THE AROHA NEWS AND UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 33, 19 January 1884, Page 2

THE AROHA NEWS AND UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE.

'This above all — to thin© own-self bo true And it must follow us the night the day, Thou oanst not then bo false to any m«n.' — Bhakespeure.

SATURDAY, JANUARY. 19, 1884.

One of the most enticing entremets on the bill of fare laid before Parliament, by the Government, at the opening of last session, was a proposal to amend the Constitution of the Upper House. Through tne dreary hours of the session, the proposition was a principal topic of conversation in the lobbies and more than once it was referred to incidentally in the House itself. Every now and then the quid mines circulated rumours that the bill was to be introduced immediately, but the prorogation came without its introduction. Those acquainted Avith the intricacies of political finesse, with those cunning manipulations that too frequently hare more to do with the keeping of Ministries in office than excellencies of policy, were prepared for this. They had a shrewd idea that the Government would not deal tli3 Legislative Council Bill card that season, but that it would be kept till the last session of the Parliament, when it would take its trick more effectively. In other words, that the party in power would use it for a plank of tho platform on which they would go to the country ; as a bait with which to catch those " anythingarians " in politics, whose creed may be summed up in one word " Change." And circumstances have shown thatthose who had thusforseen the Governmental intention were right. A draft of the Bill has been circulated, and we make the following abstract of its provisions : — After the Ist January, 1885, the Council is to consist of 44 members, and of not more than three Maori members to be appointed by the Governor. In that month the number of members, other than the Maori members, is to be reduced to twenty-two in tho following manner :—: — Every member of the Council, as it then exists, is to transmit to the Governor a voting paper containing the names of the 22 members whom he wishes to continue in office, — none being allowed to voto for himself — aud the 22 having the largest number of votes are to continue in office, and the seats of the remaining members will be declared vacant. In order to bring up the total to 44, there are to be elected in the same month additional members, eleven for the Northern Electoral Division, consisting of the North Island, and eleven for the Southern Electoral Division, consisting of that part of the colony south of Cook Straits. In the month of January, 188G, the seats of the members elected by the Council are to be declared vacant, and a like number are to be elected by the constituences. On the Ist January, 1895, and on the Ist of* January in every fifth year thereafter/ seats of the eleven members representing each electoral district who have been longest in office are to become vacant and fresh elections are to be held the result of this arrangement* of course being that the members are elected for ten years. ' Every member who is on the roll of auy electoral district for the House of Kepivsentives shall be entitled to bo a candidate, and every such elector shall be entitled to vote in one electoral district and no more for members for one electoral division only. The appointment of the Speaker is left in" the hands of the Governor- Tliu

bill as it stands has much to comrnenit; tho principal, and iuleed-the only objection we can see just now, is the size of the constituences. The electoral divisions are so large that none but those possessed of considerable wealth could be got to contest the elections. There are few colonists who deny that New Zealands "Second Estate" woefully requires reform — a considerable number believe that it should be reformed out of existence — and consequently most of us will regard with considerable interest the attitude of our legislators with respect to the proposed measure.

It would appear that instead of having £200,000 to divide under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, as was expected, the Government have but £70,000 available. The maximum amount any County was entitled to apply for was £5.000, and as our readers are aware the Piako County Council asked for that amount, some £1,200 being for the Waiorongomai road. However, as the total amount to be divided is so small, and as applications for grants for bridges will be paid in full, we fear that only a few hundreds will be available for the Waiorongomai road.

" Yes ; we'll give you 8d a dozen for as many eggs as you like to bring, " said the nice young man at Wells and Soutter's to the sad eyed cockatoo. " Eightpence a dozen be contirrentalled ! " irascibly ejaculated the other as he moved towards the door. " E-i-g-h-t-p-e-n-c-e a dozen 1 Why, boss, that would not pay for the hens' time. Me ould hens don't lay no eggs at that price. " So he came round and told the editor all about it. James Brady aj>d Thomas Glyn, sentenced here to one month's imprisonment, have each been sent to the ThamesGabl. At the last meeting of the Dunedin Presbytery , Mr E. Cargill suggested that celibacy should be imposed on the clergy till the age of 30 or 35. It was not entertained. The Thames has always been a hot-bed of scandal. People absolutely get baldheaded in their endeavours to poke their noses into their neighbours' affairs for the purpose of circulating stories about their little idiosycrasiesand moral crookednesses. The poor " out-at-elbows" upper crust quarrel amongst themselves like pole-cats but unite in snubbing those whose papa^ and mammas were below the ranks ot grocers or milliner girls. All thib it. written to introduce a paragraph about » disgusting scandal that has been industriously circulated during the past few weck^ regarding the daughter of a respectable resident there — one of the few yeiitlemen in the place. The friends of the young lady knew the story to be untrue, but all efforts to trace the caluminator were unsuccessful. We are glad to learn from one of the local papers "that soiu-jstiitling disclosures arc likely to be made which will give a clue to the originators of the recent scandals on the Thames and seriously implicate at least one leading resident." Ychtc-niay's Advertiser states that Mr A. Phillips has arranged to run a coach from the Thames to Te Aroha, and the first will start on Monday next. A very funny little story is told at the expense of a worthy settler in Piako County, who it is almost needless to say is distinctly Scotch. He invited some Auckland friends to spend Christmas with him, and then set them to work haymaking. One evening when the host and his guests were indulging in the time-honored %< shilling-in" at the Castle, the Piako man in the fullness of his heart invited his friends to repeat their visit at E.ister when he had a little swamp draining to do. The Te Aroha Public Library, continues to grow in public favour. There are now upwards of 70 subscribers, and the daily attendance at the reading room (which is free to nil) average between 20 and 30. The revenue of the institution last year from subscriptions and donations, was upwards of £70, and its share of the £6000 vote for Libraries of last session is expected to be £50. The Public Libraries vote last session was passed with considerable difficulty, and at the time of its passage through the Lower House, there was an impression that it was the last vote of the kind that would get through Parliment. We trust that the legislature, will 'perpetuate this vote ; we feel certain that expressly in country districts the good it does is almost incalculable. A library, however, small, is a potent means of educating the masses, and at the same time it provides healtfiy rational amuse ment. We would prefer to see a diminuation in the Education vote, rather than that the subsidy to Libraries should be abolished. In this issue, tenders are invited for station buildings on the Eureka coutract of the Thames- Waikato railway — about 36 buildings in all. Despite the decision of the Auckland Presbytery, we understand that there is a strong probability that Mr Ferguson, Presbyterian student evangelist, will remain "ih this district. It will be remembered that when it was noticed in the Auckland papers that the Presbytery contemplated removing Mr Ferguson to Tauranga, in consequence of his action with reference to the Paeroa church sito dispute, the Presbyterians 'of Te Aroha, made a most strenuous protest, and it -would appear that the people of Paeroa — wi£h butone exception — we reblieve — have written to the Church Extension Committee, requiring that Mr Ferguson should be allowed to remain in the district, and threatening if he was removed that they wonld sever their connection with the Church. Under those circumstances, we have no doubt but that at its next meeting, the Presbytery will reverse its hastily arrived at decision. ' Henry Good ward, a Salvationist, has been arrested on a charge of committing rape on a Salvation sister named Ellen Puiue. We are glad to see. Mr, Clements, manager of the Inverness, /again amongst uu and looking worth several doad men. It 1 will bo remembered that two months ago

Mr Clements was seriously ill, so seriously indeed that his life was despaired of. ' The Kayvakawa Rti'ike has collapsed, the miners going to work unconditionally. The 'Frisco mail arrived at Auckland on Monday night. A highly successful concert in aid of the funds of Paeroa Presbyterian Church, took place at the Paeroa Public Hall, on Friday, 11th inst. There were a number of visitors from Te Arohaand the Thames. The most successful numbers on the programme, were " Jessie's Dream " by Mre Dr Cooper of Te Aroha, and "When Sparrows Build " by Mrs* Payne of the Thames. The following ladies and gentle men who assisted, Miss Clurke and Mr Vhuse of Te Aroha. Miss Ferguson and Capt. Dal torn (Thames,) tmd Miss Parry, Mrs Law, Mr Rhodes, Littlejohn, (Paeroa). The programme was interspersed with glees, choir of the Paeroa Church, under the leadership of Mr Do war, and short addresses were given by Mr Ferguson and the Rev. S. J, Neill. After the concert, refreshments were provided by the Indies of the congregation, and the proceeding terminated with a dance. Mr Ferguson will conduct divine service at Te Aroha, 11 a.m. and at Matamata at 7, p.m. to-morrow. Probably six months have elapsed since Mr Tom Lawless, the popular proprietor of the Waierongomai Hotel, after considerable cogitation, decided to putting an upper storey on his place of businoss. From the date of the making of the resolve till Christmas, the bad weather precluded the carpenters working. At last it set fine and at the latter end of last week the carpenters removed the roof. The very next day it began to rain as though Wuiorongonmi waß going to get a second edition of Noah's flood. Fortunately the furniture was removed to a secure place before the full fury of the storm had commenced, but considerable damage wus done to tho wall-papers, etc. Mr J. W. R. Guilding, who has been appointed collector of the dog tax here by the Phiko County Council, is making raids on the colLrless canine pets. John's persuasive powers has induced many residents to invest in this year's leather. Waiorongomai wears a disgusted and disconsolate appearance. Ichabod is inscribed on the doors of the hotels and the publicans' muscles, which had been hardened by incessant pulling at the beer engines are getting flabby again. All sorts of the business seems to be utterly stagnant, and every soul one meets is listless, languid, and Macaberish. Shaftesbury is a young village but its people appear to be quite as giddy and full of original sin as other places with larger population and less pretentious names. Some weeks ago two married woman sought the decision oJ" the K.M. as to who had had tho wui^t of it in u verbal war over the bick tenco, ,i id but tlie otliv.l' day a fenule Slnl'tcWun itu bolted tV tn her liege nrd's •uof-t! -c. ' Tlie llov. Mr Wool y has taken charge of the Thames U.iptisi Ohur;h. Turee tons fiom tlu Sr Walter Scott claim, crushed ,it the Ow m.oa luitt-ry, yielded 8 ounce* lldwts g<> il. The Paeroii people have decided to hold a race meeting uu St. Patrick's Day. During tho visit of tho 11 >n. \i. Mitc'ielson, he was interviewed by Mr Jo 'hm Cufli on behalf of Mr Ed van! , a settler residing on the western bank of t*ie river near the Thames 80-ough Endowment. Mr Cuff informed the .Minister for PuUH • Works that the outfall of the W.iito.t Swamp drain was on Edwards' property, and that it was yearly carrying a large amount of the soil of his farm into the river. Mr Mitchelson prowiised that the matter should bo attended to by Mr Beere, C.E. We are requested to state that a cricket match, Te Aroha v. Waiorongomai, will be played at Te Aroha on Saturday next. Our cricketers are talking" of a visit to Cambridge on Anniversary Day. On Wednesday, T. Glyn was sentenced to one month's imprisonment for vagrancy by Mr Wells J.P., and on Thursday, Messrs Wells and Hunt J's.P. sent J. Brady to gaol for one month for larceny. Pure wholesome milk is a great desideratum and in those degenerate days when " ways that are dark and tricks that are vain" are as frequently practised by the vendor of the Jacteal fluid as by Bret Harte's Heathen Chinee, it is advisable that the family supply of milk should be obtained from a tradesman on whom the public can rely. Mr W. Hyde, of Te Arolia guarantees to deliver new milk every morning in any quantity. He has also a limited supply of good fresh butter. We would advise our readers to send in their names to Mr Hyde at once. Mr Hyde also supplies firewood and house j blocks. Wo would call attention to his advertisement in another column. Mr M. W. D. O'Keefe, of Waiorongomai, met with a painful accident on Thursday last. While working with an axe, he managed to cut his leg above the knee. Dr Buckby was speedily in attendance, and several stitches having been put in the wound it was announced that the injured man would be about again in a few days. A Southern paper states that Messrs Shaw and Fergus, have announced their intention of supporting the Opposition. From the same source we lenrn that the Premier has a longing eye for the AgentGeneralship.