The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE Proprietor. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1897.

Waikato Argus, Volume III, Issue 187, 23 September 1897, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE Proprietor. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1897.

It is gratifying to find that the public bodies of the colony, most directlv concerned in commercial matters, are expressing themselves very emphatically as being opposed to any increase in the duty on sugar, as suggested by the Colonial Sugar Company. They ask this because-they state that the importation of beet-sugar is interfering with their profits. In another column -wc publish a letter addressed by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce to the Premier, which conclusively proves that this company does not require protection, and further thet to grant it would be a decided retrograde step in place of one in the direction of a free breakfast table.

The company has since the year ISO2, paid a regular dividend of 10 per cent, on the capital invested, and in addition has carried £IOO,OOO to the Reserve Fund, and £01,007 to the Guarantee and Insurance Fund, and has established a reserve of £105,000 for the equalisation of dividends. The Employees Provident Fund amounts to" £24,232, and the Replace and Depreciation Fund to £453,954. These reserves total nearly 50 per cent, of the paid-up capital of the company. These facts fully confute the claim the company has put forward for protection. There is not even the fact that the company arc larger employers of labour, neither does the industry they pursue give employment indirectly to any section of the population; the only tenable argument which protectionists have "to put forward in support of their theory is that by its means employment is found for the people. In this instance the raising of the duty would not find employment for half a dozen more men than is the case at present. The company up to the present has practically enjoyed something approaching a monopoly of the sugar trade in this colony and have in addition, within certain limits fixed the price. Fortunately for the people, however, there is a refinery in Queensland and its conductors have made strenuous efforts to secure some of the trade, and have, we believe, met with considerable success in the South Island. If the raw material the Sugar Company uses were a product of the colony there might be some reason for giving them protection, as in that case a large number of people would be directly interested thaj the industry should flourish. At the present time all the benefit the colony derives from the Sugar Company is the amount of wages paid to those employed in their factory. Tt is not even pretended that sugar is any cheaper to the consumer than it would be did the Company not exist. On the contrary, they are now making efforts to secure that the cost shall be greater, in order that they may continue to pay a 10 per cent, dividend and carry a large sum to their various reserves each year. The moral to be drawn from the above story is that it is to the interest of the colony that the beet-sugar industry should be established, in order that in time it may become independent of foreign supply and employment found for a large number of people in producing the raw material. The old saying, " A penny saved is a penny gained," applies in this case.

The Hon. J. McKenzic was ill again on Tuesday and. confined to his house. The Wellington City Council have determined to urge the establishment of a training ship in the colony. A child, named Edward Lawrence, was killed instantaneously by being run over by an omnibus in Kyber Pass Road, Auckland, on Tuesday afternoon. On our first page .Messrs Keinpthorne Prosser -Mid Co. have a new advertisement re their Westlield Special Potato Manuro, to which we direct tlic attention of farmers and potatogrowers generally. The Central Wine Association of Victoria has been awarded the Grand Prix at the Brussels Exhibition, also three gold, tour silver, and two bronze medals. Medals have also been awarded to other Victor'nn growers. The entries for the' stallion parade that will be held on Victoria Square, Cambridge, at 11 a.m., to-morrow, number l(i, viz., 7 thoroughbreds, 1 hunting and S draughts. Among them will he several that are new to the district, so intending breeders will have plenty of fresh blood to choose from. The Waikato hounds leave Cambridge this morning en route for Tauranga, where they eo to give the sports of that district a week's hunting. The huntsman, whip and hounds will catch lliu train at Oxford this afternoon for RoUmiii, and to-morrow will reach Taurauaa liy road. The first day's hunting will he < m Monday. Several local sports think of going through with the hounds. The death of Dr. Kilgour is announced at the advanced age ~[ $-, years. He was a veiy old coluui&t, having been in Melbourne in 1838. He left Australia for Nelson in JSSII, and subsequently pursued his profession in Piclon and Wellington, ami when the Thames goldfields brokeout he removed to that, place Until PSUO he resided there and took a leiding part in public matters when he removed to Auckland.

At four o'clock on Tuesday morning, at YVyndhan, Southland, Milcc'a Horse Bazaar was destroyed by fie. The sale of drapery advertised hy Mr John Knox, will commence in the Volunteer Hall,Hamilton,at 1 30p.m a tonioriow, and be c.ntinurd. at 11 a in. the next day. The .stock comprises a varied assortment of dress materials, tapestry, bed linen, curtains, towel.", clothing and also a quantity of saddles and bridles. As the sale is absolutely without reserve, some bargains will, no diubt, be secured. The mortal remains of Mr Win. Kincaid were interred in the Cambridge Cemetery on Tuesday afternoon. The funeral cortege was a large one and it was headed hy the Brethren of Lodge Alpha of Freemasons, of which the deceased was a memler. The service was taken by the Rev. Thos. Scott, M A., of Trinity Church, and the Masonic cere inony rVUS conducted by the Worshipful Master of the Lodge, Bro. J. Mack. On Tuesday afternoou, at the Cambridge Police Court, before Messrs T. Wells and J. H. Priestley, J.'sP., George W. Phillips, of Owe, Rawene, was charged with having obtained a suit of clothes under false pretences from Chas. Craig, of Cambridge. Mr W. F. Buckland appeared f r plaintiff. We understand accused had been working in the district for some weeks, and obtained the clothes from Mr Craig by representing that he had an account m the Wellington Savings Bank, upon which he could draw for the cost or them. Upon being asked if he would elect to be dealt with summarily or at the Supreme Court, accused asked for time to employ a solicitor, as he had only arrived by that day's train from Auckland. The case was then adjourned till Friday (tomorrow). The cinematograph and concert phonograph entertainment given in the Volunteer Hall, Hamilton, last evening, was very well attended, and patrons were treated to a generous display of interesting and amusing pictures produced with marvellous distinctness ami practically without vibration. A large number of excellent items were given on the phonograph, including comic songs, ballads, and instrumental selections, which were received with great enthusiasm ; in fact every item on the programme, whether given by the phonograph or cinematograph, was encored, and the proprietors were most liberal in their response. To-night Kdi.'.on's wonderful creations will be exhibited for the last time, and wc confidently recommend the entertainment to our readers as a first-class show, with everything new and up-to-date, and well worth a visit. Considerable dissatisfaction is expressed (writes our Ohaupo Correspondent) at the tone of a letter in your issue of Saturday by an Ohaupo Cones pondent, in which the writer draws a comparison between the results of the late examinations of the Ohaupo and Hamilton West School*, and asks if the difference in favour of the former is because of the preponderenco of the Teutonic element or are the children really intellectually superior. Now those remarks were quite uncalled for, and showed very bail taste. We are jus* ly proud of our children, but we don't want to blow our own trumpets or try to disparage other schools. So far as the Teutonic element is concerned, only thirteen children of German parentage atttud the school, and half of that number arc half-breds (I mean no offence), that is, one of the paren's English and the other German, so that number in a school of fifty-eight would not count for much Somehow or other the opinion here is that it was not an Ohaupo man who wrote that letter, although ha may have signed himself as such ; at anyratc, wc hope it was not. Messrs McjS'icol and Co. will hold their annual Spring Horse Fair (in connection with the Waikato Farmers' Club's annual stallion parade) at Cambridge to-day, to-morrow, and Saturday. Over 500 horses of all classes have bten catalogued, including entries from the best breeders in Waikato. In addition they will also oiler, on account of Mr John Hanks, without reserve, the whole of his large contracting plant, which is the most complete in the district. The draught horses are all in good condition, and buyers in search of this class should have no diliieulty in getting suited. The sale wdl commence at I'2 noon to-day with implements, unbroken stock, and unresolved list, and to-morrow at 0 a.m., and on Saturday at 7 a.m. sharp with the rest of the horses. This linn has entered on a new departure this year in having a catalogue of the entries printed, and the sale will be conducted according to \K This, we should say, will be appreciated by both buyers and sellers, as giving an approximate idea when any particular horse will be offered. The catalogues have been turned out at Thk Atuu's otlice.