Untitled

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 283, 3 May 1898, Page 2

Colonel Pole-Penton will inspect the Waikato Mounted Infantry early this mentb. The date is not yet fixed. The tender of Mr Jos. Frear, of Hamilton, at £9, has .been accepted by the Waikato County Council for repairing the Hoeka Bridge at famahere. Stoddart, in the course of an interview, stated that the Australians had uot received sufficient credit for their brilliant play during the tour of his team. The police authorities paid their annual visit of inspection to the various hotels in the Borough yesterday, and we understand found everything most satisfactory at all the houses. At the Magistrate's Court, Ngaruawahia, yesterday, before several Justices, two young men named McGlynn, of Huntly, were charged with using bad language on the train on the return journey from the Ngaruawahia regatta on the 17th March. The accused laid a counter charge aga'iist Mr R. Ralph for having assaulted them. The Bench found the accused guilty of the offence, and fined them each £1 and costs. Mr P. W. Lang, member for Waikato, will address a public meeting in the Volunteer Hall, Hamilton, this evening. No doubt there will be a large attendance of supporters and opponents, who are all anxious to hear what the representative of Waikato has to say. The stat;e will he reserved for ladies, and it is to be hoped that they will attend in large numbers. They have votes now, and it is due to the country tint they should avail themselves of every opportunity to gain information on political questions.

Bishop Cowie will conduct con. firmation services in St. Peter's Church, Hamilton, on Sunday next. A telegram from Wellington states that the price of keroseue has tisen from 9s 4d to 12s a case. The bridge over Cowley's Gully, on the Canibridge-Ohaupo Koad, will be closed to traffic from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to-morrow (Wednesday). The annual meeting of the Bay of Plenty Licensing Committee will be held at the Courthouse, Tauranga, on Wednesday, Ist June, ot 12 noon. Captain Jackson will preside at the Assessment Conrt to be held at the Court-house, Hamilton, ab 11 a.m. this morning. We understand the list of objections is a large one, and the court is likely to be occupied for several days. Mr J. W. Richmond, AssistantEngineer of Working Railways, died in Wellington on Friday from peritonitis, after only a week's illness. Deceased was the s-on of the late Hon. J. C. Richmond, and was well-known in the public service. Owing to the absence of the Secretary of the Waikato Amateur Athletic Club, we were unable to obtain the entries for the forthcoming sports meeting for publication iu this issue as promised. We understand the entries are in every way most satisfactory. An old resident of Invercargill named Robert Stewart, employed as a surfaceman on the railway, was found drowned iu the Wiihopai River. He was working alone on a bridge, and it is supposed that he fell in accidentally. He leaves a grown-up family. Pastor Steed's subject for this evening will be : " The seveu reasons why people keep Sunday : Is redemption a greater work than creation ?" The meeting will commence at 7.30 p.m. in • stead of 8 p.m. as hitherto. The next meeting will be held on Friday. We are asked to notify for the benefit of those concerned that the Most Rev., the Primate, has felt it necessary to make another alteration in the date of the confirmation ceremony at St. Stephen's Church, Tamahere. It is now fixed for Monday evening at 7.30 p.m. The committee of military experts, which has been sitting in Wellington for the past ten days in connection with the expenditure of the defence vote, will inspect the fortifications iu Auckland next week and those at Port Chalmers and Lyttelton at a later period. In our issue of April 16th we notified that the Assessment Court would sit at Cambridge ou Friday, 9th May. It should read Friday, 6th May. We are not furnished with information on such matters by the Government ; but we endeavour to find them out in the interests of the publio, otherwise a very large majority, indeed, of whom would not receive no notification at all. On Thursday next, May sth, Mr W. J. Hunter (in conjunction with Messrs McNicol and Co.) will hold a large unreserved clearing sale at the residence of Mr John H. Scott, Paterangi. The cows to be offered will be found a. choice lot, the horses are all good and in splendid condition, and the implements are in first-class order. The sale will commence at 12 o'clock sharp. A man named Charles S. Seymour had a remarkable escape from death at Paikakariki ou Saturday. He was lying partly across the railway, apparently the worse for liquor, when a train came along and he was struck violently by the cowcatcher, and fortunately thrown clear ot the line. When picked up he was, of course, suffering from the shock, but otherwise, beyond a few bruises, he seemed to be unhurt. The Rev. F. G. Evans, who for some time was vicar of Te Aroha, and left there a few months ago to take up his duties as assistant minister to the Ven. Archdeacon Govelt, vicar of St. Mary's, New Plymouth, has, we notice, been nomiuated to succeed the Archdeacon, who has resigned his charge on account of age. Mr Evans is well-known throughout the Waikato, being a sou of the Rev. W. Evans, of Cambridge. On Sunday the Primate confirmed eighteen young people- nine males and nine females—at St. Andrew's Church, Cambridge. The offertory was a special one to be devoted to ropairing the parsonage. It amounted to nearly £2O. His Lordship expressed great satisfaction at the effort then being made to keep the property in repair, and said it was few parishes that had such a beautiful site for its church as Cambridge had. We remind our Cambridge readers of the social to-morrow evening to welcome the Rev. W. Cannell to his new charge. The function will be held in the Oddfellows' Hall, Cambridge, tea being on the tables at 6.30 p.m., and will be followed by a concert, to commence at 8 p.m. The programme for the latter will be an exceptionally good one, including a number of items by ladies and gentlemen new to Cambridge audiences. When Lord Ranfurly left the Club Hotel after his visit of last week (reports the Masterton Times), a settler standing on the verandah said, solto voce, " Good-bye, old chap." The ear of the Governor caught the adieu, and turning round, Lord Ranfurly—who possesses a sense of humour—replied, " Yes, I'm off ! Good-bye ! " and offered his hand to the settler, who says he felt as if he would have liked to have bSen a thousand miles away. Fitzgerald's circus was well patronised at Cambridge on Saturday evening. The elephant riding the bicycle with the lion on his back was exceptionally good, even much belter than was represented on the bills. The circus will appear in Hamilton to-morrow evening, and is cuising a great deal of excitement among the juveniles of the town. Men were busy all day yesterday clearing the site for the tents, which will be pitched in the paddock next the Courthouse, in Collingwood-strect. A bumper house is assured. Although the Government claim to show a substantial balance in all departments in each successive year, yet no effort is made to reduce the taxation on the necessaries of life, and thus relieve the workers, who contribute so largely to the revenue of the country. If the surpluses that are claimed by the Seddon Government were thoroughly genuine, there would be little difficulty in granting some concessions through the Customs, but the mere fact of no attempt being made to relieve those who provide the greater portion of the revenue speaks for itself, and clearly demonstrates that the cry of big surpluses is purely fictitious.—Manawatu Daily Times. A meeting of the Pukekura Road Board was held in the Oddfellows' Lodge-room, Cambridge, on Saturday, at 330 p.m. There were present: Messrs B. Allen (chairman), D. Caley and W. White. A circular re rating on the an 1 improved value was received from the Katikati Road Board.— The only other business was the passing of accounts, which were as follows: W. Harris, £ll 8s 6d ; Thos. Hall, £7 ; H. Fitzgerald, £l3 8s Sd ; Waikato Akocs, £1 7s; VV. Souter and Co., £1 13s; Waipa County Council, £2 14s 9d ; total, £47 10s 4d. The clerk reported the Board in credit at date £l9o—-The meeting for the election of a new Board will be held in the school-room at Fukerimu on Friday next It is some time since there was a contested election in the Pukekura Riding, and it is expected the proceedings will be somewhat lively. The Board as at present constituted appears to have eiven satisfaction to a large majority of the ratepayers, therefore it is almost a certainty that the same member* will be returned again.

On Saturday afternoon a prisoner named Isaac Cam, who was sentenced to three years' hard labour at the Supreme Court in 1897 for assaulting his wife in the Whangarei district, made his escape from the gang at Fort Cautlcy. He was not missed for some time. Prompt steps were taken for his recapture, and he was captured on Sunday evening hiding amongst some gors<\ He attempted to run away, but otherwise offered no resistance. A meeting of women engaged in the discharge of domestic duties, for the purpose of forming a union, has been held in Wellington. The union will endeavour to raise the rate of pay to some thing like a living wage, and to secure a week-day half-holiday for domestic servants. A benevolent fund for the assistance of members in distress was also suggested. Facilities for social intercourse will be given, end the union, by fostering technical instruction, will endeavour to remove the reproach that many domestic workers are incompel cut By the explosion of 2000 barrels of whisky at Pittsburg (writes the New York correspondent of the Age) over a score of persons were buried under tons of bricks and mortar, and 25 lives have been lost. A Government bonded ware-« house was burned, 2000 barrels of whisky exploded, falling walls crushed adjoining tenement houses, all the occupants of which were killed or injured. After the warehouse wall fell in a large ammonia tank shot out of the burning building and fell on a small house in the alley, crushing in the roof and two storeys, and leaving the four walls standing. The Agricultural Department dees not think there is much reason to apprehend the ad vent of the tick plague to New Zealand from Queensland. Precautions have been already taken against its spreading by the Queensland authorities. It might, however, be brought here in the bags containing bonedust, but it is improbable. Hides from Queensland are usually salted before being shipped, so that in these the tick would not be found alive. The question whether any artificial manures should be received from Queensland will be considered in a few days. Cattle are not allowed to leave Queensland in any case. We understand (says the N.Z. Times) that a number of journeymen plumbers in this city contemplate leaving for Melbourne shortly in order to secure employment there in connection with the sanitation scheme which is to be carried out in Melbourne city by the Metropolitan Board of Works. It will bo remembered that the Wellington Plumbers' Union recently received notification from Melbourne that 200 first-class men would get work there for a lengthy period, it being considered that the proposed undertaking would take a few years to complete. From a private source we learn that the Metropolitan Board of Works is advertising in Scotland for competent men, who are assured standard wages so long as they suit. In answer to a question in the House of Commons on March 7th, Lord George Hamilton announced that the total casualties in the North-west frontier campaign from June 10th, 1897, to date were : Killed, including those who have died of wounds—British officers 44, British non-commissioned officers and privates 136, native officers 6, native non-commissioned officers and privates 320 ; total 506. Wounded, not including those who have died of wounds—British officers 93, British non-commissioned officers and privates 404, native officers 36, native rjon-eommissioned officers and privates 845 ; total 1378. Died of disease—British officers 10, British noncommissioned officers and privaters 250, natives ot all ranks 220 ; total 480. At the present juncture, and more especially in view of the desire of the European Powers to localise the present war, it is interesting to know what a great general contemplated in a similar crisis. Shortly after the American Civil War relations between the United States aud Spain were very much strained, then, as now, over Cuba. Grant was President, and the S*ate3 were full of veterans. He afterwards told a friend that if war had really broken out he had made all preparations to embark au army of 60,000 men under Sherman and Lee, steam across the Atlantic and march direct upon Madrid. The story was originally told as showing Grant's appreciation of Lee and the readiness of both generals to sink any feelings of rivalry once the hatchet was buried, but its significance now is the evident contempt in which, even thirty years ago an American general held the Spaniards. The Bishop of Melbourne, who presided at a recent meeting of the Church of England Temperance Society said that he had been deeply impressed with a story told in the police court the other day by a man, who said, " She nags aud I drink." That was the history of multitudes of drunkards. The " she" did Hot know how to make home a comfort; how to produce the sweet silvery voice when the " he" came back from his day's work. She did not make the home attractive, and he had to seek attractions elsewhere—too often at the publichouse. It seemed to him that every branch of the girls' friendly societies, of which the Church had many, ought to work iu the direction of happy homes; that the girls Bhould be taught kind, gentle, and persuasive ways, so that when it should fall to their lot to have homes their husbands might delight to come to them when the day's work was ended—not to be nagged at, but to be smiled at. It had been said that many girls were more busy in miking nets than in making cages—once they had caught the men they did not know how to keep them. There was a great deal in a wife's manner on approaching a man. There was a great deal in the voice and in the mode of introducing a subject. As much as possible should be done to teach wives how to make good homes ; how to be attractive, kind, and gentle to their husbands; and this, he thought, should be one of the aims of the Church of England Temperance Society. Here is a piece of "Jingo" talk by a prominent member of the American House of Representatives :—" No foot of water or land over which the Spanish flag ever floated has beeu for one hour friendly to the American Government. From the hour of the birth of the nation Spain has been hostile to us. The recollections that come to us should biing the blush of shame, aye, humility, mortification, remorse, anger, to the "cheek of every American upou this floor. Think of the Virginian's case, and say that Spain has any idea of being friendly to this Government. Her line is a crimson thread running through the centuries, a line of deceit and treachery to this Government, and every other she could deceive and rob. In 1873, when she attempted to murder 53 Americans, but only succeeded in killing 12, Grant, God bless his name and all honour to his courage and manhood, his bravery and his Americanism, was ready to intervene. Hamilton Fish said the nation that would permit such an outrage to go unpunished was not fit to live. Vet 16 mouths elapsed, and then this Government made a compromise that will bo a stain and blot upon its escutcheon for a thousand years and accepted £1,600,000 to pay for the insult to its honour. Why ? For the same reasons that prevail now. I love the President of th.e United States. He is a son of Ohio, and I knew if left to himself he would exercise his judgment, his honesty, aud his patriotism as perhaps no other man in the country would do, but as he is, with a trocha drawn about him that would require the strength,' the courage, and the genius of a God to surmount, he, too, will take the position of Urant and Fish, and so humiliation and disgrace will again perch upon our banner."

At the annual meeting of the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society, the figures showed an increase of business, specially favourable mortality experience, and solid progress all round The new business for the year amounted to £784,000. The income for the year was £400,000, and the funds had increased to £2,150,000. The retiring directors ware re-elected.

A further warning to those about, to try their luck at the Klondike is contained in a letter received by Mr R. W. Harvey, of Invercargill, from his nephew, dated Ellcnsburg (Wash., U.S.), March 18. He says : " I see that a lot of New Zealauders are heading for Alaska. If they don't get a sickening before they get back then I'll change my name. The towns up there are full of the worst crowd of thieves and cut-throats that ever breathed. They will knock a man down iu daylight and rob him. After dark they will murder you. Many people are dying from all sorts of diseases, and they don't trouble to put thern under ground cither—they just scrape a hole in the snew and put them in. Summer will tell the rest."

Some days ago there were racep in a Northern New South Walts town. A gold watch was given to the ugliest woman present. The umpire gave it to his wife, and the crowd agreed that the verdict was just. Commenting ou this a writer in the Sydney Mail says it is difficult to know whom to admire most—the husband for his pluck, or the wife for her prudence. Considering the evils that have always accompanied beauty (masculine jealousy, feminine vanity, all-round unpleasantness), it is marvellous why men continue to pursue pretty faces. When you think of what faces and figures have done in pushing back civilisation, you begin to regret that faces were ever fair, figures ever winning. There's one thing sure-the woman that got the watch and the man that gave it are the finest couple in broad Australia. Is there a single iron ship in active employment which is over fifty years old? asks the Nautical Magazine. We doubt it, but there are many wooden ones greatly exceeding that age. The schooner Hannah, whieh lately ran ashore on the Ivorfolk coast and now lies abandoned off Winterton, was constructed entirely of wood in the year 1793. During the greater part, of a century this craft has been employed as a collier ou the North Sea and along one of the most dangerous coasts known to seamen. What she did before being consigned to the coal trade is not known, but doubtless her work was hard and her risks manifold, for she has been a coaster all her life, which has at length ended after a remarkable career of 104 years. She is a striking proof, not only of the endurance of good wood, but of the faithfulness of her builders and the skill of a past generation of seamen, who successfully threaded their way amongst the rocks and shoals of these islands before the days of examinations or certificates. In concluding an article on the fact of English companies with drawing their capital from New Zealand, the Hawke's Bay Herald writes : —This is the third English company which has withdrawn from the woik of developing the goldfields of the colony in consequeuce of legislation,actual and threatened. And it is not only on our goldfields that enterprise is throttled by foolish laws. Things have arrived at such a pass now that the man who enters on any enterprise iu New Zealand is not allowed to conduct his own affair?. He is subject to the tender mercies of certain agitators, tempered by so-called conciliation by a set of men who may, and generally are, totally ignorant of the trades which they are empowed to regulate. But not content with this, the said trade agitators, abetted by noisy nobodies calling themselves Trades and Labour Councils, call for more restrictive legislation. Thev are

In concluding un article on the fact of English companies with drawing their capital from New Zealand, the Hawke's Bay Herald writes : —This is the third English company which has withdrawn from the woik of developing the goldfields of the colony in consequeuce of legislation,actual and threatened. And it is not only on our goldficlds that enterprise is throttled by foolish laws. Things have arrived at such a pass now that the man who enters on any enterprise iu New Zealand is not allowed to conduct his own affairs. He is subject to the tender mercies of certain agitators, tempered by so-called conciliation by a set of men who may, and generally are, totally ignorant of the trades which they are empowed to regulate. But not content with this, the said trade agitators, abetted by noisy nobodies calling themselves Trades and Labour Councils, call for more restrictive legislation. They are so blinded by their own vanity, and puffed-up by the homage paid to them by demagogic politicians, that they cannot see that the present stagnation in the colony and the want of employment in almost every trade, is largely due to the laws on our Statute Books, and they pass resolutions calling for further taxation on capital. Had iEsop a prophetic eye, and did he see New Zealand at the end of the nineteenth century, when he wrote the fable of the goose that laid the golden eggs ?" In his account of Major Kemp's funeral the correspondent of the Otago Daily Times says :—Meantime crowds are wending their way in the direction of the Maori cemetery, and the hill overlooking the village is thronged with people anxious to witness the return of the procession. It comes along in duo course, and as it swings from the road and wends its way into the churchyard there is a brave shout, for the military are there in strong force. The bell of the little church is tolled, and the coffin is carried in. There is a short service here and another at the grave, and then the mortal remains of Mehai Keepa are committed to the silence of the tomb. Then there is the rattle of musketry, and a general stampede. . . . There are two impromptu hakas by the men, most of whom wore mats of flax or feathers, and then the band strikes up a well-known hymn tune, " Pull for the Shore, Sailor," to the music of which some twenty women dance in strange, slow rhythmic motion. What a change has come over the scene ! Can these be the same men and women who scarce an hour ago were in the depths of despair and misery, who sang and wailed and'wept? We can hardly believe our own eyes. But such is the case. Not one sound ot weeping; no mournful funeral dirges nor Availing of women assails •.he ear. All is jollity. The tears are dried, and in their stead come smiles and shouts of joy and applause. 1 here is one wild war dance by strong half-naked men, with roiling eyes and hanging tongues, and then there is feasting. The pots arc boiling on the camp fires, and already some of the men and women have given themselves up to the delights of the feast. Truly thev are a strange people these Maoris. Suddenly I remember that I, tco, have had nothing to eat sinca early morning, and I leave them there. But first I go for a last look at old Keepa's grave beside the beautiful river that he knew so well. In a field near by an old man is covering up another grave where have been buried Keepa's clothes and bed and bedding—-cveu to the spring mattress, chopped up into small piece 3. Only the sword of honour remains. Truly they are a strange people. But Keepa's grave is aloue, for the sad faced pakehas and the tearful Maoris have departed, and the brave old warrior sleeps there in the vault, whi'e over the trees beyond the stately river the sloping sun sinks down into the western sea.