The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE Proprietor. THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 1898.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 240, 27 January 1898, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE Proprietor. THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 1898.

■*-- "Whenevek there appenrs to be a probability tbat the Empire will become involved in war with one or a combination of European Powers, there is uneasiness as to our ability to successfully resist any probable attack upon our sbores. We Lave no desire to play the role of alarmist, for the reason that we do not believe that there is any reason to apprehend that any Powers with which Great Britain may become involved will be able to spare vessels and men to make a serious raid upon the colonies. It is, however, within the range of possibility that isolated vessels might escape the vigilance of our fleet and be in a position to levy blackmail upon our cities, in the absence of a sufficiently numerous body of trained men and batteries to successfully resist an attack. The policy of Now Zealand Governments for some years past has been to discourage volunteering, rather than t to encourage it. It is to that force "we must look in the time of ueed, and every effort Bhould be

made to induce men to join the ranks, and when in them to become as efficient as possible. This, of course, would involve the employment of capable instructors and liberal allowances, sufficient at any rate to relievo volunteers of monetary loss, consequent on their loyalty. If they give their time it is as much as can bo expected from them, and it would" not bo going too far if they were in some degree compensated for that. Some small allowance for each drill attended would be sufficient. At the present time our observation of volunteer corps—we arc not alluding to that recently formed in this district, it is only in its infancy —is that thero is a want of discipline, without which a volunteer corps, no matter how good may be the individuals composing it, is little better than an armed mob. The idea which should actuate every volunteer is to outdo the regular forces in this respect whilst under arms. It has been stated that at the present moment there are not enough trained men in Auckland to man the guns mounted in the forts erected for the defence of the city, and wo have not seen the statement contradicted. Presuming that this is the case, the fact is a disgrace to the Government; but in this respect they are not one iota worse than those which have preceded them. A representative of a contemporary interviewed Sir Robert Stout a day or two back, and that gentleman's account of what his Government had done during the scare in 1885 is laughable. He says first that they insisted upon compulsory military drill in the public schools, a very good thing no doubt if an enemy would be good enough to withhold ' his attack until the youngsters had grown into men; secondly that no policeman would bo appointed unless a drilled man, which he says would have given them a reserve of 900 men. They also intended that no man should get into the civil service unless he was drilled. They also intended to have a permanent militia, for they believed that our main line of defeuce must bo a force of citizen soldiers, trained to shoot accurately at long range. He is made to add that' the only permanent force we should then require would be sufficient men to work the big guns. Wo believe that there would be no difficulty in raising a sufficiently large body of volunteers to protect our shores against any attack likely to be made upon us, unless in the improbcible event of the British fleet being defeated and other Powers getting command of the seas. If this were to happen there can be little doubt but that we should find ourselves &,mexed by one or other of the victorious Powers and farmed for the benefit of the European country that appropriated us. If we do not take proper measures to defend ourselves we shal), in the event of war, be an incumbrance rather than a help. It is only for the population to recognise their duty to New Zealand and the Empire, and the Government to officially encourage volunteering, and more than a sufficient number of men will flock to the ranks of volunteer corps and cheerfully submit to the inconvenience and sacrifice involved.

Bijou Comedy Coirpany at Oddfellow's Hall, Hamilton East, this evening. At ths London wool sales prices were very firm, with keen competition for the better sorts. The New South Wales Government have issued a proclamation prohibiting the importation of diseased fruit. The boarding and day schools in connection w ith St. Mary's Monastery, Hamilton, will re open on Monday next, 31st insr. Mr Knowlton, the of the Acclimatisation Society, returned by the Tongariio with a large consignment of birds. Owing to the completion of the two main piers on the Makohine Viaduct on the North Island Main Trunk Railway, a number of workmen have bien discharged. Mr J. A. Young, dentist, Hamilton, notifies that Mr G-. Warren, of Newton, will take charge of his practice this week, and that he will visit Te Awamutu on Tuesday next. The full programme for the Cambridge Racing Club's meeting, to be held ou the St. Kilda course, on Thursday, 10th March, will be found on our third page. Nominations close on Wednesday, 16th February, at 8 p.m. The Post states that the torpedo boat belonging to the Wellington station is rotting on the beach. Visitors amuse themselves poking their fiugers through the steel plates on the deck and sides, which are crumbling away. It will be seen by advertisement in another column that Mr Bartley, architect, Auckland, has advertised for tenders for the erection of a Presbyterian Church at Cambridge. We congratulate our Presbyterian friends on the lact. Mr Charles Mills, a pupil of the late William Hoskings, will appear at the Public Hall, Cambridge, ou slonday next, in his popular drawing-room entertainment, when Bulwer Lytton's masterpiece, " The Lady of Lyons," or " Love and Pride," will be presented. It is understood that the warships Mildrua and Torch, now in Lyttelton harbour, have receive! instructions to have their bunkers well eupplied with coal.and generally to be ready to proceed to sea at a moment's notics, in view of the threatened trouble on the China station. At the Police Court, Hamilton, yesterday morning, a young man named Davis, a stranger to the place, was brought up befoie Mr John Knox, J.P., the charge being disorderly conduct. The accused was admonished by the Bench for his behaviour, and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. The Agent-General has intimated to the librarian of the General Assembly Library that there is to be no issue of the Navy List for December or January. It is thought that the authorities at Home arc withholding this information, so that it shall not be available to the Powers Avho have dining the last fdW mouths shown a dispo.itiou to be at enmity with Great Britain. At a meeting of the Board of Education on Tuesday the followiug appointments were approved : —To Otoro hanga, Mr H. E. Fordo ; to Ohinewai, Mr R. T. Talbot; to Hamilton West, Miss C. E. Gi lespie ; to Cambridge, Mr R. Carnachan; to Huntly, Miss H. D. Thorpe ; to Papatoetoe, Miss A. E. Lysaght. Mr W. F. Johns has been transfeired from Kihikihi to Karangahake. There was a good attendance at Professor Hugo's lecture last evening in the Cambridge Public Hall, and the subject was made both instructive and amusing, as well as profusely illustrated by drawings aud sketches. Mr Hugo does not pay much attention to phrenology, but dwells mainly upon the countenance. At the close of the meeting several young ladies and gentlemen had their faces read to the great amusement of the audicuce,

Trouble is threatened in connection with the Co-operative Colliery at Newcastle, New South Wales. The management notified several members of the Miners 9 Un'on of the'r intention to dismiss tlipm. The L'n:on has advised the remainder of the employes to strike, and have guaranteed financial assistance. The Wellington Provincial Gun Club's Meeting at Petone on Tuesday, was largely attended. The Open Handicap of .£l2O resulted in nine of the competitors tieing, each getting Dine birds. Those who divided the money were : Messrs C. IT. Chevanres, sen., C. H. Chcvauncs, jun., D. McCulloch, E. E. Ta-ker, 11. Biiley, f\ H. Thompson, S. Smith, H. Redwood, J. P. Horner. Chevannes, jun. and Redwood are boys barely io their teens. Dr. James Murdoch, who has commenced practice in Cambridge, makes a spec : aliry of diseases of women and children, consequently he will be sure of a busy time, for most of the settlers of the district have large families. The doctor has taken the bouse that the late Dr. Cushney lesided in, at the foot of Duke-street, and he and his wife enter therein to-day, so patients can call upon him at his residence from this forward. More than ordinary interest is being taken in the Po'o Sports to be held at the Ngaruawahia racecourse on Saturday next, and the novelty of the gathering should attract a large attendance. In addition to the competitors from the local clubs, there will be a number of Auckland players present, and they will have to look to their laurels, as the Waikato men do not intend to strike their co'oura to their city opponents. Entries close with the joint secretaries (Messrs E. Rathbornc and A. Upton) at the Waipa Hotel, to-morrow evening. The first event on Saturday will be at noon. It appears to have become « favourite pastime with the youth of Cambridge to go shooting about the Borough with guns or other cheap firearms. There is a by-law forbidding such proceedings, but it is not strict'y enforced, and it probably will not be till a serious accident has occurred. One very nearly happened the other day when a youth was amusing himself by standing in the doorway of a shed near Mr Neal's baker's shop, and firing at sparrews with one of the cheap pea rifles that are now so common. There were buildings all round the place, but that did not stop the amusement and the result was that a bullet was sent right through Mr W. F. Buckland's office in a direct Una with the place that would have been occupied by the head of a client, had one bceu sitting in the office at the time. That was rather too much of a joke and the youth will probably hear more of the Borough bylaws. According to an article in the latest number of the North American Review, by Mr Charles Clark, a member of a great Philadelphia shipbuilding firm, the development of the Japanese navy since the war with China is not to be described as progress. It is a cyclone. At the end of the war Japan had 43 seagoing vessels with a displacement of 79,000 tons, of which seven ships were prizes ; at the present time the navy consists of 48 seagoing ships of 111,000 tons displacement, and 2G torpedo boats; and the shipbuilding programme now in process of actual construction is calculated by the end of 1903 to produce a total effective force of 52 seagoing ships, 12 torpedo catchers, and 75 torpedo boats with an aggregate displacement of more than 2C0.000 tons. The five seagoing vessels since the Avar represent the most advanced types of naval architecture. Japan is second on'y to England in naval activity. Moreover her ships are of the best and highest types of naval architecture. Nothing is obsolete. The vessels Japan is building in the shipyards of England, France and Germany are superior to any vessels those nations are building for themselves class for cless, An amusing explanation has recently been given in the Invercargill Police Court of how political wires are worked at election time. It will be remembered that when Mr Ward was in the thick of his troubles a public-spirited elector surprised the political world by a munificent offer to pay all Mr Ward's expenses of re-election. A few days ago this same elector appeared in Court as defendant under the Destitute Persons Act, aud the Southland Times reports the case as follows :—" At the Police Court yesterday, during the hearing of an application by David Audenon to Tary an oreler of the court to pay 15s per week towards the maintenance of his son, the following evidence was given by applicant under examination by Mr Wm. Macalister, solicitor for the respondent. In oreler to show that applicant was in a good position and able to pay 15s per week, counsel read the following from the Southern Standard of 18th July, 1897 : 'The Hon. J. G. Ward, Dunedin. —Sympathise with you deeply. Through the long period you have been in business we know an immense amount of g'od has been done by you, and the farmers of Southland generally recognise that. Sincerely hope you will stand for Awarua, when, without doubt, you will be returned by a very large majority. I will undertake to defray the whole of your expenses.—David Anderson, Pleasant Creek, Hokcnui.' Mr Macalister—Did yon send that telegram? Witness—l signed it, but did not send it; I understood that it was to be sent. Is not your undertaking to pay all expenses rather a large order ?—Not if a man has a guarantee to back him. Were the public not under the impression that you were going to pay the money ?■—Yes ; I could afford to do it then. But I will tell the Court how much it cost me, It cost mc 25i. Cross-examined by Mr HallWere you going to find Mr Ward's expenses ? —Certainly not. Who was then ? Mr Ward's Election Committee. Did you prepare the telegram yourself?--Certainly net. Were you guaranteed the expenses ?—Of course. Mr Macal ister—The telegram says, ' I will undertake to defray all expenses. 5 WitnessWell, the telegram was handed to me, and I signed it The cost to me was 255." Comment is needless. It was clever (remarks a contemporary) to get a man to pose as an cmbodment of political gratitude ; but in turn the party managers might at least hive had the gratitude to save him from exposure in the Invercargill Police Court.