The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 1898.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 304, 21 June 1898, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 1898.

In our last issue we printed the full text of a portion of the speech delivered by the Hon. Mr McKenzie at Palmerston. We had much pleasure in doing so, because it is as refreshing as it is novel to be able to approve of any of that gentleman's utterances

He attacked Mr Scobie Mackenzie for stating that the Treasurer had deceived the country as to the amount of money which would be necessary to put the Bank of New Zealand on its feet. He casts the blame on the officers of the Bank, some of whom he states still hold office in that institution. This statement is in all probability true, for the reason that it was manifestly impossible for Ministers to thoroughly investigate matters for themselves, and they were practically at the mercy of the Bank officials. If anything was to be done it had to be done speedily ; but at the same time it must not be forgotten that the Ministry took all responsibility upon themselves, and urged Parliament to pass the Bank Bill. Mr McKenzie proceeded to point out that the country had but one director, and the shareholders, three. He held that the country had a right to be better represented as the interests of the shareholders were nil. Unfortunately the country being better represented would mean that nominees of the Government would be directors, and these would be certain to be appointed for political reasons and the Bank become a political lever in the major, and a financial institution in the minor degree. There is more than a suspicion that it is worked somewhat on these lines at present. We are inclined to agree with Mr McKenzie that it would be better for the country and the business of the Bank if a syndicate were to take it over, provided the syndicate was sufficiently strong financially to relieve the colony of its responsibilities and place the shareholders in no worse position, if it be possible, than they now are.

Mr McKcnzie alluded to the fact that the .Bank of New Zealand, as the owners of the roller mills in Auckland, had imported 21,486 bushels of wheat from Tasmania and that the farmers had been told by the agents of the Bank that they could introduce wheat from Sydney at a given price, and that, if they did not sell at a certain price, wheat, would be introduced from foreign parts. This the Minister for Lands characterisos as threatening the farmers, and asks, " Was that fair?" The position goes to illustrate the fact that it is anomalous that the Bank should hold the dual position of bankers for the farmers and millers on behalf of the institution. The management might hold the scales as evenly as Justice herself, but the fact of the interests of the farmers and those of the Bank being antagonistic, can but create suspicion injurious to the institution. The running of flour mills is not legitimate hanking; we are aware that the Bank has been forced into the position, but it has been in it so long now as to give the impression that proper efforts have not befcn made to extricate it.

Twenty-first June—the shortest day. The Hon. Thomas Thompson, Minister for Justice, left for Wellington yesterday. The Cambridge branch of the Mothers' Union meets at S. Andrew's school-room to-day (Tuesday) at 3 p.m. The subject for consideration is "How to Teach the Bible." A preliminary meeting of those interested in the formation of a volunteer corps in the Pirongia district will be held on Monday eveuing next in the Public Hall, Pirongia. We have received a circular from the Secretary of Ralph's Taupiri coalmines, intimating that on and after Ist July the Company will be able to supply house and steam coal. We remind those interested of the clearing sale to be held by Messrs McNicol and Co. at the residence of Mr R. Vernon Smith, Te Uku, to-morrow (Wednesday), commencing at 12 o'clock sharp. A telegram from New* Plymonth last night states that a man named Vernon Hamilton Collello, aged 64 years, a carpenter, dropped dowu in the street yesterday and died a. few minutes later. At the inquest a verdict of heart disease was returned. An extraordinary vacancy having occurred in the Cambridge Road Board, an election to fill the same will be held (if necessary) on Saturday, 16th July. Nominations will be reeeivrd by the Returning Officer (Captain McPherson) up to noon of Thursday, 30th Juno. The coaching plant advertised lo be sold at Ohaupo to-day by Messrs McNicol and Co. has been withdrawn from this sale, and will be offered at Cambridge on Wednesday, 29th June, at 1 p.m. sharp. Full particulars will be found in their column this morning. We remind our readers that the new Presbyterian Church, Cambridge, will be formally opeued to-morrow even ing, when the Rev. J. McKeuzie, of Thames, will conduct the service. It will be a special musical service, the choir will be assisted by numerous friends.

i For some weeks past the Ladies' Sewing Guild connected with the Hamilton Presbyterian Church have been engaged every Wednesday afternoon preparing for a sale of work, which they contemplate holding in aid of the funds of the church on Boxing-day in the Oddfellow's Hall, Hamilton East.

We have been requested to call the attention of the authorities to the state of the culvert at Stokes' Gully. The roots of the trees have damaged and eraeked the brick work in such a way that it requires immediate attention, in preparation for the heavy rains we may expect during the next few months. Pastor Steed is about to resume his lectures on " Prophecy," which have been of interest to so many. The subject of to-night's lecture will, therefore, be a prophetic one. He would wish it to be remembered that there will not be a meeting on Wednesday, that being the evening on which the Presbyterian Church is to be opened. We direct attention to an advertisement appearing in this issue from Mr J. Park, the proprietor of the Karamu sawmills. The mill has just been completed, and the proprietor is now prepared to book orders for kahikatea and rimu. The former is of the yellow-heart variety, which is claimed to be impervious to the worm and grub. We learn that Mr H, Roche, land agent of Ohaupo, has disposed of the farm of 150 acres at Tuhikaramea, rcceutly advertised in our columns, at a satisfactory figure. The Tuhikaramea district has lately come into considerable prominence as a healthy sheep country and one capable of producing good grain and root crops, and any land offered is not long in being picked up. Mr Roche this morning has several additional lots in his advertisement, mostly in the vicinity of Hamilton, and they arc such as should not be difficult to dispose of.

On Saturday and yesterday we noticed considerable quantities of green flax being carted through Hamilton for Mr Coates' mill, operations at which will, we understand, be commeueed today. During the past week or so workmen have been engaged in effecting repairs at the mill buildings, and these being now completed everything is ready for a strrt. Mr Coates has already received numerous enquiries as to his output and has placed six months' fibre in advance. A continuance of the fine weather will be greatly appreciated by all mill owners, as enabling them to deal with the material rapidly.

Mr A. Busck, late dairy expert to the Government, has been in the Waikato during the past week for the purpose of arranging classes for instruction in matters connected with the dairy industry. He had arranged to deliver a lecture on the subject on Saturday afternoon, but owing to the small amount of interest evinced, had to give up the idea. It is strange that those directly connected with the industry should have proved so apathetic in the matter, but they doubtless know their own business best. Mr Busck left for Auckland yesterday morning, but intends to revisit the district in the course of a week or so.

On Saturday last Mrs Warr, wife of Mr Henry Warr, of Claudelands, Hamilton, passed away at her daughter's residence at Hukunui, at the ripe age of 73 years. The deceased lady was one of the pioneer settlers of Hamilton, her husband having been u member of the Fourth Waikato Militia, and they have resided in Hamilton almost since its foundation. The funeral was held yesterday afternoon at the Hamiltou East Cemetery, when Rev. R. O'C. Biggs officiated at the grave. There were a number of old settlers present to pay a last tribute of respect. Deceased leaves a grown up family. We regret to learn that Mr Warr is in very bad health,

A AVellington telegram to the Dunedin Evening Star says : Walter Buller has beyun proceedings for libel agaiust the Premier, and will claim heavy damages. It is whispered that Sir Robert Stout has been retained by the right hon. gentleman." Mr A. Guliis has an advertisement in this issue thanking the South British Insurance Company for having so promptly settled his claim, and we think they are justly entitled to the same for the necessary papers only reached the Auckland office on Monday, the 13th instant, and the next day the cheque was awaiting Mr Cubis in Cambridge. It eould not have been done quicker unless the money had been telegraphed to the local agent, Mr Thos. Wells. Mr Cubis also thanks his many friends who rendered assistance at the trying time. Those who declare the British army is going to the dogs, and that the physique of our soldiers is not what it once was, must change their opinion (says the London Daily Telegraph) when they hear of the stature of the cadets at Woolwich and Sandhurst. The Military Board of Visitors declares, indeed, that the average height of the budding officers at the first-mentioned place is oft. 9in., and of those at Sandhurst sft. 9j|in. Not unnaturally the Visitors have in their formal report expressed their great satisfaction with the physique and build of the cadets.

The London Daily Chronicle has secured for its special correspondents in the Spanish-American war some of the greatest naval and military experts of the day, as well as others in a civilian capacity, one of whom is Mr Stephen Crane, the novelist. The monthly salaries of one or two of these gentlemen are large, and would certainly astonish colonial newspaper proprietaries. One man who was despatched to America by a London daily six weeks ago was told to " try and limit his travelling expenses, even under urgent conditions, to £SOO a month." The Chronicle, by the way, has its own yacht at the seat of war. She is almost as fast as a torpedo boat, and must cost a pretty penny to keep going.

The Board of Works, according to a Pekin despatch to the North China Herald, has lately been turning out hundreds of steel shields for the Pekin field force. These shields are about the ordinary size of the native war shield, and not much heavier. They are claimed to be bullet-proof, and within each shield is ooncealed a sword bayonet, which can be made to protrude in front of the shield by simply touching a spring. Armed with these shields, a body of soldiers, it is alleged, could "charge" with impunity an opposing enemy, and put the latter to the sword without any harm to the former. This shield it said to be the iuvention of an officer of the Imperial Guards, who has declared that "the new weapon will be more efficacious in the field than the usual bayonet charge."

A correspondent, writing to the Daily Mail on the subject of longevity says : I doubt if a parallel c.ise to thi can be found in Englaud. The Rev Thomas Hooper was many years rector of Yatton Keynell and .Castle Combe, Wilts. He had fourteen children—eleven sons and three daughters—all of whom attained their majority. He died at Yatton in ISSI in his 77th year. His wife died many years after. She was considerably over 90—1 believe in her 97th year. She was a lineal descendant of Daniel Race, who was 57 years in the Bank of Englaud, and 37 years its chief cashier. The eldest son of this uniou was rector of Heyshott, near Midhust, Sussex, and died there ou the 10;h of last January, in his 94th year. There are still five living, namely—James, in his 93rd year ; John, in his S9th year ; Francis, in his 82nd year; Charles, in his 78th year ; and Frederick, in his 73rd year.

In JBrassey's Naval Annual for 189 S, Lord Brassey, Governor of Victoria, father of the editor of the Annual, contributes an article on the British Navy in 189 S, which couoludes with a plea for a league of the English-speaking countries. He says : "In the present anxious position of affairs we shall not relax our efforts to create such naval forces as will ensure the safety of the Empire, but if, in the process of time, we can accomplish a closer uniou betweeu ourselves and the United States, if we establish a perpetual league of all English speakers for settling their differences by arbitration, nay, more for the mutual defence if threatened by external foes then we shall have changed the circumstances. Our latent resources would be too overwhelming to be challenged or contested. Let us cherish the hope that a consummation so happy may some day be reached by the sagacity of our statesmen and the growing wisdom and goodwill ot our kindred people." There are some things better left unsaid, and some things better left undone, and both apply with equal force to the following, which has reached Oamaru by a circuitous route. On a recent trip of the Waikare to Australia, preparations had been made for the accommodation of Lady Ranfurly, but her ladyship was not expected until the night of the vessel's sailing. In the meantime one of those who intended to travel by the vessel had imbibed so freely that he didn't know his cabin from the coal bunkers, and he was put by a friend into the cabin prepared for the " Governess." Later on her ladyship arrived unexpectedly, and the individual afliicted with tanglefoot was lifted out and stowed away elsewhere. At an early hour next morning his friend of the previous night decooted a brandy aud soda and proceeded to the state cabin, and shakiug the occupant by the shoulder, said, " Here, old man, here's a hair of the dog that bit ye—a brandy and soda to straighten ye up." Her ladyship opened her eyes and turned her head round, and the brandy aud soda and the man who held it fell backwards out of the state-room door, and in four or five stridei both were in the engine-room the man wondering whether it would be a hanging matter or transportation for life. It is hazardous to ask that man to tell the story of the brandy and soda.— North Otago Times.

During the war, American poets are said to be hard at work trying to produce a new national battle hymn, and the ballad writers are turning: out patriotic songs by the ream. A theatre manager, trying to imitate patriotism for the sake of notoriety, spread an immense Spanish flag in the foyer of his theatre in a German and Jewish neighbourhood, expecting his audience to walk over it. Before the doors had heen opened many miuutes the banner was torn in shreds by an angry crowd, and the pieces carried off as trophies of war. A young woman, who essayed to sing the delightful ballad, "In Old Madrid," was hooted off the stage of one of the music halls, and when, in another theatre, the orchestra played a lively Spanish fantasia, the people stormed the musicians with yells and missiles until they retreated under . the stage. In all the theatres now it is considered essential to an evening's recreation for the orchestra, after each act, to play " The Star Spangled Banner," whereupon the scitire audience rise, and sing and cheer until their patriotism finds relief. These patriotic outbursts are not confined to theatres. A business man entered a Broadway re3tauraot and ordered a Spanish omelette The waiter took his order ; but soon came back and told him he would have to take his eggs some other way, as the cooks absolutely refused to make any more Spanish omelettes until Spain apologised to the United States. During the past two months a New York firm that advertised a special brand of Spanish liquorice has lost half its trade.

The London Times »ot befogged in the cable message from Wellington regarding the Maori outbreak at Iviwcnc, as follows :—The Honctora half-caste fanatics arc urging the Bay of Island Maoris to resist the taxation inspection by the police. In addition to the despatch of troops her Majesty's screw sloop Torch has been ordered to Hokianga. This is how a London Times war correspondent felt when standing on tiie flagship New York at the bombardment of Matan/.as: "Where I stood on the forward bridge behind the timet the concussion of the guns made one's eardrums tingle, and the smoke tilled the month and nostrils, and dimmed the eyes, so that it was for a few seconds at a time impossible to see or speak." An article on " Education of Women and Girls ia Spain," in an English educational paper, says that of eight and a-half millions of women and girls in Spain, there arc now " not more than six millions who have little or no education." That is to say, so low is the standard of education, that, except in the higher classes, only about one woman in three can read a newspaper or write a letter. At almost every session of the Supremo Court (remarks the Post) Judges ate plied with applications for exemption from members of the dental profession who happen to be included in the jury panel. The other morning the Chief justice, in excusing one of these citizens, said that after the present session he would not excuse any dentistIf the Legislature did not feel disposed to exempt the dental profession, he could not make any distinction in regard to it.

British enterprise in China is by no means resting on the laurels of the past. According to the Daily Telegraph a British syndicate has secured a concession which will place in British hands for the next sixty years " the greatest coalfield in the world." This wonderful field, situated in the province of Shan-si, is said to be 250 miles long and 40 miles wide. It is situated between 200 ft. and .300 ft. above sea level, and is estimated to contain coal sufficient to supply the world for the next 2100 years. Hence the people of the present, who concern themselves as to the possibility of the world's coal supply giving out, need be under no immediate apprehension. The importance of the concession is immense. Iron as well as coal exists in enormous quantity, and the field can, without grave difficulty, be placed ia touch with Pekin on the one hand, and Wei-hai-wei on the other. The concession means, if the whole story is not a romance, an almost undreamed of development of British commercial, industrial, and strategic opportunity in the Far East. Italy apparently is associated with Great Britain in the matter. In order not to rouse the suspicions of Britain's rivals, the services were secured of the Marquis di Rudiui's son and Signor Luzzati iu the negotiations with the Chinese Government. Clearly all the apples in the Chinese orchard are not to fall into the Russian and German baskets.

Signor Crispi, the ex-Italian Premier, being asked what would lie the result of the American-Spanish w.ar, answered emphatically : "It is the end of Spain. I regret, as do all Italians, that our Latin sister has allowed herself to be drawn into such an impasse" In reply to further questions, he said : " Valiant, chivalrous? Yes; but these are virtues of the middle ages as understood by the grandees of Spain. In our nineteenth century initiative is neces-siu-y—a practical spirit, which in the Spaniards is absolutely wanting. They have committed monstrous sins, for which she is paying now. Ido not say the Americans have any right to interfete in the affairs of Cuba, but the Spaniards certainly have shown them selves cruel, barbarous, and incapable of governing the Pearl of the Antiles. In one way or another they will lose that beautiful colony." Asked what would become of Cuba after the war Signor Crispi said : " She will be a small republic, of which there are already too many over there, constantly in revolution and bankruptcy. But that is _ the least important side of the case. It is to be feared that the Americans, intoxicated by an easy victory, will throw haphazard all their energy against the European colonies left in their neighbourhood. Canada be one of their first victims unless" an AngloAmerican alliance is established between London and Washington—and that would offer, to my mind, many dangers for the peace of the world. If the United States defeats Spain, it wiU be obliged, in order to maintain its position, to have recourse to costly armaments, and Europe, which is looking forward to the time of actual disarmament, will more than ever be plunged into an endless expense. Armies for land and navies must now be iucreased. Where it will stop I don't know. In any case, it seems to me that the war has in store some unpleasant surprises." / General Sir William Lockhart, on the eve of his departure from India, issued the following farewell order to the Tirah Expeditionary Force:—" On relinquishing tlie command of the Tirah Expeditionary Force, which is about to be reduced to a single division, I thank all ranks for the work which, through their bravery and devotion, lias been successfully accomplished in the past six months. From the beginning of October to the middle of January the force was engaged in active operations, and seldom have troops been called upon to undergo greater fatigue or to meet & more vigilant and enterprising enemy. After lone marches in cold and wet, harassed by distant rifle fire and by assaults at close auarters, the column bivouacked in positions which had to be protected by numerous htrong pickets posted on commanding heights, and those pickets were always liable to detertiiiued attacks to molestation on withdrawal. There was, in fact, little or no rest for the force, the most carefully chosen camping ground being generally open to loug-rangp fire from scattered individual markinen, armed with the most accurate weapons. The boa't of the tribes was that no foreign army—Moghal, Afghan, Persian or British had ever penetrated, or could ever penetrate, their country ; but, after carrying three strong positions and being for weeks subsequently engaged iu daily skirmishes, the troops succeeded in visiting every portion of Tirah, a fact which will be kept alive in the mindb of future generations by ruined forts and towers in their remote valleys. In this recognition of the gallantry and devotion of all ranks, British and Indian, mu3t be included the contingents sent by the Princes and chiefs of India, corps which have fought side by side witli the troops of the Regular Army and have shared in the dangers and hardships of the campaign. For the past two and a-half mouths the troops have been employed ou the tedious duties of a blockade, and their discipline .during this period is deserving of high commendation. I congratulate the soldiers under my commaud on the successful result of the operations. In no previous campaign on the Northwest Frontier have the difficulties to be overcome been more formidable ; iu none has the punishment inflicted on the tribesmen been more exemplary or their submission more com-