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Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 338, 8 September 1898, Page 2

Mr Clarke, who was returned unopposed for Hastings, New South Wales, retires in favour of Mr Barton.

The Auckland Licensing Court has decided to extend the hour for closing public houses to 11 o'clock.

On our third page Mr D. Salmon, a candidate at to-day's election for one of the vacant seats in the Hamilton Borough Council, publishes an address to the ratepayers.

We again call attention to the splendid display of drapery, millinery, etc., in the shop of Mr N. R. Cox, of Hamilton. Mr Cox and a large stail' of assistants were busily engaged all day yesterday—we might say for several days—in decorating the shop and setting off a large and varied stock of goods, all new and seasonable, and it is questionable whether such a show has ever been made this side of Auckland. The premises will be open for inspection all today (Thursday), and customers will be warmly welcomed without being pressed to buy—in fact, not a single article will be sold on show day—aud we have, no doubt, there will be a large influx of visitors.

Mr Gladstone's will has b'een proved. He leaves £60,000.

To-morrow (Friday) Mr W. JHunter will hold a clearing sale at Kihikihi on account of Mr A. K. Foster. The sale will commence at I o'clock. In the 20-mile race for the Cuca Cup, at the Crystal . Palace. London, A. J. Body, the New Zealand 'cyclist, led for the first rive miles, but tailed to obtuiiva place.

The first meeting of the committee of the South Auckland Racing Club will be held at the Commercial Hotel, Hamilton, at 8 o'clock on Saturday evening.

The Magistrate's Court, Hamilton, was occupied but a few minutes yesterday morning, »vhen a few rate cases brought against defaulters by the Clerk and Collector of the Waikato County Council were dealt with in the usual manner.

The deer on and about Maungakawa and Taotaoroa are dyiug in great numbers, having been poisoned by meal that was laid to destroy rabbits, and we are told some cattle have also been killed by it. The Inspector, or whoever it is that laid the poison, must have been very negligent.

To-day should be a busy day in Hamilton, as in addit on to the sale and the meeting of the Hospital Board, the annual election of Councillors for the Borough will be held. There are five candidates for the thrjo seats, and considerable interest attaches to the polling, the result of which it is expected will be known shortly after half past six thii eve. nig.

We noticed last night that Mr F. Marshall, of Morrinsville, had the thoroughbred horse Leolantis in Hamil ton. Since his arrival in the district Leolantis has been got into splendid condition for the coming season, and he cannot fail to attract the attention of intending breeders. Leolantis will be paraded during to-day at Hamilton, and Mr Marshall should have no difficulty in booking the balance of marcs which has been decided upon.

A very sudden death occurred on Monday night, at Paeroa, a girl, named Maria Hainsworth, having died as a result of a fright;. It appears that deceased was of a very timid disposition, and when a knock came to the door of the house, at about half-past eight o'c'ock, she and her mother, Mrs Hainsworth, became alarmed. The latter asked the girl to lock the door, and she proceeded to obey, but just as she was turning the key she gave her mother a terrified look, and then fell to the floor. Her mother immediately ran to her assistance, but found that she was quite dead. At the inquest, a verdict of death from syncope, caused by fright, was returned.

A short time ago wo drew attention to the practice followed at the Hamilton East' cemetery of removing flowers from, and otherwise desecrating, the graves, and now complaints have reached U 3 that the same thing is being done in the West cemetery. It is a common practice with the childreu who frequent the cemeteries on a Sunday to pluck flowers off the graves, but on Sunday afternoon last two ladies (?) of maturer age were caught in the act. Oue gentleman complains very bitterly of the wholesale pilfering from his wife's grave, not ouly of flowers, but the removal of the plants themselves It is time those in authority took some steps to put down this most reprehensible conduct.

The following extract from the Napier Telegraph of the 24th ult, will no doubt prove interesting to those who have watched the railway reform movement. Up to quite a recent period the Telegraph has been one of the strongest opponents of Mr Vaile's proposals :—lf tlie Minister for Railways and his colleagues were really in earnest in the matter of making the railways of the greatest possible service to the community they would long since have given a trial to the Vs.ile system. That would tend to benefit the whole community by lowering the rates of all forms of traffic, while at the same time increasing the revenue. This is no longer a matter open to debate. Since Mr Vaile began his crusade of common sense, his reforms have been put into partial practice in several European countries, and in each instance with success ; yet in the country where these reforms were first advocated the man who is practically author of them talks to deaf ears. In the face of this official hostility to real reform, Mr Cadman is not afraid to get up and commend a plan, which at its best is but a grant to owners of lime-kilns at the cost of the general public and to the detriment of dealers in other forms of manure who are subjected to the disadvantage of a bonus from the taxes granted to their competitors.

The third ordinary general meeting of the shareholders of Lovell and Christ; mas (Limited), was held in London on 13th July, Mr J. C. Lovell presiding - The chairman said he thought that the shareholders would regard as favourable the results of the past year's business. But, satisfactory as the report was, it did not quite come up to the expectations which the board at one time formed, this being due to the fact that the company had had to deal with one or two unexpected difficulties. The sales during the period under review were considerably in excess of those in any previous year, and although they had sold at the lowest percentage of profit, the net earnings were larger than in the year ended June 30th, 1897. Tho item of debts stood iu the balance-sheet at about £150,000, but included in that amount were a number of loans to customers, which were fully secured, aud he might add that quite one-third of the sum had been repaid since the date of the accounts. During the year the bad debts aggregated something leas than £2OOO. Their investments amounted to £34,611, of whicli £15,000 could be realised at any moment should the requirements of the company necessitate it. The stock-in-trade was only £6119, which was a satisfactory feature of the balance-sheet. Out of the balance available for distribution it was proposed to add £IO,OOO to the reserve fund, to place £SOO to the benevolent fund, and to pay a final dividend at the rate of 12 per cent., making, with theiuterim distribution, 11 per cent, for the year on the ordinary shares. In conclusion, he moved the adoption of the report, which was seconded by Mr J. W. Christmas and agreed to.