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Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3781, 9 February 1881, Page 2

We have repeatedly directed attention to the mode for utilising .the' waste water from engines and mines in many parts of the township,in flashing and keeping...clean the 'water tables and drains. We cannot but accuse the local authorities of culpable negligence in this matter. The cry " that there is no money "is not sufficient; money for such objects must be obtained, and, if no other way is practicable, an appeal should be made to the burgesses for subscriptions to enable necessary sanitory works to be constructed. In another column we report the presence of typhojd fever of the worst type in oar midst, and, with the prospect of a very dry summer before it is impossible to say what malignant djsea.se may visit us if our drains and water tables are allowed to remain in the way they aral - We pointed out an easy and i expeditious, way for filling up . the portion of the foreshore enclosed by the railway embankment some weeks ago, but as yet no steps hays been taken by the Sjorough jn ,th.c mattep. We have now a pleatjfuj supply of water, and yjgt for w'&ufc of the .e£peud;iture of" a jfew pounds its usefulness is partly $es£royed. Let the Borough Council at once see to this all-important subject, which carries with it the health of the community ; for if matters ar£ allowed to drift the Thames, instead of having tlje reputation of being one of the healthiest town* ships in the colony, may become notorious for its high death rate.

We muet apologise to our readers for the small amount of news by the English Mail, but the late hour at which she.arrived in Auckland precluded cur agent eending more.

We would call the attention of the Court authorities to the habit of permitting dogs to meander at will within the Court. Yesterday a liver and white dog, by his peculiar behaviour, rendered the position of the counsel and public pr sent both unenviable, and uucoirfortable. The sooner dogs are excluded from the presence of the Court, the better for the comfort of all people who have business therein.

Wb understand that the attention of the Inspector of Miners' Eights has been called to the practice of certain personß cutting timber and kauri in the Tararu district without paying rent for the right to do so Ife is said that one person, who, it appears, has a, lease of a small portion, extends his operations on blocks of land that he has no right bo he may expect a visit from the official and punishment some of these days.

In response to the invitation received from Wairoa Major Murray has got together a rifle team who will proceed to try conclusions with their country friends to-morrow morning. A number of citizens, including His Worship the Mayor, County Chairman, Mr Ehrenfriecl, and other leading business men, will accompany the team. We understand the Wairoa settlers are preparing a concert for the nmusement of their visitors, to be given on Thursday ereniug. Mr D. Cloonan has been appointed permanent secretary to the team, and Mr D. R. Gellion will act as umpire, and we have no doubt under tbe able management of the?e indefatigable citizens our men will come off victorious. We hope, however, that the visit will lead to something further than merely adding another victory to those already won by the Thames rifle men, and that a closer relationship wiil be established between the Thames and the fine agricultural district of Wairos, which will result in the development of a considerable trade between the two districts. The s.s. Blanche has been chartered to convey the party to Wairoa, and she leaves (3-rahamstown about 11 a.m. tomorrow, returning on Friday afternoon.

We call attention to the advertisement referring to the aoiree and concert to be held in the day school-room at Tararu, on Friday evening next. The proceeds are to go towards the Church building fund. A capital programme for the concert has been arranged, and a dance for the young people is to follow.

"St. MtrNffo," writing in the Waikato Times, says :—" Old Johnston is the owner of some game cocks. One day he was showing them to a number of men, among whom was Lazy Dick, a confirmed loafer. He was particularly proud of one young cock, and he offered to bet anyone a case of gin that ho could not bring a cook to beat him. Lazy Dick determined that he would win that case of gin, so he stole one of Johnston's old game cocks, pulled some of hia feathers out, painted him so that he would not be recognised, came back, and accepted Johnston's challenge. The cocks fought, and the old one was victorious, so Johnston handed over the case of gin to Lazy Dick. He put it on his shoulder, and as he went out of the door he turned round and told Johnston that he might keep (he victorious cock, as it was hio own property. The language used by Johnston was of Buch a nature that it cannot appear in the columns of a respectable newspaper like the Wnikato Titans."

We aye informed, on what appears to be grod authority, that the 10 per cent, reduction on the salaries of the Civil Service cea?es on the 31st of Mavch next, the end of tho present financial year. This will account for the manner in which the vouchers have been made out since the reduction came into operation, and the intention of the Government to throw on the House the merit or the obloquy of the reductions in the cost of the public service.

We have it on authoiity that the Wellington Fire Brigade are noble fellows when they are Reasonably drunk. They were the hospilable entertainers at the recent Fire Brigade's Annual Confer?n-e, and at the banquet which was given to the delegates, some extraordinary scenes were witnessed. The representatives, we learn, however, adjourned before the fun commencd. The members of tbe Brigade visited several of the hotels, and a portion of the proceedings consisted of" shouting," and the man who did not. take his liquor internally had it administered externally.—Rangiora Standr rd.

Whether or not it be a wise asf; on the part of the Government to remove its police officers periodically ia a tnat'er which we should like r-j hear discussed before giving our opinion ; but it does seem strange that directly a Sergeant of Police in charge becomes thoroughly acquainted with this district he learns as to who are the persons most likely to be guilty of crime, he should be peremptorily ordered to some other station and replaced by an utter stranger. Sergeant I£idd hp.i been only with us some short time, but we feel pure the announcement that he has been ordered to leave by first boat for Waipawa will be received with general re gret.. During his stay with us b's genial bonhommie has made him ineny friends, and notwithstanding lub good nature, be has on several occasions had to assert his authority a> an officer of the law; and he has done it firmly but in such a gentlemanly manner, that even those whom he has prosecuted hold him in high esteem. We wish him every success in his new sphere of action, and must, congratulate the people of Waipawa on having gained by our lo.is. Sergeant Kidd will be replaced by Sergeant Bullen.—P. B. Standard.

A resident of the Moanatairi Creek directs attention to the danger to the pipe supplying that district with water owing to its proximity to the mullock tip of the Caledonia. Hn suggests t;bat some protection Bhould be gived to the pipe, for if it were broken by a large boulder it would cause great inconvenience to the repidents of the creek.

The London Sporting Gazette says, whatever may have been tho powers of Trickolt in his own country as a sculler, he is a long way behind liis countryman, La/cock. In referring to the Hop Bitters contest it says, " clearly every man's hand seemed to be against Laycock, and only by the most determined pluck did ' The Bushranger ' get first home to the flag at Mortlake." After refer ring to the Canadian und Australian oar men, it remarks that rowing in England just now is at ilis lowest ebb, and what its future is to be it, io difficult now to diaouss, the "jolly young waterman " being a thing of the past. The waut of good prizes is ascribed as the reason for so little interest being taken.

We learn from the police that only one of the prisoners convicted of stealing goods from one tradesman and selling theni to. another has made a confession, and that his object appears to be to place all the blame upon his companion. With suoh an object in view tbere cannot be much reliance placed upon the confession. From those beat acquainted with ttie matter, we learn that the goode sold' by the men were paid for at fair prices, and were not known to be stolen at th« time.

Wb understand it is intended shortly to cajl a meeting to establish a branch of the Ohupcb of England' Temperance Society in Tauranga. The Rev. Mr Jordan, vr«o is the prime mover In getting up this organisation in our midßt, has shown ua & copy of the society's rules, and two curds of membership, the one containing a pledge of total abstinence, and the other binding the. receiver to use his utmost offorts to suppress intemperance. The declarations ou the cards ate as

follows, on one:—" I hereby agree, fey God's help, to abstain from all intoxicating liquors as beverages except under medical order, bo long as I retain this card of membership." And on the ot*>er—" I recognise my duty as a Christian to exert myself for the suppression of intemperance, and having hereby become a member of this society will do my utmost both by example and effort to promote its objects." While thoroughly sympathising with our total abstinence friends in their desire to repress intemperance, we confess we fail to see any warrant for tha extravagant length to which some of them go in the matter. However, whatever view we may entertain of the principles, we give them credit for good intentions. —B.P. Times.