WAIKATO NOTES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 238, 2 March 1910, Page 2

WAIKATO NOTES.

Own Correspondent. Hamilton, Tuesday Night. The annual racing carnival has eumu to Hamilton, and with it the spider;) and the Hies which follow the garinh • light of that will-o'-the-wisp. Tmf bookioa and their clerks Btrect cornero. Men hard of wtfr ' and clad in clothes that would deafen one with their loudness, were everywhere to be met, and oddH and racing jargon of indescribable meaning assaulted the ears on every 'yide. Heigh-o! Its a great world that allows us to choo3c between working and gambling. "Living on the game," is, no doubt, exciting. For me there arc many better occupations than that other. The first day';) racing was to have taken place on Friday, but the Heavens, in their wrath, wept so copiously that "the game" was postponed. On Monday the first sitting of the Supreme Court eventuated—as the country correspondents say—-at Hamilton. We have poilec officers, accused persons, detectives, witnesses, and lawyers galore. These even rubbed shoulders with the racingfraternity, and doubtless many a constable had the pleasure of renewing a gaming acquaintance with a turf habitue, . this time going on what is technically known as the "dead square." There are many cases, somo of which promise to occupy the attention of judge and jury for a considerable time. Fortunately with the exception of one regrettable case, this portion of Waikato has not contributed much to tincalendar. We are a peace-loving and law-abiding community at our hesj. Somehow, it becomes natural to us. Socially, things are as dead as the frozen meat market, but there are already indications of a revival in the autumn The weather has been very unsuitable for any kind of exercise, and it is said that the exertion of emptying a galss, or taking a hand at long whist, causes,, in some cases, complete prostration! 'Everyone growled at the heat, the long succession of dry days, the want of rain, and the slowness of summer. Then when it rained the growl was general on the other side, because all Hamilton and its wife wished to go to the races. As a rule, man's a fool, When it hot, he wants it cool; When its cool, ho wants it hot, Always wanting what is not. As a rule, man's n fool. That sums up the position exactly. The volunteers and all that appertains to them are now in Auckland to manoeuvre to the plaudits of Lord Kitchener, Field - Marshal, and the inconvenience of themselves, to say • nothing of their employers. The young brigade known as the cadets, went also. Let us hope that they will acquit themselves creditably —as doubtless they will do under the eye of our own special stern military enthusiast.

Really we have had very little sickness in these parts this summer. There has been a total absence of contagious disease —fever and diphtheria being unknown. This speaks volumes for the sanitary arrangement of the town, and the city fathers are coming in for some nice remarks for their fovesightedncs-i in unharnessing] a stigma, which hung like a millstone round the neck of the capital of Waikatoy ears ago. A healthy community is much more to be desired than an extremely wealthy one. Now let me think, if this oppressively close night will allow me. Mr. Robert Parr has been mado chairman of the local Building Society for the ensuing term. Mr. Arthur Smith has been appointed secretary of the Waikato Trotting Club. Mr. Moroney is by this time on his way to the 01(1 Country, where also Mr. John Gordon is proceeding, The Member for the Waikato is at present in Wellington on business connected with his electorate. These are all the local movements.

The settlers in some of the adjacent districts are suffrcing from an attauk of baconitis, and they are going into the relative virtues of selling pigu locally or combining and shipping across seas. So far nothing has happened in eitheirdiroction, but farmers are not losing sight of the fact that it is necessary to do something, and it is more than probable that next season they will consider the question morn seriously and launch out in the direction of the counsels of their Taranalu brethren. The butter market is holding its owi}, and many of the supplier are still going strong. The drqughf at the beginning of tho season tailed off the milk supply a little, but j|! recovered itself after the firafc rainn, and big cheques have, been tho order, One might be tempted to say that the foundations of Waikato are composed of butter, but this would be a fleeting assertion this hot weather.