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Waikato Times, Volume XLII, Issue 3392, 27 March 1894, Page 4

The road known 1 as the French Pass, on the Whileliall-Maunpakawa Road, in the Cambridge Survey District, has been closed under the Public Works Act,;

It is unlikely the request from Auckland for the quarantine stock station will be granted.' Soa'meV Island,' in Wellington Harbbur. will remain the sole station' for the North'lsland.

: Messrs M. D. Dinneen and W. H, Grace 'having been nominated for the vacant seat on the Kihikihi Town Board, a ipoll will be taken on Saturday next between' 1 9 and 6 p.m. • < \ i , The whole 1 of the returns for the late licensing election in the Waipa district are not,yet to hand,,but as far.as can be gathered from those received, the local option poll will be void owing to an insufficient number voting. ' i ri;

The Taotaoroa »■ and 1 Cambridge Road Boards met at: Cambridge; on Saturday, but all; the business done was ; ;the passing of a few accounts. The Cambridge Board have not yet received, any official, intimation of the threatened lawsuit re the 'Hautapu drain. , . ,: We have to acknowledge ;receipt,.of a copy of the half-yearly report of the Auckland District of the 1.0.0. F., M.U., Friendly Society. The raport, which is very full and contains statements as to the financial management during the past halfyear, should prove interesting to all bers of the order.

The tenders received by Mr T. H. White, architect;, Hamilton, for additions to the Old Men's Refuse, and opened on Saturday by the House Committee of the Hospital Board, were as follows ;,-Thomas Evans,. £IG0; C. H.- Warr,-.iisi lfo,;. David Elliott, £139. The tender of Mr Elliott was recommended by the architect for acceptance. The architect's estimate for 1 the work was £153. '

A copy of the .Journal of the Department of Labour, of March 20th is to' hand, and from it.we.gather that daring February 2092 men 'were employed on cooperative works under Government Department?. In the Auckland . District during the same month 17 unemployed (seven married and ten single) with 20 dependent on them, were assisted by the Department of Labour, twelve being sent to private 'employment : and the t o"ther, five to the Government works. / j 'i

In this issue we publish the first portion of the lecture fin "Manures as Suitable for Grasses," as delivered by Mr J. A. Pond, F.G.S., under the auspices of the Waikato Farmers' Clab at Cambridge on the 19th inht. Although there was only a very small attendance of farmers at the lecture, we hope that they will appreciate the valuaolo lessons contained in it when conveyed to them through the medium'of our columns'. l"We hope to publish the conclusion of the lecture on Saturday next, 31st inst,

We have received a small sample of walnuts', grown in Mr C. B. Vickers'orchard. at Tuhikanunea. The nuts, though not large, are well developed, and of good quality. < This is a fr,uit which seems to do well in' Waikato, and should be more extensively planted. : Walnuts always command a ready sale, and there is not the' same necessity to push them into the markets at one season (as is the case of most fruits), which latter circumstance accounts in agreat measure for the*unprofitableness attending ordinary, fruit-growing.

, Threshing is now becoming general throughout the Waikato, and, si) far as we can hear, fair results are'being obtained. No very sensational reccds have,-as.yet, reached us, Mr James Anderson's crop ; of: 35 bushels to tho acre at Pukeritnu being about, the best we have heard of. In oats, considerable disappointment is likely be experienced; some very tine crops having been greatly damaged by caterpillars—a scourge, by the way, which appears to have become, fairly, established in. ; Waihto. Those oat-growers came off best whose crops were ripe and; handled very early;' the later crops, even on the same forms,' being much| damaged. The local corps of the Salvation Army'announce special harvest festival and anniversary'meetings for next Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and Staff Captain Edwards and Captain Duggan will conduct the special meetings, as advertised., As, Staff. Captain, .Edwards is,farewelhng for a new appointment in the' South, a'farewell tea is arranged for,Monday'at 6p.tn.jwhen a Large crowd is' expected to be present/ Staff Captain Holdaiway, lately in charge of the Maori Division, is to be Staff Captain Edwari's successor in the command of the Northern Division,

At their next meeting, the Pukekura Road Board will strike a general rate' of a half-penny in the £. The first meeting of the District of Waikato Hospital and Charitable Aid Board on tha new meeting day will be held at Hamilton on Thursday next, 29th inst.,the day of the usual Hamilton sale, and every four weeks thereafter. The most important matters to be dealt with ; are: The amendment of the allocation on the various contributing bodies as fixed at' the last ineebing on a wrong basis, and the accepting of the annual tenders.

We have been informed that so far' from the Promier having, during his late' visit, purchased 20,000 acres of native land in the King Country, not a single acre was so acquired. Several blocks Of native lands, to which the titles had bean ascertained, and in the purchase of which, there would be very little difficulty, were certainly offered to the Premier, but nothing definite was decided, one way or the other. We understand that a strong feeling exists among ,the native land owners, and their friends, who.are really anxious to sell-that such public statements should be ma je before they have had even a definite promise that these lands will be taken off their hands.

; Yesterday the annual children's feast in connection with the Hamilton Catholic' day ; and' Sunday schools took place. •' The children assembled at the church at 9 aim., and were conveyed to the farm of Mr [Walter Cbitty, Kirikiriroa, in waggons, and other vehicles kindly placed at the disposal of the promoters of the treat by .the settlers of Kirikiriroa and other- friends'., Sandwiches and cake and tea and other drinkables were provided in abundance,'and a large number of toys, etc., •were distribhted amongst the young folks as prizes l for ■ running, jumping and other sports. ! About half-past four the party | broke up and a start was made for home, the 'children all being heartily pleased with their long day's outing. Father Amandolini, the ; parish priest, and many parents and friends of the children were present during the day. . , The shooting season for native game opened op.pood Friday and a large number of sportsmen availed themselves of the Easter holidays to get a little shooting afr pigeons, ducks and other native game. The .best bags we have' heard of was eightbrace of ducks for one giin inado at Ngaruawahia oh Friday, and on Saturday two gun? on the river from Hamilton toNgaruawahia bagged fifteen brace. Considerable consternation was caused among some : of the Ngaruawahia sporfsmen on the fir3t day by the constable, : who held that the, season had net opened, and.took the name : of, and a duck or pigepb from, anyone he. found in possession of, such game. No' doubt before this he has'found'out that he was in the wrong.

: A meeting of the promoters of the forthcoming Industrial Exhibition was held at Cambridge on Friday evening. The only business was the consideration of Mr Dixon's • suggestions with regard to carrying out the musical competitions. These were to the effect that the performers should be hidden from the audience by a curtain or .screen, and known only by numbers chosen by lot; the judging to be done by vote of the audience. It was considered that this mode of procedure would not only' prevent undue impartiality on the part of the critics, but would also relieve the performers from nervousness. These suggestions were adopted, and a separate evening will be allotted to this part of the exhibition. It was suggested also to include readings aud recitations in the competitions ;to be dealt with the same as music, but this ; was left undecided for the present.

Now. that the steam thrasher is pning its annual rounds, the burning question, with fanners, is the price of grain. We , regret to say that this is extremely low, the wretchedly poor price of 2s 4d per bushel, being offered for Waikato wheat of the best quality, delivered in Auckland, 2s Id being all that is obtainable locally, Two questions will naturally present themselves, when reading these quotations. The first, is, can our farmers continue to griw wheat' at such prices, paying, as many of tham do, snbstantial rents for their laud,-and.high wages for labour during harvest time. The second query will be. With first-rate milling wheat at2s Id to 2s 4d per bushel, how comes it that the price of flour remains at £8 to £Blos per ton. There is surely a great' discrepancy between these rates, and the relative values of wheat and flour, and it is' all against the producer and consumer.

High' 1 mass was celebrated by' Father Amandolini at St. Mary's Church, Hamilton, last Sunday (Easter Day). The' altar was prettily, decorated; with dahlia and other blooms, .ivy and laurel leaves, and other greenery, the whole giving unmistakable evidence of the elegant taste of the ladies who undertook the work, and reflecting much credit upon them. The effect of the decorations was greatly heightened by the' sunlight which streamfid through the windows and lit up the brightly • decked altar and the rich vestments of the priest, producing a picture that could not fail to make a favourable' impression upon the' minds of the worshippers. Father Amandolini preached a practical sermon appropriate to the festival, contrasting the joy and brightness of Eastertide with the gloom and sorrow of the Lenten season,Easter Day'was commemorative of the resurrection •of their Lord, and their tears' should all be dried at this joyous time; for after having spiritually been, crucified with' Christ and lain in. the grave with him during the two preceding days, they had nnwjpau?e to", rejoice ' and -| be; happy, at' Christ's triumph over death' 'and the completion of the great work of redemption. Father Amandolini in concluding his in-' structive and interesting sermon wished his hearers " A bright and happy Easter."