The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 1898.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 334, 30 August 1898, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 1898.

The Financial debate is at an end, aud the country is about as wise as to the financial state of the colony as it was before it commenced ; in fact very few of the speakers dealt with finance at all, and tbose wbo did had so little information to impart which had not long been at the disposal of the Press that the ground was cut from under their feet. The annual Budget debate affords members an opportunity to discuss any conceivable question without fear of being called to order by the Speaker. The Opposition always avails itself of the chance to parade all the instances of error and maladministration they can rake up. The late debate was no exception in this respect. The speakers bad little trouble in clearly demonstrating that the land policy of tha Government was not the success which had been claimed for it. That the management of the railways had been with a view to show surpluses rather than with the object of carrying on the traffic satisfactorily, and at the same time keeping the lines aud rolling stock in a good and safe condition. They had equally little difficulty in showing that the large surplus which the Treasurerclaimed was the result of unsound finance.

Unfortunately towards the end of the rambling discussion, gross personalities were indulged in, of a nature more coarse than has ever before disgraced our Parliament. The story of " Bun Tuck " was no doubt very amusing ; but it was ono which should not have been told by a member of Parliament of the Premier of the colony, and it is equally true that there should not have been foundation for the implied charge. The retort of the Premier, however, aside altogether from its having fallen from Mr Seddon was still more disgraceful. The Premier apologised ; but in tbo next sentence repeated the offence of which he professed to be ashamed. He would not strike below the belt, because to do so would injure another than Mr Hutchison. For our part we cannot conceive a more foul blow than that which is often dealt by innuendo. It places the victim at a disadvantage ; he has nothing tangible to answer, and more it savours of the tactics of the village .gossip for whom our ancestors in their wisdom kept a ducking-stool which they did not hesitate to use.

A social in connection with the Te Awamutu Band will be held in the Te Awamutu Public Hull on Thursday evening next. The annual meeting of the Whatawhata Racing Club will be held on Saturday evening next. A full attendance is requested. The usual monthly European mail, via, Sin Francisco, per R.M.S. Alameda, will be despatched from Waikato on Friday next, at the usual hour. This mail will be due at London on sth October. The Printing Committee of the House of Representatives has reported in favour of the Minister for Lands' map being inserted in Hansard. The matter is, however, to be referred to the House, and will be considered to-day. Mr. D. Ross, who has been an inmate of the Waikato Hospital for some weeks, received his discharge from the institution on Sunday. Mr Ross, who, although rapidly on the mend, looks somewhat shaky, and intends making a trip down South in order to regain his strength. The next quarterly meeting of tht Waikato Licensing Committee will Le held in the Court-house, Hamilton, ou Wednesday, September 7th. The business to be brought up for consideration will be the transfer of the license for the Star Hotel, Kihikihi, from George Maunder to Thomas Porter, late of the Railway Hotel, Mercer. Mrs Hamilton, late of the Mor rinsvilla Hotel, the new proprietress of the Royal Hotel, Hamilton, has a notification in this issue directing the attention of her old friends and customers to the fact that she has assumed the conduct of this well appointed hostelry. Commercial men and visitors will find comfortable and pleasant quarters at the Royal Hotel. The accommodation is excellent, the building is nearly new, and all the appointments are up-to-date. It will be hardly necessary to remind our readers of the entertainment to be given in the Volunteer Hall, Hamilton, this evening, in aid of the funds of the l'ablic Library. In addition to the worthy object to which the funds are to be devoted, the entertainment, which h to be provided for the lordiy sum of one shilling, is sure to draw a large house. Such a concert programme has never been before presented to a Hamilton audience, and in addition to this there is to be a recherche supper, and a dance to end up with, so that an enjoyable night's outing may be anticipated.

Lord Wolseley- !)-..- issued a general order instructing army officers

to inculcate temperance and molality amongst ;he troops.

The Oamaru Harbour Board loan of £30,000 has been successfully floated by the National Bank. The amount was over subscribed at up to £lO5 2s Gd.

The annual election to lill five ordinary vacancies in the membership i..f the K InkiluTown Hoard will be held on Satiinl.y, 17th September. Nominations close with the Humming Officer (Mr R. Mainwariug) on the 10th pros. Now that the hunting season is drawing to a close, the members of the Polo Clubs are beginning to bestir themselves and make preparations for the forthcoming season. An advertisment appears in this issue calling a meeting of the Cambridge Club for Saturday next, at the close of Messrs McNicol and Co.'s. spring cattle sale.

To-day (Tuesday), writes our Pirongia correspondent, the Volunteer Mounted Infantry Corps is to be enrolled, officers appointed, etc., so it is to be hoped there will be a good muster of those who have already signified their intention to join. A Government officer will attend to swear in the nun, and Capt. Reid, of Hamilton, will be piesent to facilitate the business.

Messrs McNicol and Co. will hold their annual Spring cattle sale in their Cambridge Yards on Saturday next. Upwards of 800 head of choice well-bred cattle will be offered, amongst them a large number of fat and forward bullocks from Patetere, fat cows, wellbred two and three-year-old steers, and a choice lot of young cittle. The sale will commence at 12 o'clock sharp.

x\.t the last meeting of the Waikato Amateur Athletic Club, some of the olficeis were deputed to wait upon the Boxing Day Sports' Committee with a view to obtaining their co-operation in laying down a goo I running track on Sydney Square. The interview was a satisfactory one, aud yesttrday morning we noticed Mr Winter hard at work upon the ground, which is to be ploughed, harrowed and sown in readiness for the sports' meeting on Boxing-Day.

At a meeting of the Oamaru County Council it was decided to ask the membeis of the House for Oamaru, Waitaki and Waibetno to endeavour to secure an alteration of the Government Valuations of Land Act, so as to leave it optional with local bodies to accept or reject the Government valuations. The Council got an account from the Government for £371 18s 9d, for a third of the cost of the valuation. Last valuation was done by the county at a total cost of £245.

A sudden death occurred at Marototc en Saturday morning. It appears that a man, named James Morriu, was employed sawing timber in the bush. He said to his mates, " Wait a minute," and sat down on a log a few yards distant and immediately fell over dead. His comrades at once reported the matter to the police, and this afternoon the body was removed to Hikutaia, where an inquest is to be held. Deceased was a married man, his family residing at the Thames.