The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. TUESDAY, MARCH 15, IS9S.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 259, 15 March 1898, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. TUESDAY, MARCH 15, IS9S.

We call the particular attention of fanners to the article which, appears on our fourth page this morning. For once the farmers of Victoria have combined for the promotion of their own interests, and if all adhere strictly to the arrangement entered into will reap the full value of their crops of wheat. By shipping the surplus above that required for home consumption they command the import value, and there being a duty of Is 9d per bushel on wheat, the farmers will secure this also.

As regards the prospers of the wheat market, if the present embroglio with Russia, should result in hostilities, there would unquestionably bo a sharp rise, and judging from the latest reports from the English papers, even if peaco be maintained, a rise, rather than a fall, on present values may be looked for, as there is now no doubt but that the world's supply is considerably below the average.

Tho police raided several hotels at Wellington on Sunday.with:ut detecting any Sunday trading. The Cambridge Borough Council will meet this evening, when we understand the scheme for a water supply will come up for discussion. The usual monthly European mail via San Francisco will be despatched from Waikato on Friday next, and is due at London on 20th April. A cablegram from London states that legalities with regard to tho Oana-dian-Australiau Company are completed, end a regular service will now be main "tained. Owing to the absence of a quorum, there was no meeting of the Newcastle Road Board on Wednesday last. An adjourned meeting of* the Board will be held at the office, Ohote, at 2 p.m. to day. We understand that Mr Scott, of Huntly, has purchased Mr Spedding's stationery and fancy goods business in Hamilton, and will shortly take up his residence in the house at present in the occupation of Mrs Whitaker. It has been decided to hold the annual shooting competition in connection with the Waikato Mounted Infantry on the 2nd April, when amongst other prizes, Mr G. J. Mann's cup aud medal aud the old company's belt will be fired for. Mr Edwin Edwards, of Paeroa, intimates by advertisement in this issue that he is ready to accept agencies, at a reasonable commission, for the disposal of fruit, grain and produce at Paeroa, he having ample, clean and cool storage at tho railway station. The Cabinet has refused to allow Mr Jellicoe to address the Executive Council on behalf of Philpot, the Silverstream murderer. The final decision of the executive in the cases of Philpott and Clements has been deferred until the Governor's return :p Wellington. The people in the neighbourhood of Harapipi need not be under any apprehension that Heinrich Pohlen will be allowed to return to his farm. It is the almost invariable custom when a man is sentenced as a criminal lunatic for murder to keep him in confinement for the remainder of his natural life. Mr P. 11. Dix's Jubilee Kinematograph, Myriorama and Concert Company is announced to visit Huntly and Kihikihi on Friday and Saturday next, respectively. The Company has been so highly spoken of at all places it has visited that it would be superfluous for us to bespeak patronage for it.

On Thursday two young men who had been employed on the drainage works at Rotorua were brought down to Hamilton, suffering from typhoid fever. On Sunday moruing, about eight o'clock, one of them, James Irwin, about 25 years of age, died in the fever ward. Nothing appears to be known at present regarding his friends or rehtives. The tent meetings at Cambridge continue to attract good audiences, an/1 Pastor Steed's addresses are attentively followed. The subject of the address this evening will be "The Millenium," and to-morrow "The Battle of Aimv geddon." These themes are always interesting, but especially so when handled by a lecturer of Pastor Steed's atility.

We remind our readers that if they have any shopping to do it would be well to do it before Thursday, which is St. Patrick's l)iy. We have been asked to state that the whole of the storekeepers in Cambridge, with one exception, have agreed to make the day a whole holiday, and we Understand most of them intend visiting the Ngarnawahia regatta. We learn that the considerable rise iu the price offered for wheat during the past few days is due to the operations of ngents trom large speculators in the South. On Friday Air Martin Butler sold his wheat to Messrs I. H. Hall and Go.'s representative at 4s 6d per bushel. The same offtr was made for other considerable lines, but holders now ask up to ss. Full particulars of the clearing fa'e to be held by Messrs McNicol and Co. (in conjunction with Mr W. J. Hunter) on behalf of Mr VV. H. Wright at Cements' Park, Cambridge, on Wednesday, 30th March, will be found in their usual coluinu. The sale will commence at 12 o'clock sharp, and the various lots will be offered without reserve. The Hamilton detachment of the Ssavation Army held their annual harvest thanksgiving services ou Sunday. Captain and Mrs Burton were in charge. The decorations were tasttfully arratged and cons dering the scarcity of flowers just now, the moat was made of the opportunity. In the afternoon there was a service of song and in the evening Captain Burton discoursed on "Lessons from Nature." A parade of the Waikato Mounted Infantry was held on Saturday afternoon. There were about £0 present, and Capt. Reid was in command. The company assembled at the Hall and marched down to near the Hamilton West Cemetery, where a useful drill, consisting principally of mounting and dismounting by sections and individually, skirmishing extending and closing was gone through. The company has decided to adopt the soft felt hat, for undress use. Colonel Banks' inspection will take place on the 26th inst., and Captain Reid gave orders that every man must be preseut, a full parade may therefore be looked for. The Ngaruawahia Regatta Committee evidently iutend their regatta of Thursday next, the 17th of March, to be an immense success. The railway autho rities decided to run trains from all parts with the exception of the Paeroa branch. In order that the people of the Paeroa, Te Aroha and Morrinsville districts should have an opportunity of seeing this monster Maori aquatic carnival, the committee decided to guarantee the £4l required by the authorities to run a train to and from these districts. Now excursionists from the above-mentioned places will be able to come down by the early train on regatta morning and return the same evening, leaving Ngaruawahia at 5.45 p.m. This train ought to be well patronised, considering it will afford many people an opportunity of seeing sights such that they may never sec again.

According to no less an authority than the London Times, the result of the first season's gold-washing at Klondyke is estimated at £5,000,000 sterling. Considering that the groimd was barely scratched, what marvel that gold-seekers the world over are turning their faces toward the new rush ?

A double fear animates Mr Seddon. He fears that the Democracy have found him out in Wellington. He fears that Mr Duthie's return will be followed by a withering exposure of his finance, and the consequent descent to an abyss, whose gloom is more terrible to Mr Seddon than extinction itself. Under the circumstances we do not wonder at his desperate struggle. Otago Daily 1 imes.

Mr W. J'. Hunter has received instructions from Mr John McMurray (who has sold his farm) to sell on the farm, Hautapu, on Monday, March 28th, at 12 o'clock, the whole of his choice furniture, horses, implements, &c. The furniture, which is almost as good as new, is in first-class condition, the draught horsss are young and all staunch workers, whilst the harness horses would be hard to beat anywhere. Full particulars will be found in Mr Huuter's usual column. The Kopua Band of Hope reopened its meetings, after the holidays, on Tuesday last, when a short programme was rendered, which seemed very much to interest the young people, who were there in good numbers. Several of the scholars gave recitations, and were heartily cheered. There were also readings and siuging by the President and others. None of the parents were present. It is a pity that horse racing should have more attraction for the parents of these young people than an institution which seeks to direct their life iuto a safe and happy course. •' Happy, because safe !" —(A Correspondent). A few days since, as Mr Young was clearing a piece of ground near the schoolhouse, Te Kopiu, he came across a bush of fuize of most unusual size. It had on it some twenty to thirty collateral branches, some of them measuring 27ft. in length, and running due ea9t; others 13ft., running west. Many of these branches had rooted at intervals, and the single plant covered an area of 40ft. by 24ft., or uDvvards of 900 square feet. About two chains from this root Mr Young cut another last spring, the stem of which had a girth of 25 inches 2 feet from the ground. It was 16 feet high, and covered 600 squan) feet of ground. <W At the Magistrate's Court, Christchurch, on the Ist inst., before Mr Beetham, S.M., two cases were heard against publicans charged with serving a prohibited person. The chief witness for the prosecutions was the prohibited person himself. At the conclusion His Worship said : "As to the little beast who caused all the trouble, he ought to be turned out with a placard marked ' Prohibited ' on his back," and addressing the witness, " Get away, I am sick of the sight of you. The next time I catch you in a public house I will make it warm for you. Get away out of the place ! " This man has already been punished for being found in a public house.

The Very Rev. Father Cummings, Vicar-General of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch, applied to have Roman Catholic Schools examined by a Board Inspector. The result was the carrying of the following resolution by six votes to three: "That it would be a violation of tho first principles of the Constitution Act of New Zealand, as well as of the letter aud spirit of the New Zealand Education Act if the North Canterbury Board of Education were to sanction the diversion to any sectarian or denominational purpose of any portion, however small, of the large sums of the public money collected from all classes and denominations in New Zealand, and entrusted to them for the promotion of the free, secular aud unspctarian instruction of the whole of the children of New Zealand."

The Huntly Cycling Clnb held a most successful social in Ralph's Hall on Friday last. A number of ladies and gentlemen, who had worked hard to make the evening a pleasant one, had the hall most lavishly decorated with nikau and ferns. A novelty to the district in the way of decorations was the display of bicycles suspended from the ceiling, the effect being much appreciated. Dancing, interspersed with songs and recitations, kept those present in high spirits until the small hours of the morning The thanks of the committee ara due to the ladies and gentlemen who contributed to the musical part of the programme, and also to those who provided the good things for the .supper.— Judging from the interest shown in the Club's forthcoming sports meeting, a big success may be anticipated.—(A Correspondent).

This year, we believe for the first time, a dual blight has appeared on the walnut trees in Napier and its vicinity. It is first seen in the form of a sp=c of what appears like iron rust on the outer husk. This quickly spreads, and under the microscope seems to b) a fungoid growth, which dries the sap of the husk and causes it to crack. Curiously enough in some instances the fruit does not appear to be affected, for while part of the shell is blackened the blight does not seem to have extended further. In others the fruit is shrivelled and blackened. Then some insect—said by one experienced gardener to be codlin moth —lays its eggs in the cracks in the bark, and the moth, when hatched, bores its way into the fruit and destroys it. We are inclined to doubt whether it is codlin moth, but undoubtedly some caterpillar eats its way through the hard shell into the nut.—Hawke's Bay Herald.

The victory obtained by the Opposition in the return ot Mr Duthie for the Wellington seat (writes the Hawke's Bay Herald) is the most decisive blow yet dealt at the Government. Ministers have recognised that the issue was a momentous one, and have strained every nerve, and called np every resource, legitimate or illegitimate, on behalf of their candidate. The Premier himself has been indefatigable on Mr Kirk's behalf, and has tried to persuade the electors of the Empire City that the country would go to irretrievable ruin if the Government nominee did not head the poll. Mr Seddon's egotism brimmed over in bis appeals to the electors. At a recent meeting he wildly declaimed—- " Would the electors of Wellington allow it to be cabled to the Old Country that the party which he represented had been discredited ? He was confident that they would not." The fight was net between Mr Duthie and Mr Kirk. Mr Kirk was merely a dummy. The fight was between Mr Duthie and the Premier, and if Mr Seddon himself had been the candidate the result won'd have been no different. We congratulate Mr Duthie on his victory in the face of such an array of forces as that brought against him by the Ministerial party. We believe it to be on indication L'f the general feeling of the electors of the colony and the prelude to a general victory on the part of the Opposition. It presages the end of Seddonism and autocracy stalking in the garb of democracy.