The Waikato Argus. GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. TUESDAY, AUGUST 15, 1899.

Waikato Argus, Volume VII, Issue 474, 15 August 1899, Page 2

The Waikato Argus. GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. TUESDAY, AUGUST 15, 1899.

c The Land for Settlement Act Amendment Bill was read a third time and passed the House on the 28th July. The Bill that passed, however, was a rery different measure to that which was introduoed by the Premier. The original Bill, Clause 6. provided that land could be oompulsorily taken for .the purpose of providing workmen's homes or Tillages within a Borough or town district or within five miles of the boundary thereof, provided that not more than 100 acres could be taken in any one year, the owner to have the right to retain the site on which his dwelling house stands and surrounding land not exoeeding in the whole five acres. Section 5 determined the compensation payable for land so taken shall only be the fair actual market value of the land. It is manifest that had this Bill passed every man who owned a farm within five miles of a borough would have been liable to have all but five acreß taken from him and be compelled to take the market value of the land in full compensation. This shows the length to which the present Government are prepared to go for the promotion of the interests of their town supporters, and how utterly regardless they are of the interests of those who own land.

The original intention of the Lands for Settlement Act was to break up big estates. In Section 2 of the Act of 1894 holdings of 1000 acres of firstclass land, 2000 acres of second-olass, and 5000 of third-class were exempt, except when within five miles of the four principal cities, when the area was fixed at 500 acrea. By the Act of 1897 this amount was reduced to 200 acres, but not more than 100 acres could be taken in one year. This meant that the owners of 200 acres were safe. That the Government should have introduced suoh a Bill should ©pen the eyes of small farmers to the uncertainty of their tenure. If the Bill had passed unamended a very large proportion of the land in the Waikato would have been liable to seizure. Fortunately the Opposition were alive to the danger and succeeded in removing some of the most objectionable features from the Bill. The compensation is to be, in addition to market value, any loss the owner might suffer in business by his land being taken. Land may only be taken in the neighbourhood of boroughs with 15,000 inhabitants, which praotically means the four principal centres, the owner to have the right to retain ten acres within a borough or fifty acres in other cases. A new clause was inserted, which enacts that no land shall be taken compulsorily for the purpose of workmen's homes till after tenders have been called for land suitable for the purpose, nor until, in the opinion of the Land Purchase Board, every other means of obtaining suitable land have been exhausted. In connection with this Bill we may point out that it is necessary that Parliament should have full information as to every purchase of land by the Government which is voluntarily offered. The whole correspondence and reports of officials should be before the House. This would reduce the field open to tho inventors of scandal to tho minimum area. We are also of opinion that every compulsory seizure of land should be subject to the approval of Parliament. The power of Ministers is too gr9at, and it should be reduoed whenever occasion offers.

Cardinal Moran's latest attack is on the American Protestant missions inthe Hawaiian Islands. He makes a sweeping condemnation of the methods and results of the mission.

The body of a man was found in the Auckland Domain on Sunday afternoon. The man had apparently shot himself in the head. Up till a late hour on Sunday night the body had uot been identified.

Successful experiments with wireless telegraphy ou short circuits have been made by the postal authorities between Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide, with instruments' constructed ou the Marconi pattern. Marconi instruments are being imported for practical utilisation on longer distances,

On Thursday next, August 17th, Mr W. J. Hunter will hold a large clearing sale at Paterangi, when he will offer the whole of Mr J. Lee's first-class dairy cows, horses, implements, furniture, etc. He will also offer Mr Lee's compact farm of '2OO acres, all in grass and crop, with comfortable house and outbuildings erected thereon. Luncheon will be provided, and the sale will commence at 12 o'clock .sharp.

On Saturday a representative of The Akgus interviewed Dr. Hosking in reference to the Labour Bureau business. The Doctor said that he had telegraphed to Mr Setklon asking that the same chance of co-operative employment should be afforded to men resident in the district as to others brought from a distance. The Premier replied that ho had no objection to his taking names. He (Dr. Hosking) never had any idea of establishing a bureau.

The Waikato Hounds will meet to-morrow (Wednesday) at Salthurat, Cambridge, and on Saturday at Newstead.

Mr William Allen, of Hamilton, has just received direct from the inventors in New York, one of the latest and up-to-date •' talking " machines, the Gramaphonc The inventors claim that it is the loudest and most distinct speaking machine yet brought out. We were invited to hear it yesterday, and we can certainly bear testimony to the extraordinary volume of sound produce 1 as compared with phonographs that have been exhibited in Waikato. It is Mr Allen's intention shortly to give an entertainment, when the public will have an opportunity of hearing this wonderfully machine and judging for themselves of its many qualifications.

At the Hamilton Presbyterian Church on Sunday evening the Rev. J. M. Mitchell delivered the second of a series ot sermons entitled "Iu His Steps," the theme being "Jesus as a Churchman." Holy Writ went to show that Jesus was regular in his attendance at the Sabbath services in the Synagogue and in the Temple. Some people said that they did not attend Church because the minister was not what he should bo ; but Mr Mitchell reminded his hearers that the Church was never so corrupt as it was in the time of Jesos. He himself called the spiritual toachers of his time " Whited Sepulchres" and " A generation of vipers," but still he attended the services over which they presided. Anyone, therefore, who severed his connection with the Church because of the minister, or on account of its corrupt state, was not following in the steps of Jesus. The manifest duty of such was to remain in the Church and do his best to reform it. The next of the series will be given in a month, the subject being " Jesus as a Politician." On Saturday evening a number of the members of the Hamilton Football Club had a narrow escape from a serious accident, just before leaving Cambridge. The brake, driven by Mr T. Mayes, was about to start from the Criteron Hotel, when the driver reached to get his whip, and the seat being loose it overbalanced and threw him out. He took the reins with him, and the horses inimediately started off. Both wheels passed over Mayes' legs, but fortunately, he escaped without serious injury. The other occupants of the vehicle at once got out, and one of them caught the leaders by the head and held on, notwithstanding that by this time they had got a good pace up and were plunging violently. He held on and turned their heads, and the animals ran into the railing in front of the Bank of New Zealand and the horses came down. Assistance was quickl}' to hand and the animals released, when it was found that beyond a few scratches no injuries had been received and nothing was broken. The horses were again hitched up and the journey resumed, Hamilton being reached in safety. The Auckland Provincial Electoral Committee, which was brought into existence in June last year, for the purpose of registering electors, ecrutinising the electoral rolls, selecting suitable candidates in opposition to the present Government, aud the promotion of their return to Parliament, has (writes the N.Z. Herald) evidently been doing excellent work since its inception. Up to the present, between 3000 aud 4000 claims have been lodged for enrolment on the City of Auckland roll alone, and over 1500 corrections made therein. A scrutiny has also been made of the large number of names struck off, and corrections made by the registrar, exceeding considerably over 3000, which has entailed a very large amount of work. In the Parnell electorate a very large number of names have already been enrolled, and corrections, etc., made. In addition to the above the Manukau, Eden and Waitemata electorates have been looked after. It will thus be seen that a large amount of attention has been bestowed on the rolls, which only forms part of the valuable work being done by this committee.