The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1898.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 250, 22 February 1898, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1898.

Shrove Tuesday. The Waikato Hospital Board will hold its usual monthly meeting at 11 a.m. on Thursday. The Agricultural Department intends to establish a Government nursery at NgoDgotaha, near Rotorua. Mr W. J. Hunter will hold his second Sheep Fair at Ohaupo on Wednesday, March 23rd, and will offer about 15,000 ewes, wethers, lambs and ranis. Entries are solicited. Dr. MacGregor, Inspector of Hospitals, arrived in Hamilton yesterday from Rotorua, and dining the afternoon inspected the Waikato District Hospital and Old People's Refuge. On Saturday afternoon, a number of the members of the Waikato Mounted Rifles assembled at the rifle range for volley firing. The firing was superintended by Colonel Ranks and Captain Grant. At Cambridge on Saturday, sth March, Mr W. J. Hunter will offer, on behalf of Mr J. S. Bond, a number of allotments situated on the Victoria Road. Full pa'-ticulars will be found in his usual column this morning. Constable McCabe, formerly of this town and now of Gisborne, has been in Hamilton for the last few days spending a short holiday looking round the old familiar places and renewing old friendships. He left by train yesterday morning. The ordination and induction of the Rev. Walter Smith to the ministerial charge of (he Huntly-Ngarua-wahia district will take place at 12 o'clock to-day in the Presbyterian Church, Ngaruawahici. There will be a soiree at Huntly in the evening. The Bijou Comedy Company opened in Cambridge on Saturday evening, and had a good house. They performed again last night, and to-night they will probably open in Oxford. On the 25th and 26ih they will be in Rotorua, and then they go to Napier via Taupo. We understand Dr. Walter von Ollendorff, son of Baron von Ollendorff, Chairman and originator of the AngloContinental Manure Company, is at present in Australia, and is expected to visit New Zealand during the autumn months. The Doctor is travelling for the benefit of his health. On Sunday evening at St. Teter's Church, Hamilton, the Vicar, Rev. R. O'C Biggs made a touching reference to the late Bishop Selwyn, whose death was announced last week. At the conclusion of both matins and evensong, the "Dead March in Saul," was played in memory of the deceased prelate. We wish to direct the attention of our readers to the address of Mr Norman A. McLeod, re the election of three members of the Auckland Education Board, which appears elsewhere in this issue. We are assured that, if elected, Mr will faithfully represent the interests of the country districts. Pastor Steed's tent meeting at Cambridge was well patronised on Sunday evening, by a weU-condnoted congregation. The singing, was accompanied by an American organ and two flutes, and it went well. The Pastor is an eloquent and earnest speaker, and wdl, we think, draw large congregation?.

Mr G. J. Neal, of Cambridge, has some fine \ eaches exhibited in his store window. They are the variety known as Elberta, a>e fine quality and large, many of them weighing half a pound each, which is considerably above the average for mid-season varieties, especially in such a dry season as we have lately experienced. An exchange has been effected I etweui Mr T. Bolaud of the local post and telegraph office and Mr Ash ton of the Napier office. Mr Ashtou has arrived here, and Mr Boland leaves for his new location next week. During his stay litre Mr Boland ha?, on aecount of Lis urbane disposition, made many friends, and it is not likely that he will be allowed to take his departure without some manifestation of their goodwi 1. Wc trust that continued success may attend his future. —Rotorua Chronicle. The first round of the double tournament now being played among the members of the Hamilton Lawn TennisClub was concluded on Saturday afternoon, the various games resulting as follows:—Mi?s A. Sandes and Mr Kirk beat Miss Cox and Mr L'oyd , Miss Newell and Mr Hume beat MUb and Mr Jolly ; Miss Snides and Mr von Stunner beat Miss Hume and Mr Sandes : Messrs Stcveos and Macassey beat Messrs 0 Mahon and Blackburn; Miss Jolly and Mr McCrea a bye. The drawing for the second round is:—Miss Jolly and Mr McCrea play Mis-s A. Sandei and Mr Kirk; Miss Newel and Mr Hume play Mis< Sandes and Mr von Stunner ; Mews Stevens ami Macissey a bye.

At his Hamilton sale on Tl ursday next, Mr W. J. Hunter will offer 20 good hacks and harness horses from Paeroa. Shortly nfter noon yesterday, a large oaten stack on the Gwynm lands Estate, near Cambridge, the property of Mr Banks, was destroyed by fire. Mr Banks was burning some scrub in the vicinity, when the (lames spread to the stack, which was quickly destroyed. We understand that unfortunately the stack was not insured. The cost of the French system of foverniug colonies is causing dismay in aris. The London correspondent of the Melbourne Argus states that the French colonics and dependencies will this year cost the Mother Country £3.750,500. French critics contrast this with the limited expenditure upon the vastly larger co'onhl system of Great Britain, and express surprise that Mr Chamberlain's schemes for Imperial federation and closer centralisation should find any support. In replying to an address presented to him at Port Chalmers, His Excellency the Governor concluded as follows:""I earnestly trust that the clouds which have lately obscured the horizon and threatened to destroy our peace may soon be dissipated, but should the sti.rm" break over England, then will be the day for her colonies to prove their patriotism and fidelity, and, remembering a glorious past, to stand side by side with her as brethren in a common danger, determined to maintain the honour of the British flag and the supremacy of the Anglo-Saxon race as against all the world. It is with pride anil pleasure I note your williDgnes3 so to do. I desire to make myself fully acquainted with the people and the country throughout the length and breadth of these beautiful islands, and though my time in each place must necessarily be limited, my intention is to visit in succession, as soon as possible, every district and every borough throughout New Zealand." The " locking up the stable door after the horse has gone " policy very often followed in connection with Government works, has received another addition in the Railway Department. A week or two ago a fire was ttarted by a passing eng'ne, in a piece of swamp, adjoining the Hamilton West station, and in which a number of valuable trees were planted. A few hours' work at the start would have kept the fire from spreading, but nothing was done—beyond, we suppose, reporting the matter to headquarters, and awaiting instructions—and the result was that the fire ran through the whole of the plantation, damaging, if not killing, most of the trees. Yesterday morning, however, we noticed that a gang of men was at work endeavouring to put the fire out, instructions, no doubt, having been at last received to take these steps, but the damage was all done some days ago, and the fire might have been allowed to burn itself out, and thus be a less source of danger in the future.