised before being submitted to the company this evening.

We are requested to state that in any place where there is no local organisation for the celebration of Her Majesty's Jubilee, and where subscribers are desirous of sending contributions to the Imperial Institute, His Excellency the Governor will be happy to act as the channel for the conveying of subscriptions to the proper authorities in London.

A new Masonic Lodge (EC) will be opened at Te Awamutu on Thursday next. We understand that it is the intention of several brethren of other Lodges in the district to assist in the ceremonies. Those from Hamilton and surrounding districts will have to leave by the mid-day train on Thursday.

Constable Brennan was occupying his time on Sunday by taking the names of the persons who rode or drove over the Karapiro bridge at a greater pace than walking, and we learn that proceedings are to'bti instituted against Mr ,T. McNiool tor permitting his horse to cross the footpath in front of the horse bazaar at a trot.

The Pall Mall Gazette, in an article on "The Modern War Horse," says:— "Whatever the results of the next campaigns may be, there can be but little doubt that a rise in the value of horse-flesh will be among them, and our own Government ought to be much more keenly alive to this and to the subject of English remounts generally than they appear."

In another part of this issue we give a synopsis of the by-laws of the Borough 'of Cambridge. We would strongly recommend the inhabitants of the borough and all country settlers who have occasion to visit the town to carefully peruse it, as it is the intention of the council to carry them out in their entirety.

A Press cablegram dated London, April 22nd, states that Lord Randolph Churchill complains that no effective economy has been shown in the Budget, which, however, is generally approved. Another telegram says:—"The Budget shows that nearly a million and threequarters surplus will be derived by the reduction of the annual charge on the national debt by two millions."

Mr Jolly, of Frankton, has had very fair crops of wheat and oats this year, notwithstanding the dry season, and judging from the appearance of the crop of nuts on the paddock facing the station at the time it was being cut. the average yield of thirty bushels to the acre must be considered satisfactory. The wheat yielded much better than this, reaching to nearly thirty-five bushels to the acre.

A young man named Smith, in the employment of Mr O'Brien, the contractor for'the F<>ra-o-te-Rao Tunnel, met with a serious accident on Wednesday last. He was working under the face of the cutting when a quantity of earth fell upon iinn, breaking his left leg at the thigh. Smith's mates carried him to Otorohanga on a stretcher, and he proceeded to the Auckland Hospital by Thursday's train.

Mr J. Dransfield wrote the ©ther day to the N.Z. Mail, wanting to know why New South Wales called itself, and was called, a freetrade colony. He said the assumption was a fraud, and to illustrate the point quoted the following duties charged on New Zealand produce : —Beef, 5 per cent, ad valorem ; eggs, 5 per cent, ad valorem ; ham and bacon, 2d per lb ; cheese, 2d per lb; butter Jd per lb ; oatmeal, 40s per ton ; barley, Id per lb ; fish, (Pifctoh,bloaters,) dried, Id per lb.

The Railway Reform League are keeping steadily afe work. Circulars have been issued to all the loeal bodies in the colony,.invitingithe ■ co-operation of all who are interested mi reforming our railway administration, and demanding an immediate trial of the proposed plan, pointing out that the enormous advantages to be secured would render the risk of losing a few thousands quite unworthy of consideration. That s.ome change is necessary, and Mr Vaile's proposed reform is the only one before the country, and should be accorded a trial.

By omission of three little words in our notice of Saturday of the entertainment advertised for Eriday week at Cambridge, it was roado to appear that a greater variety was in store for t)>e public than is to be expected. It is not proposed to produce any new Christy Minstrel songs or choruses. What was intended to be said was that some of the old ones would be given by a company "new to the public." We understand that Mr Henry Wilson is fee jtal.ented manager, and that he will be ably seo.K;,dp4 by some of the best voices in the town.

The following members of £he House of Representatives left for Wellington by the h,k. Hinemoa on Sunday morn-ing-:—Hohs. W. Swanson, P. Dignan, and Dr. Pollen, #ir George Maurice O'Rorke, Sir George Grey, Coloppl Eraser, Messrs % Mitehelson, R..Monk,R. Hobbs, W.-V. Buckifind. if. B. Whyte, E. Lake, W. P. Moat, and T. Thompson. M.H.R.'s; Mrs. Eraser, Captain Mair, Messrs T. T. Hull, G. M. Main, W. J. Geddis, Woolcot, and .Hodge. When the steamer was being hauled off, Mr Lundon, addressing those on the wharf said, "Shall we give them a cheer! Jt will be the Inst time they will

be going down." Assent having been given, three hearty cheers were, given, and "one cheer more for Sir George Grey," which the veteran courteously acknowledged.

>, Mr D. Richardson, architect, of .Cambridge, has received the following tenders for the erection of a house at Kirikiriroa for Mr L. S. Willam :—P. Porter, Auckland, £145; R. Gracie, Hamilton, £157135;. H. E. Rogers, Auckland, £100 ; Wan , and Johnson, Onehunga, £170; J, T. O'Oonnell, Auckland, £172 16s; A. Connolly, jun., Hamilton, £175; Martin, Auckland, £189 10s; Evans, Hamilton, £202; W. Madigan, Cambridge, £207; C. Potterton, Cambridge, £210; J. R. Millar, Cambridge, £225 ; Exton, Auckland, £244. The Helensville Turf Club Races took place on Saturday. Considering the state of the weather the attendance was fair, the rain preventing a large number of country people from attending. Cannon won the Maiden Plate, with Tupaki second, and Bangalore third. The Selling Hurdle Race fell to Native, with Whalebone second, and St. David third. Tamota won the principal event, the Helensville Cup, with Cannon second, and Friendship third. Mignonette won the Pony Novel Handicap; Blaike's Pipi the Hurdle Race, and, Mr J. Peel's Stnike the Handicap Novel Race.

Anniversary services in connection with Trinity Wesleyan Church, Hamilton, wore held on Sunday. The Rev. J. Dellow conducted the services, and the congregations were very good. The preacher at the morning service pointed out the source of the Church's power, showing that it was not found either in grand architecture, rites and ceremonies, rich endowments, eloquent preachers, _ or music; but in the devotion of the individual members of the Church. In the evening service the discourse was upon the Church's mission, which was to preach Christ. The soiree in connection with the anniversary will be held on .Wednesday next in the Public Hall, ,

The Earl and Gountees of Aberdeen were not among the passengers which arrived by the mail steamer Zealandia from Sydney, although their passages had been secured. Just prior to the steamer's departure, owing to indisposition, the Countess had to delay her departure. It appears that for the sake of obtaining com plete rest the Earl and Countess had originally intended coming on to Auckland by the Zealandia and going to the Hot Springs, there to await the next steamer before proceeding to San Francisco. A deputation intended to wait upon the Earl and Countess upon their arrival in Auckland, and to present them with an address of welcome, as well as a beautifully inlaid table, composed of New Zealand woods.

Sir Edward Stafford's Landsdown Estate, eight miles from Christchurch, and 257(5 acres in area, was recently offered for sale by auction ; but no bid was received for the property in one lot, with residence, etc. It was then ottered in sections, of which two, at the opposite extremities, of the estate, comprising 159 acres and 28 acres, were sold at £31 and £3118s per acre respectively. It is stated in the report that eight years ago the property would have brought nearly double these prices. Com-, menting upon this the Oamaru Mail remarks:—"We cordially commiserate Sir Edward Stafford. Only £4929 for a farm of 159 acres, with produce at such splendid prices, too}! How unfortunate that he did not sell out eight years ago and get £9858 for it. Things must indeed have come to a pretty pass when one can get agricultural land at £31 an acre."

To the Editor : Sir,-During the past week short letters have appeared in your local columns from "A Correspondent." It is pretty well known from whom these emanate, and the purpose for which they are written, which is to injure Mr Shepherd—who is again a candidate for the board —in the eyes of the ratepayers. Would it not be more straightforward for " A Correspondent" to point out, "if he can," any action of Mr Shepherd's while he has been upon the board ..which would justify the ratepayers in withdrawing their confidence from him. No doubt that gentleman has by his honest and fearless opposition to what he has considered to be injustice and irregularity on the part of other members of the board, incurred the enmity of some of them ; but the ratepayers have surely sense enough to know that obnoxious as such a man may be to those who are .adepts "in ways that are dark and tricks that are vain," he is too useful a safeguard to be lightly thrown aside.—l am, &c, Ratepayer \Vhatawhata.

The following letter signed " Fair Play" appeared in a recent issue of the Wellington Press :—" Sir,—Can you tell me whether any member of the Government is justified in allowing his secretary, whose salary is paid by the people, to take the bread out of another person's mouth by reporting the remarks of a judge in summing up a case. I ask the question because I find that the secretary of the AttorneyGeneral was employed to report the summing up of Mr Justice Richmond in the case of the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company v, Tiinaru. Harbour Board, in which Sir Robert Stout was leading counsel for the defence." The editor in a foot-note condemns the practice of State-paid officials being set to do private work for Ministers, and adds that Sir Julius Vogel, in his libel action against the Press, caused a Government reporter to report the case for him.

A telegram from Roma, Queensland, states that Mr Edwin Hawkins, chairman of the Murilla Divisional Board, was found dead in his bed, at Teiriboo station, on Saturday morning, shot through the head, evidently when asleep. The ball had passed oi)t of bis head and through the pillows and tedding:, and was found on the floor. Mr Hawkins appears not to have moved, and therefore death must have been instantaneous. The ball entered the back of the head. The only white people in the dwellings on that night were the servant, a man named G. W. Clayton, and his wife. The sergeant of police has arrested Clayton on suspicion of the murder. The body of Mr Hawkins was buried at Condamine yesterday, the whole township and also friends from the surrounding district attending the funeral. The deceased gentleman was a son of the Rev, \V. (3. Havylcins, of the Church of England, and had been nearly six years in charge of Teiriboo station for Captain Boyd. He was a young man in the prime of life. The wife of G-. W. Clayton has been arrested as an accomplice of her husband in the murder of Mr Hawkins. A rifle was found beside the bed of the prisoners. In these go-ahead days it is seldom that one can find a country town like Cambridge keeping pace with a city the size of Auckland. Yet, as far as milling is concerned, we have not the slightest 'hesitation in saying that it is doing so. Mr Richard Chambers, of the Caipbridge mill, has imported a complete roller plant, and being a thoroughly practical miliar is now $ble tp furn out an article second to none in the colony, Mr Chambers is well acquainted with roller mills, having for some years managed one ih the old country that turned out 5000 sacks a week, and has specially chosen rollers to suit the Waikato wheat. These have turned out a decided success, so the farmers will how have a good customer close at hand. Mr Chambers has adopted the

" Lion" as his brand, and from the quality of the article he is now making, we anticipate the gradual disappearance of any other than }ocal]y made flour. It has given universal satisfaction among the bakere, being extremely strong ; in fact, one baker that we consulted regarding it said : " I have tried it, and it was so strong that the tops of the cottage loaves heaved off in the oven." We congratulate Mr Chambers upon having successfully carried out the improvements, and trust that the local people to a man (and jyomen, for they do the baking) will give him thei). , support. Mr Goschen, Chancellor of the Exchequer, delivered his Budget statement in the House of Commons on Thursday. He announced that the surplus from last year was £776,000. He estimated the reyenue for fhe current year alt £5)2,150,000 and estimated the expenditure at £90,180,000. By various pHanjres in stamp duties, by taxation of debentures in a similar way to preference and ordinary shares, and by re-modelling the system of redemption of the national debt, the Chancellor obtained an estimated surplus of The income tax would be re-: uced' b,y one penny (from 8d to 7d). The duty on topacco would be reduced by fourpence per pound', and a slight; reduction would be made on the tax on marine insurance policies. By these reductions, the estimated surplus would be reduced to £30,000. The Treasury wijl pay off the credit of eleven millions this year, and remove local loans frgtu the Budget, at the same time creating special stoGk to the amount of £37,000,000 for local loans, Mr Goschen expressed a hope that large reductions would be effected in naval charges, especially shipbuilding, next year, and con-

eluded by stating that there wore strong evidences that trade in the United Kingdom was greatly improving.

The Napier Telegraph says :— "It is freely stated that the contractors for the Gorge railroad will make a rare good thing out of the work. All the tenderers took, it for granted that tho formation of the hills was the same on both sides of the gorge, and put in prices that would pay to cut through rock. As soon, however, as tho work was begun, it was found that the bush wns only light scrub, and that there was no rock to cut through. If, before calling for tenders, the Government had had a broad track cut throngh the bush so as to enable contractors to rightly estimate the character of the work, the contract price would have been fully £8000 lower than the accepted tender.

The famous Blue Grotto of Capri has given rise to one of the most curious law suits which have ever been heard. The Vita Napolitana, writing on the subject. says that some years ago an American became possessor of that part of Capri under which the Blue Grotto is situated, and the owner asserts now that as the surface of the ground belongs to him he is also the owner of everything below it, which in this case happens to be the grotto, which, however, is at present in the possession of the town of Capri, the administration of which has not the slightest intention of giving up what is its own to the Yankee. The latter, on being informed of this, has begun a lawsuit, the consequence.of'which, whether he wins or loses the case'may be very serious. In the latter case ho can permanently injure the grotto by making a hole through its ceiling, by which the marvellous reflections in the interior will be lost for ever. If be wins it, the chances are that he will close it to the public.

According to information received from America, a most extraordinary case of " lynching " recently occurred in the Kansas town of Leavenworth, throughj the streets of which the culprit, with a rope round his neck, was dragged by a running horse till he was strangled. From the particulars it seems that 75 masked and armed men rode up to the gaol and got the gaoler to open the door by telling him they had a prisoner for him. They then rushed to the cell where a man named Richard Woods was incarcerated on a charge of criminally assaulting a little girl. The man was pulled out, and a rope put round his neck. The rope was fastened to the horn of one of the horses' saddles. The party then set off throngh the principal streets of the town, dragging the prostrate man after them. The scene was sickening, and when the ''lynchers" were satisfied that the culprit was dead they left the corpse in the road. It was three o'clock in the morning when the affair took place, and when the inhabitants of the place arose the marks .were distinctly visible, showing where Woods had been dragged over the frozen ground. Woods was a negro.

The Indians, who possess a peculiar faculty of connecting names with ideas, have nicknamed Sir John A. Macdonald of Canada, " Old To-morrow," for the reason that he is accustomed to put people off. Sir John was so much the counterpart of Disraeli that when in 1853 the Canadian Tory Premier called upon the British Tory Premier the latter was actually startled, and when he had guaged him mentally as weil as physically, remarked that he might be his long-lost twin brother. Sir John's gift of making newspaper correspondents imagine that he gives them news is very great. Once an eminent ecclesiastic came_ from a distance to obtain from him an appointment for his nephew. Sir John wrung both his hands in a state of ecstasy and said, " Monsignor, the place is too small foryournephevy; I wouldn't offer it to him. Just you wait till to-morrow." And he did, but to-morrow never came, and the ecclesiastic is dead, and so is the nephew, and Sir John is getting out of scrapes of the same nature every day by the same means. But still, somehow or other, everyone likes Sir John.

A sensation has been caused in the domestic and social circles of Pictun, says the Marlborough Press of Thursday last, by the elopement of a single man with another man's better half and her two children. The lady mentioned has left behind her a disconsolate husband and half-a-dozen weeping children, the Benedict in question, as would naturally besu.pposed, being in a quandary as to how to proceed under the circumstances, and has been hunting the town ever since—in search we presume of someone to look after the youngsters in the absence of his erring wife. The adventurous but not unencumbered couple left, we are informed, by steamer for the Empire City last week, the gay Lothario having pulled up in a boat from the Sound with the object of his choice and the two " wee bairn's " to catch the steamer. We have not heard whether any steps are being taken to bring back the erring pair or not. but, we hope, for the sake of the deserted daddy and his six children, that'his spouse will see the error of her ways and return home, in order that the youngsters may not be left, as is often the case under such circumstances, to the tender mercies of charitably disposed persons.

"Mock auction swindles" are stated to be of daily occurrence in .San Francisco, and the process is described in detail by the police for the benifit of the unwary. The stock of these auction stores, it is said, " consists of a varied and brilliant assortment of brass and white metal watches, averaging about 3dol in value. These places are open for the express purpose of swindling strangers whose attention is attracted by the red auction flag attached to the door. Within you will see the bogus auctioneer apparently auctioneering off a watch ; standing in front of him are several men dressed in farmer's or working men's clothes ; they are apparently bidding, but they are the bogus auctioneer's cappers. A gold- watch is put up, and one of the cappers buys it very cheap. Another ex>ld watch is put up, and the auctioneer descants upon it until you bid. The capper runs your bid up to 20dol, 30dol, or 40dol, or as much as you will stand, when the watch is knocked down to you. You pay your money, and get agurantee that assures you the watch is "gold on a coin basis." This means that it is thinly gilded. You are then approached by another of the cappers who, while admiring your purchase, suggests that you have it tested, whereupon this capper, leads thp way to a poorly-stooked jewellery store in the neighbourhood. The clerk, who is also a confederate of the swindlers, asks if you desire to have the watch tested. Upon your assenting he takes the watch and proceeds to test it with acid. In a few minutes he informs you he has tested it and demands Sdols, which you have to pay to get the watch, when he informs you it is brass You find that you are swindled, but the capper suggests that you return and put the watch up for auction again and not let on that it is brass, and you may get more than you gave for it. You take this advice and pay the auctioneer Idol, for selling it, when it 'is promptly knocked down to a capper for 2dols. Your friend the capper whose advice you have taken is gone, and you are swindled again.