The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 1899.

Waikato Argus, Volume VI, Issue 416, 30 March 1899, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 1899.

m The banks in Waikato will be closed for the Easter holidays from Friday (to-morrow), until Tuesday next, both days inclusive. Owing to Monday next being a public holiday, the usual cattle train from Waikato to Auckland will run on Saturday next, leaving at thej usual hour. We understand that Mr W. J. Hunter held a most successful sale at Ohaupo yesterday, when the effects of the Rev. J. Marshall were disposed of. Every lot was placed and satisfactory prices were realised. We remind those interested of the clearing sale to be held on Saturday next by Messrs McNicol and Co. at Kirikiriroa, when they will offer the whole of Mr John Proctor's live and dead stock, etc. The sale will commence at 2 o'clock.

Mr W. J. Hunter will hold his third Sheep Fair of the season at Ohaupo Yards on Tuesday, April ISth, at 3 o'clock sharp. A large number of entries has already been received, and further entries are solicited.

Very great sympathy will be felt throughout the colony at the announcement that Mrs Russell has been attacked by typhoid fever. This will delay the opening of the political campaign so far as Captain Russell is concerned till after Easter.

The usual monthly meeting of the Farmers' Club, held on Monday evening, at Cambridge, was adjourned owing to there only beius; a few members present. Mr Bevins, ot Auckland, wired that the weather being so wet, he should not attend.

To-morrow (Good Friday) hot cross buns will be procurable at Mr E J. Davey's bakery between 6 and 8 a.m. Ag usual, Mr Davey intends to give both quality end quantity and as hia " baker's dozen " is well known to the maters of Hamilton, there's bound to be a rush between the hours mentioned.

A meeting of members of the Loyal Duke of Cambridge Lodge of Oddfellows was held on Tuesday evening at the Criterion Hotel, Cambridge, when a committee was appointed to carry out a programme of sports to be held on Victoria Square on Friday, April 21st. It was decided also to hold the annual ball in the Oddfellows' Hall on May 23rd and the dinner on Quetn's Birthday. With a strong executive the success of these gatherings is assured.

There will be special services, both morning and evening, at St. Andrew's Church, Cambridge, tomorrow. The morning service will be at 10.30 o'clock, in order to enable those who so desire to meet their friends coming by the excursion train, which arrives at noon. At the evening service there will be in addition to the special hymns and cantata, " The Story of the Cross," a number of sacred songs and solos contributed by Mrs Chambers, Misses Petersen, Garland and Carr, and Messrs Lusk and Bouillon.

Wo understand that arrangements have been made to tire the return match between the members of the Waikato Mounted Infantry No. 2 and the Yeterans at Pirongia on Saturday, 15tll prox. Jt will bo remembered that when they met before the " old hands " proved too good for the volunteers, and the veterans are very confident of again asserting their superiority. This is not to be wondered at, as in their ranks are several who have been thoroughly trained in the use of the rifle, while our citizen soldiers of the present day get little or no practical instruction of this sort.

A meeting of convocation of the New Zealand University Senate was held at Canterbury on Tuesday. The voting for the election of a member of the Senate resulted as follows :—Louis Cohen, M.A., of Martin, 131 ; Rev. A. Cameron, of Dunedin, 113 ; F. E. Baume, L.L.8., Auckland, GS. Mr Cohen was elected. The convocation decided to place on record its grateful appreciation of the services rendered to the cause of education by the late Rev. W. J. Habens A discussion took place on a motion to admit an "ad euudem " graduate as a member cf convocation, but the feeling of the meeting was against the proposal as a dangerous precedent, and the motion was withdrawn.

There has been a certain amount of doubt as to the date on which the season for native game opens this year, but this has been set at rest by the Gazette of 23rd inst., which came to hand yesterday. The season fixed for this year for native game is from 31st inst. (to-mor-morrow), until 30th Jimc, both days inclusive. We learn that both pigeons and clucks are fairly plentiful this year, and no doubt many will take advantage of the Kaster holidays to have a lew days' shooting The season for cock pheasants and Californian and Australian quail is fixed a.« fio:n Ist May to Hist July, It may be interesting to some of our shootists to know that game may only be shot between sunrise and sunsec, so that moonlight or night shootiug is illegal.

Iu addition to other fruits in his productive little orchard at Whatawhata, Mr Iwersen lias a good crop of pears this season. These are now ready for market, and being of prime quality should sell well. A sample of the fruit has been sent to this office.

The Almadale team to play the Hamilton Cricket Club on Good Friday, will be picked from the following: Gothorp. Feather, Spillman, Wilson, Evans (3), Dean, McCrea, Varney, O. Mahon, Creighton, Ross, G. Rollinson. Trumper, GifFen and Roche.

The ratepayers of the Cambridge Riding have a real live member on tiio County Council, for at the meeting held last Friday lie not only obtained a grant of £7O for the Road Board, but also got the Council to omit the Cambridge Riding when striking the rate. The County rale has been a heavy tax, and we are sure Mr Thomas will be thanked for what he has done.

The Herald of Saturday last has the following paragraph in its athletic notes :—" One of the best performances recorded at the Hibernian Society's sports on Saturday last, was that of M. H. Roberts, in the 220 Yards Handicap, which he won from 2 yards in the sound time of 22 3-sth s. Roberts, who is at present living in the Waikato district, has evidently lost none of the pace that marked him as one of the foremost amateur sprinters of Auckland some years ago." A farewell social was given at Karangahake, on Thursday night, to the Revs. Burtou, Wesleyau, and Bertram, Presbyterian Clergymen. The former was presented with a gold watch and the latter with a purse of sovereigns, as a mark of esteem. Both are deservedly popular in the district. A farewell is to be given at Paeroa to Mr Burton on Wednesday, and to Mr Bertram on Thursday night. Each will receive a presentation.—(Own Correspondent).

The presence of a well-conducted fellmongery iu a district like this cannot be too highly prized, and Waikato is to be congratulated upon having such an establishment. Messrs Slater and Co., who have purchased the business formerly carried on by Messrs Dobson and McLean, at Cambridge, have been running the same for the past few months, and have succeeded in winning the confidence of their patrons. They are cash purchasers of wool, hides, skin, tallow, etc., and the presence of a market for these commodities at their doors is a boon that will be much appreciated by farmers.

The following note by " Civis/' in the Otago Witness, is, at least, amusing :—A friend of mine was conversing with n fellow-traveller in a tram car. My friend ran the Government down. The other man contended that the Government had done everything well, He finished the argument atid crushed his opponent by saying—" Look at the splendid harvest wo are having ! Did we ever have such a harvest under any other Government ?" This is a solemn truth, and the man really meant what he said. The only harvest (" Civis" adds) that can rationally be associated with Seddon and Co. is the harvest that Seddon and Co. are garnering into their own barns. And a remarkably good harvest, I fancy, that is.

By train this morning llis Waikato Mounted Rilles leave for Auckland to take part in the Easter encampment. It is expected that the No. 1 troop will number 50, the No. 2 30, and the No, 3 40 men. Last cveniDg we were shown the new uniform of the No. 1 Company. It is of Kharkee cloth, with red facings and white braid, KharUee-coloured riding trousers with a red stripe, black leggings, leather belt and swords scabbard and white helmet with brass facings. The officers arc dressed exactly the same except that red velvet takes the place of the red cloth, aud gold braid is substituted instead of while. The uniform is an exceedingly handsome one, and compares most favourably with the former turn out, about which the least said the better. The No. 1 Company will assemble at Fraukton Junction at 9 a.m. leaving for Auckland about an hour later. The uniforms were manutactured by Messrs Hallenstein Bros and they certainly reflect creditably upon the popular firm.

The ordinary meeting of the Board of Education was held on Tuesday. The Selection Committee submitted letters from the Ohaewai and Waimate districts in reference to the combination of these two schools, halftime. The committee recommended that the Ohaewai School be continued fulltime under its present teacher, and that a teacher be sent to take charge of the Waimate school, also full time. The report was adopted. The Chairman, in alluding to the decision of Mr Udy to retire from the Board, said Mr Udy had rendered most valuable services during his many years' membership. Several other members followed in the the same strain, and Mr Udy returned thanks. It was arranged that the annual meetings of householders shall take place on Monday, April 24th. A letter was received from the .Rev. Dr. Egan, asking the Board to allow their inspectors to examine the Catholic schools. The Board determined to adhere to the present system and not to grant the request. TWe Finance Committee reported that Messrs Boult (Whangarei), and Cox (Taupiri), had been written to concerning the terms of tenure of scholarships awarded to their sons. Telegrams had been received from these gentlemen that they abandoned the scholarships. The Chairman pointed out that the State gave the scholarships, and was entitled to rer|uest holders to attend State endowed schools. The resigned scholarship were awarded to the candidates standing next in merit :—Annie M. Ardeu and "William Coreland, both of the Auckland College and Grammar Schools.

Now-a-days, when the magnificent rewards obtained by inventors in every department of art, science and manufacture have so stimulated invention that the number of applicants for patents is increasing to an enormous extent, it is of importance to the inventive public in New Zealand to know that letters-patent are granted in this colony without regtrd to the specifications and drawings being prepared in a proper manner. The Patent Department accept the fees and grant the patent for almost any application, leaving to the applicant all the risk of the patent being invalidated either for being inadequately described or the claims incorrectly drawn. A large number of patents consequently fail to bring any return to the inventor, as on expert examination by intending purchasers, fatal flaws in documents and drawings aic frequently discovered, which might have been avoided by employing technical skill in preparing the specification and claims. It is constantly pointed out by officials in the Government service that it is advisable for inventors to employ expert assistance in preparing their applications, and in this connection we are pleased to note that Me srs " Henry Hughes," who have the reputation of being the premier firm of patent experts in New Zealand, have recently opened new offices in Auckland. The firm was established in ISS2, and has branches in every important centre in the colony as well as representatives in all the Australian colonies, and in nearly every country in the world where a patent law is in existence, and they thereby claim that they have unequalled facilities for promoting and guarding the interests r,f inventors. For the convenience of inventors in the YVaikato the firm has appointed Mr J. S. Eilgeeumbe to represent them, and he will be in possession of pamphlets upon patent matters sufficient to give intending patentees any preliminary information they may reciuire.

A few days ago Mr Justice Denniston commented on the probation system. He said he was much inclined to think that a short sharp sentence acted as a better deterrent f:otn crime than probation, which he believed was often couuted on by young offenders.

The Wellington correspondent of | a contemporary says :—lt has transpired i that the reason why the Railway De- ! partincnt has made a regulation p-event-ing the guards from demanding tickets from passengers travelling in Ministerial apartments in trains is that on two occasions recently when the i\lini3ter of Justice was travelling with a party of ladies belonging to the Women's Political League, on the Wellington-Napier section, a guard was so conscientious, or from the Ministerial point of view presumptuous, as to request the production of tickets. On the second occasion the Minister stormed and raved at the official for his " impertiuence " and " presumption," and said he would Boon put a stop to that sort of thing, with t'..e result that an edict has gone forth that neither members of the Government nor their friends using the railways are to be in any way interrogated or interfered with by the officials of the Railway Department in the future.