THE RODNEY & OTAMATEA TIMES AND WAITEMATA & KAIPARA GAZETTE. FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 1901.

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, Volume 1, Issue 22, 30 August 1901, Page 2

THE RODNEY & OTAMATEA TIMES AND WAITEMATA & KAIPARA GAZETTE. FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 1901.

~Now that the question .of taxing the profits of the mining companies is being considered., the information supplied by Mr. Bleloch, one of the Standard's war correspondents in South Africa, in his lately published book on '-'The New South Africa," gives in readable form some valuable information as to the wealth of the conquered colony. This lies mainly, of course, in its goldfields, which are of three quartz reefs, "and a pecuinu hard pebble bed known as banket, foij it?; resemblance to a npjaiaW sweetmeat. ■•U-'he Imnkxyt T6rmafi(sSr"supplies most of the gold,that has been raised in the Transvaal. The pebble beds of which it is composed are believed by geologists to have been deposited in earlier ages on the shore of some ancient sea. They vary in richness, tlie most valuable being called the main reef. This comprises three and sometimes four, distinct pebble beds, and has been proved to exist for fifty miles,' and to go down to 8,250 ft. The wealth of the Rand #is proverbial. Between 1885 and 1898 the Transvaal produced gold valued at seventy millions sterling. It was not until 1889 that the production exceeded a million pounds, but in 1898, the year before the war, it had reached the enormous sum of fifteen millions. Mr. Bleloch has set himself the almost impossible task of estimating the unexhausted wealth, and though " for some reason he assumes that no more goldfields will be dis--1 covered, he arrives at conclusions which must be highly satisfactory to the British Chancelf lor of the Exchequer. The main reef of the Transvaal, he finds, alone contains a source of wealth sufficient to pay any reasonable war debt, aud to support in peace and plenty a great population of workers. ; It can offer a reward in the jshape of ToO millions or more I in prospective profits, and, in j | addition, it has a purchasing « j power of nearly 1,400 million c. | pounds' worth of labour, machiniery, material, foodstuffs, and | other goods, and'it will pay for I all these things-in gold. It can ihelp to keep the Old World industries busy for many years, besides providing a market for il all the agricultural produce the iold population of the Transvaal and a grand army of immigrants may find themselves able to supply. AIPI that is required is an enlightened and equitable Government policy, which will so order- things that all will; beneiH- no one at the expense of his neighbour- I -

[ The Christchurch prees, after referring to the refusal of the Premier to bring in an amending Bill to exclude farmers from the ope.Vitions of the Workers' Compensation for Accident Act, says; "We expi'/-jj'j§p ..opinion regarding the application ot the Act, or the liability of farmers. We have shown the .uncertainty surroun iiiigthe whole matter, The-pourts alone can decide the question, and we think that the Farmers' Union might very suitably arrange for a friendly suit, so that the exist.ng uncertainty may br removed and farmers may know exactly where they stand. Otherwise in. dividual farmers may find -themselves cast in damages ainountit+g to two or tliree hundred pounds in respect of claims from which they thought they were exempt.'-' Under encouragement the Russian Gov. rnment it is"sait |*_hat Si-b-ria is gaining 2(),.QQ0 farmers per year. Among its exp r,ts are cereals, butter,. wool, leather, and dried ail I preserved, meats. Air ady this remote country which the popular imaghh~ticn. is apt to picture as u\yas.t wastf* the ahode; of frost and sno^andmiseM, is becoming tai\ce.cl of as n possible competitor with the well known cereaj pro,duc:p.g. countries of the world. ' ~ Q ' Some inconvenience hajji^Ken found to arise., especially in tiie country: districts, owing to the**law which;, requires that Justices ofr the Peace must be re.-sworn when they are re.-ap-;' pointed to such positions. This process of re.-sw.e_.i-ng is to be iibohVhecl by the! Promissory Oaths Bill, which is under ; the chaj'jge of fhe Minister.of Justice. Should this measure pass, the oath ! taken aj; the time of the .original appointment shall be deemed to be suf- j ficienjt , Try J. Harrison, General Merchant, : Warkworth, i'pr saidlery of all de-' scrip ions, saddles, bridles, whips, 1 spurs, leggings, stirrup^irons, girths, . saddle-eL ths'ete., All at right prices. ' The Eodney Agricultural' Society is . requesting the Minister of Agriculture to send a dairy expert to hold public , meetings in the st-yeral centres of this district. We have to acknowledge receipt of sample packet of ''chewing tobacco" from Mr. J. Harrison, General Merchant of Warkworth. It may be very good, or it may not, we cannot say, as we do not "chew." We have passed it on to.the _f_iGe '" devil" and if he recovers, further comments will be forthcoming at a further date. If he does not rtcover, well! so much the worse for the merchant. Wfi are quietly waiting to see which end turns up. If any of our readers should have an "■~~>eßistrEl<.' hankering after it, they can obtain S" iiE pennyworths at Mr. Harrison's .shop, but don't' blaiue us for the.consequences aftor--^--.. s, . \ Farmers recognise that th.p high protective tarrif- and the . tyranny and selfishness of Trades Unionists, which add inordinately to the' price of the goods they must purchase, go a very long way towards neutralising the concessions they have received. Unlike these people, the Farmer does not want all the cake he can grab he is prepaed to live and let live. An agitatonis just now being engineered by some city firms, employing labour to discredit the Labour legislation of the Government, especially the Conciliatioii_and Arbitration Act, to which they ascribe a multiplicity of national disaster in the immediate future compared to which the curses that lighted on Egypt of old will not be, in the words of the modern Yankee, a circumstance. The Financial Statement is somewhat different in tone from previous Statements made by Mr Se-ldon There is 'throughout a degree of caution iv the language, and although no great anxiety is shown as to the amount of revenue anticipated, yet there are no "heroics, and no great schemes propounded. There is, of course, a good deal of padding introduced, and a good many subjects ar> discussed at unnecessary length, yet on the whole the statement is more business like than many tho Treasurer has laid before Parliament. "Thames Star" Owing to the vagaries of the matrimonial market, there will be a~ change in the "price" of boots next week. One of our local tradesmen is responsible for this. The employers or at least some of them have refused to accept the finding of the Conciliation Board in the Timber Workers' dispute, and have decided to refer their case to the Arbitration Court. The popular providor of the s.s. Kapanui has been promoted to the superlative degree. Our friend is the handsome father of a bouncing lassie. Practical experience has taught us a thing or two, so we can "tell him, he will, ere long be abundantly grateful to the fellow who invented "dummies." Don't confiscate the celebrated ships "dummy!" That would not be fair to the infantile patrons of the Company. Mr, W. 11. Cox of Dome HiU, is advertising a number of Wether Hoggets, Ewes and Lambs for sale. A school not many miles from Warkworth is presided over by a cross-eyed teacher. A few days ago he called out: ' That boy whom lam looking at, will lie step out on the floor.' Immediately twenty-seven lads walked out in front of the astonished pedogogue. A schoolteacher offered,aprize to the scholar who would come to school with the cleanest face. The result was that he was unable to recognise some of bis pupils the next day.

A voiiing man named Cox a son oi .llr/W, H. Cux J.V. ,of Dome Hill met with a rather severe iicciclent on Tuesday last. It • appears that lie was on his way home from Warkworth and when near Dome Valley his horse fell in-t > a hole, The force of the fall broke the horse's neck and ■rendered its rider unconscious. He lay in that condition all night, and was picked up next morning. We are pleased to learn that .the young mm is making a speedy re every from the effects of his unpleasant experience. On Wednesday last, a child named Kensington ageci lo months who was st lying with his grandfather Mr. Clements of Kaipara FEU s, was severely scalded overth- head and face, by spilling over himself a pan of fat that was boiling on the stove. A very old colonist in the person of Mrs. Haskell passed away on Monday last a,t her late residence, Little Omaha, fit the advanced age of 83 years. Mrs. Haskell was one of the original Nova Scotiau settlers who came to Waipu, where she resided for many years. She was laid in her last resting place on Wednesday, Rev. McKinney officiating at the grave. The large number of wreaths and other floral emblems which weie laid on the coffiu and grave testified to the great esteem in which the deceased lady was held.. Mr. McKinney announced at the grave that he would hold a funer.-il sermon at the Hall on Sunday September Bth, The Woodville Examiner says .— Mr. W. W. MeCardie, formerly of Pahiatua, is to bo candidate for the Waikato seat at the next gvneral .lection, iv tbe Government interest. It is not perhaps generally kn -wii .hat potato peelings dried in the oven n^ke the best possible hre.lightej?s] for the njorning. Throw in the oyenj instead of outside, then put them to; the grate in the m'>i;nj.ng, find here' you have the whqle thmg ha one act.. We recently had the pleasure of Look-! ing through the establishment ofi Messrs Stewart Bro-. at Helensville,! The him has very large and up .-to- date] premises, and can'}' a- large stock of a: varied character. The electriG light isj installed ip pai't of the building, which is of brick, and covers considerable 'urea, Besides tlic general grocery and drapery department the firm has large stocks of boots and shoe«, crockery, and general produce in different apartments, and also carry on a large butchery business.. (Wairoa Bell), Mr. "B. 0. Shepherd, is advertising young pigs for sale, The _Quke o" Connaught has been installed Grand Master of the English constitution of Freemasons, The ceremony was a magnificent function. The spectacle of many thousands of Masons .includingI.Dukes—and Earls. "Lurds and Knights were there in gorgeous regalia Th?. Duke stated, that during the past twenty years the Grand Lodge .had given over two million pounds to charities. Mr. Dibble hoi; s his next stock as foliows: Wayby, Saturday Aug.'3l. Tauhoa, Monday, Sept. 2. Warkworth, Weclnes. Sept. 4. and Puho:, Thursday, Sept. 5. Warkworth sale starts on arrival of steamers. Buyers from Auckland Avill-be present. A good demand exists for cattle and other stock. The 0' Dowd G«se was again tried on Wednesday. Dr. Wilkins agair stood his trial, the jury disagreoc for the second tune. W Te were shown a small Kauri tree which was discovered on Mrs Pulhams' land. The trunk had beer tied, into a kiiott, apparently thirty or forty years ago. Mr. Keir, whe now possesses it intends preserving i as a curiosity. Something to tickle your taste; J Harrison's delicious chewing-gum a one penny p^r cake. Try it. It was decided to hold a Masoni. Ball at Warkworth on about Septemb er 25th.