Te Aroha News AND UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 8, 28 July 1883, Page 2

Te Aroha News AND UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE.

'This above all — to thine own-self bo true And it must follow aa the night the day, Thou canst not then bo false to any man.' — Shakespeare.

SATURDAY, JULY 28, 1883.

'E\en~ the most irreconcileable of , irreconcileables amongst the Opposition must begin to think that their attempts to oust ti.e present Government are not, at all events this session, likely to achieve the desired result. The Ministry have given them every chance to effect their object, but in no case has fortune even nearly smiled on their efforts. Mr Montgomery's decentralising resolutions alone ever gave the hostile phalanx a decent minority, whilst on the other two oeca.-aous wheiv votes of want of confluence have been practically brougnt fo.warl, tlu-y have met with ignoniiniou-s defeit. Unless some unexpecte 1 " easus be.li " turns up it must be evident that JMin are safe for the session, and anot.ier ye.ir of discontent must be the lot o." those who seek to gain possession of the Treasury benches. Wit.iout by any means being thick and thin supporters of tue Government, we cannot be otlier than well satisfied that the political situation is not likely to be altered. Amongst the Opposition, up to i lie present time, there is not a single member who has distinguished himself in such a manner sis to justify his succession to tiie Premiership. Mr Montgomery has proved him.-elf, as it was only reasonable to suppose he would do, an utter failure in the position of the leader of a party, and such being the case how much more deplorable would be the mess he would make were he unforfunately ever constituted the head of a Government, and whoeve , out of his ragged train of follower.-, c mid b' selected to fill the other seats in the Cabinet? Even Mr Montgomery himself would be puzzled in making a selection, and no Ministry that he could by any chance get together would hold their seats a fortnigut. Had he by ill luck secured a majority, it would merely have meant delay in public business, without the least good being effected, and it is »nofc in the least degree likely that, on any of the questions that he and Ministers are at issue upon, a dissolution would have been granted. Though no doubt guerilla and desultory attacks will be made on the Ministry from time to time till the session ends, there i.s no prospect whatever of these being successful, ami the sooner they cease tne* better for the country. On tiiQ other f hand the Government; seem determined not to be played wifcli as vn\& the case last session, and are pushing on business at such a rate as to give a fftftir.chancsof Major Atkinson's idea of , ulusihg tiie session by the end of August ,

being realised. Already a Hamper of hills introduced by privuto members, the Rev. Green, of Otago, "being the most prolific parent in this respect, have been slaughtered, and the usual massacre at the close of the sessitvii will thereby bo in a great degree anticipated. A very large proportion of the Estimates have" now been gone through, and, notwithstanding the disgust of Messrs Fish, Montgomery and others, Ministers have a good working majority at their back sufficient to carry the balance ami silence any obstruction that may be attempted. As a matter of course a great many bills that have been introduced will never get through, but the whole of the measures that the Government desire to put on the Statute book this session will be passed. A contemporary vstates, though whether, his information be strictly accurate or not, may be in some respects doubtful,, that the bills they will press are those relating to Bankruptcy, Local Courts, Bills of Excnange, Married Womens Property, Sheriffs, Fisheries, Adulteration Act Amendment, Savings Banks, Alh'rmution and Declarations, Native policy and a few other measures. With respect to Bankruptcy thero cannot lie a doubt that that is a subject of. vast mercantile interesc, for the manner in wliicn fraud is positively protected, as the law now stands, is disgraceful to any community. 1 The Bill at present before Parliament is a great deal more stringent in I its provisions, and will render whitewashing neither so pleasant or 2nsy a process as it is under the existing Debtors' and Creditors' Ait. The other Bills are also of material interest, but this is the chief. „", Amendments in many Acts will also probably be made, but much other entitely new legislation seem» hardly possible. Tue versatile Pyke, by the way, seems to have broken out in a Fivsh place, for lie has suddenly be- ■ came a gambling reformer, and is making an attempt to so amend the Gaming and Lotteries Act as to suppress the totalisator at race meeting. Just as New Zealand and other colonies have became satisfied that the legalisation of the totalisator has had a great effect in c necking dangerous gambling, but at the samo time afforded a safe outlet tor speculation on horse races, the hon. member for the lhmstan discovers in it great evil. This is the more surprising as, if report speaks true, the hon. member in question is reputed to be deft in some kinds of speculations, where pasteboard is used to determine issues. There is no cuanee however of tins retrogression meeting the views of the Legislature. Taking it altogether the progress made at this period of the scssiou is exceedingly creditable, and testifies strongly to tue good sense of a majority of the House, showing that work rather than talk may be expected to be the characteristic of the sitting. It is to be hoped that this will prove to be the case, and that the parliamentary windbags will not be allowed, as has been too frequently the case, to monopliso the time of the House, obstruct useful legislation, and put the country to great expense, for the sole purpose of airing their own vanity and driving the Hansard staff to despair.

We subjoin an abstract of telegrams received last night, too late for publication in full. The Alford Forest (Canterbiuy) stones have proved to be cutting diamonds of no great value, but the shares in the Diamond Company have gone up to £5 on 12s pai-1. — The Dunedin Gaoi enquiry was continued in ChrisLchurch yesterday. - The Natives ai Takapau (Hawke's Bay) are obstructing Messrs Wilkin ani B'lil, sawmillev , by foiling trees across their tramways. — wwtng to CDticinued illness, Mr McDonal I, Hector of the Dunedin Hig]i School, contompi.ue.s lesigmng and leaving for home. — A fire at Kakaramea destroyed McLarens bootshop,and the stablos ol ihe hotel, but did no damage to the hotel. ! The stall s were hnurel for.£3ooin the South British, and McLarens siook for £75 in the Colonial. — There h every prospect of therailwtv baing opened to Patea in a fortnight or thie« weeks. The mails for Hamilton were duly despatched by coach on Wednesday morning last, but on arriving at the Waitoa bri ige, beyond Moffatt's, it was found that the approaches had been carried away, and the river was in such flood that it was hopeless to think of crossing. The driver, Billy, after waiting, returned to the township on Thursday niurnmg and made another attempt, which prove 1 a successful but hazardous one, to take the mails on horseback in the afternoon. The road, such as it is, was at that time under water, and he somewhat terbely replied, on enquiring what the condition of the road wa-s, that there was no road. Communication has, however, been again opened up, an -I it is to be hoped that the violence of the last storm may have exhausted the woistjof the weather for the present winter. The road men on Thursday placed planks down to act; as temporary approaches, and hoi semen were able to cross by these means. The trial of a new^qold-saving and aeperating machine, patented by Mr A&hcroifc, of Wellington, was made at the Lower Hutfc on Monday last, the stone operated on being from Beefton, on the West Coast, and Te Aroha. The result was entirely satisfactory, and it is said that the new patent will, with a machine only weighing 3cwt. crush a ton and a quarter per day with ease, and will do its work thoroughly. Should such be proved the invention will be a real blessing to claimholders in various goldtields, and we hope sincerely that it will fulfil all that is claimed fur it. Amongst the members of the House present were Messrs J. B. WhyteandP. Whitaker, Sheehan, Moms, Hursthouse, and J. C. Brown, all Goldfields representatives, also Dr Hector, Messrs H. E. Whitaker, A. Porter, and Captain Home. We hope to hear more of Mr Ashcrof t's work shortly, and, as the plan b in question can so readily be conveyed, would suggest that a trial should take place here an 1 at the Thames, when practical miners interested in claims could see it at work for themselves, and form clearer opinions as to ifca efficiency or otherwise. An amendment of the Counties Act will probably bo made this session of Parliament ; it is proposed so insert; a clause removing the liability under which Road Boards have, to keep, the roads clear of furze. A very serious fire took place on the premises of the Union Sash and Door Company, Auckland, on Wednesday morning last, when the whole of the* factory was burnt to the ground. The total insurances amount to £12,800, but the loss is far larger.

' A fejv -,weeks ago. -we- stated' that Henry; Brennan had.been arresjedliere, charged with the larceny, as a,jbaileek6f a. race-horse at Taranald. The accused* was 'taken to New Plymouth, but no evidenoe whatever to support the oharge was '6ffered against him, and he was at once discharged. It, is not by any means fair that warrants should be indiscriminately granted on such insufficient grounds I as were shown in this case. r-The usual fortnightly E.M. Court will not be held on Tuesday next, but on the 7th August, the Tuesday following, Mr Kenrick, E.M., will have returned and will re-comrnenee fortnightly sittings as usual on that day. As elsewhere announced a meeting of those favorable to the establishment of an Odd Fellows Lodge, M.U., will be held at Walker's Hotel this evening at half-past 8 o'clock. There is every prospect of .it being successful, and that a Lodge under the above Order will be established without delay. The Takapuna, the Union Company's fast boat, it is expected (says a Christohurch contemporary) will make her trips between the Manukau, New Plymouth, Wellington, and Lyttetfon at the following quick rate of speed : —Leave Manukau, arrive at Taranald (185 miles) in 9J hourjs "stop there one hour ; arrive at Wellington" (176 miles) in 12 hours more ; stop at Wellington 1£ hours, arrive at Lyttelton (175 miles) in 12 hours— total distance, 582 miles in 36 hours. The steamer will run between Onehunga and Wellington in 22£ hours. She steams at the rate of 14 knots an hour. Should the train suit at Lyttelton the mail fronoj Auckland will reach Dunedin in 48 hours.' On Thursday last the Maoris at the Omaha pah here saw an empty^whaleboat floating down the river, and at onco took steps to secure it. This was by no means an easy matter, for there was a very heavy fresh on, and the current was running at a great rate. They did, however, get it to the bank, and were about to advertise for its owner, when it was found that it was the property of Messrs Wells and Soutter, of this township. The Maoris deserve credit for the plucky way in which they effected the salvage. Had they not stopped the runaway it would probably, with the great body of water then in the river, have found its way to sea, especially as it would have made the greater part of the journey after nightfall when it wo aid not be observed from shore. The Hon. Mr Dick has introduced a Bill which he calls the " Adulteration Prevention Act Amendment." It is but a short Bill, but there is a deal in it, as the bakers will find out when it comes into force. Clause 3 states that " after the passing of this Act no baker or seller of bread shall make, sell, or offer for sale any bread not made up into loaves of two, four, six, or eight pounds in weight respectively," and clause 4 provides for a fine of £5 if the previous clause is not adhered to. Again, the baker or seller of bread is liable to a penalty of £5 if his loaves are deficient in weight, and the local authorities (the Borough Councils, for instance) have power to appoint an Inspector to see that the provisions of the Act are complied with. Should an Inspector be obstructed in his duties the offender is liable to a £10 fine. The Act, however, does not apply to "fancy bread," such as " twists," " French loaves" and other small bread not exceeding in any ease one pound in weight. The contractor for the new baths', Mr Bennett, has started vigorously to work, and in about three weeks will have completed the portion of the part now, to be built. This will be only an instalment of the plans of Mr Mahoney, the whole of which however shortly be added. The portion now being put up will give two single baths supplied with hot and cold water, and a hot plunge bath, a cold shower bath also being included. The baths when finished will give five single baths and thiee plunge baths, two hot ami one cold, and in all the single baths there will be a cold shower,, as also' one for each of the hot plunge baths. A hot water reservoir will be made at the site of one of the present baths, but the bath originally put up will remain untouched. A reservoir for the supply of cold water will eventually be constructed, but for tho present a dam placed across the creek, will fulfil all requirements, and a large sum of money be saved by the change. Dressing rooms wfll also be added and every comfort provided for the public There is no doubt whatever that, when the whole plan, as designed, is carried out, visitors will be attracted from many parts of the colony, in addition to those that will come from the more immediate portions of the Provincial District. The section on which the contractor is now employed will be completed and ready foi use within three weeks. Mr Fish's Bill to amend the Licensing Act, provMes thai the Licensing Committee for an ordinary licensing district shall be constitute'! as follows :— That is to say, tho Licensing Committee shall consist of five pprsons (resident either within or outside of any district), to be appointed by the Governor, who may remove from oflice all or any of the said committee, and appoint other persons in lieu of the person or persons so removed. Such committee may also be appointed by the Governor, to exercise all their powers within any one or more districts, One section of the Bill states that every record of an offence against any of the last foregoing sections may, in the discretion of tne committee, be endorsed on tho license of the person convicted. A writer in a Canterbury journal says: — We were much troubled here with the small birds three years ago. I mixed the grain I was sowing with coal tar, about a pint ot tar to eight bushels of grain ; first emptied the grain out on a floor and mixed it properly. I found that no fowl or bird would touch it, and it came up fine, and even the larks did not interfere with it after it germinated. I made it known to our farmers here, and they have this year pretty generally adopted it in wheat-sow-ing. One of them came to me lately and said: " I mixed thirty .bags of seed with tar, and not one bird touched it, and it went through the drill without any trouble. It is equally suitable for any Kind of grain, and if it does stiok in the drill a little sand relieves fie difficulty. By a proclamation issued in a Gazette of the 17th inst., Fiji is declared an infected place under the " Public Health Act, 1876." Notice is given in our advertising columns that a call of three-pence per share is made in the Premier, Eureka, arid Waitoki Companies, and is payable on the Bth of August next. j We would point out to those crossing Lip- j sey's Swamp that the County Engineer, Mr Purchas, notifies the bridge over the creek there as dangerous and l ;unfit for traffic. The contractors for the Hot Springs Hotel, Penk and Co., lost no time in repairing damages'done by Wednesday's storm. The whole of the framing was levelled on Wodnesday, but re-erected on Thursday, and work proceeded with as if nothing had happened to interrupt it. This is yery smart work for the building in question is no little shanty but a lar&e house that will when finished contain 23 rooms, and the whole of its framing was reinstated in the time mentioned. . The Terawiti reefsj near Wellington are turning out well, and the Wellingtonians are going crazy in consequence. Graham Tawhai, ai aboriginal Wesleyan student, is about to undertake a Blue Bibbon crusade amongst the Maoris of the Thames Valley. ■_ , ■ . The late storm^did r n'ot bBSto'w its favors on the Te Araho district only, very bad weather was experienced both at the Thames and Aubkland', and niuoh damage done. ( At the

.former' place a man and a boy are reported as missing. The s.s. Waitoa, notwithstanding the bad weather, made a good up trip on Wednesday in ten hours. One bend it took her more than, half an hour to weather, the wind catohirigher,on the bow, more than once sending her spinning round. It is only surprising that she got up a,t all.