COMMERCIAL. The Waikato Argus [PUBLISHED DAILY.] A Guaranteed Circulation of Over 6000 Weekly. THURSDAY, JUKE 25, 1903. LOCAL BODIES, COURTS, ETC. ABSTRACT OF AUCTION SALES ENGLISH MAILS

Waikato Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1591, 25 June 1903, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

The Waikato Argus [PUBLISHED DAILY.] A Guaranteed Circulation of Over 6000 Weekly. THURSDAY, JUKE 25, 1903.

LOCAL BODIES, COURTS, ETC.

ABSTRACT OF AUCTION SALES

ENGLISH MAILS

Thk Waikato Aboos Office, Thia Day. OHAUPO SALE. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co- (Ltd.) report:— A fair number of cattle were yarded cm Wednesday at Ohaupo, beitig mostly composed of well-bred 2£ to 3-year old steers, for which class there was much better competition than at recent saleß, 135 head realising from £5 2s 6d to £6 10s. Not many young cattle entered and all changed hands at from £2 5s to £2 18s for Btrong steers. Calves and yearlings— Welhbred heifer calves, £2 5s to £2 13a ; 2J to 3iyear-old heifers, £3 10s to £4 5s ; fresh empty cows and heifers, £3 6s and £4 15s. About 50 dairy cows were yarded, mostly to calve in thespring, for which prices were a little easier, but most of them were disposed of before leaving the yards.

Meetings local Bodies, week ending June 27 C__B_n>Qß Boeowsh CoTOca_—Thursday Kimxiin Town Boaed—Friday Kiki kihi Domain Board—Friday Waitoa Koad Board—Saturday Htjhtly Road Boabd—Saturday Magistrate's Court Sittings Ngaruawahia—Tuesday, 14th July, 12 noon Hamilton— "Wednesday, 15th, 10 a.m Ca_3B—-ob—Friday, 17th, 10 a.m Te AWAMOTO— Tuesday, 2Sth, 10 a.m Raglan—When necessary Football Fixtures. June 27—Hamilton Union : A and B teams' practice mitch ; City v. Suburbs (juniors) on Sydney Square. Jdly I—Cambridge Union : Cambridge East v Cambridge West, at Cambridge

This Day. New Zealand Loan and Meeoantile Agency Company ab the Hamilton Yards, at 12 noon—Cattle, eto Messrs McNicol and Co. at Morrinsville, at 12 noon—Mr E. H. Grey's live and dead stock To-Moebow. Messes McNicol and Co. at Te Aroha, ab 12 noon—Mr Thackeray's live and deadstock'

English malls will oloae at Hamilton os under:— Date. Time. Rouxe. July 9 .- 1.30 p.m. - San Francisco (Dae London August 8) July 30 ... 1.30 p.m. ... San Francisco . (Due London-August 29)

Whenever it falls to the lot of Ministers to appoint a batch of men to the Legislative Council, the qualifications of the men appointed, the mode of their appointments, and the usefulness or otherwise of the Council as constituted, naturally come under review. When the trainers of our constitution decided that there must be an Upper House, they presumed that the appointments would be made by the Governor of the day, with or without the advice of his Ministers, from the ranks of those who had given evidence of ability and uprightness of character. Without the latter, ability is a source.of danger to the community. In the early days men were selected very much on those grounds, but since the colonial office ruled that a Governor should not run counter to his Ministers in the matter of these appointments, ability to guide the destinies of the colony in the men selected has become very exceptional. In place of men of proved capacity and political experience and probity being selected, political wire-pullers, disappointed candidates, the rejects of constituencies, and very obedient voting machines, have been appointed lords over the people. A political system under which such a state of affairs is possible clearly wants renovating or wiping out. The system of appointment by Ministers having proved a hideous failure, the necessity for somo system of popular election naturally suggests itself as the remedy. What is that system to be 1 It is hopeless under the party system to expect that the politicians of the hour will vote away their power, except the people can be roused to insist upon reform. The direction this should take should, in our opinion, be the division of the colony into large constituencies and members elected to the Upper Chamber by householders. The voting power in this country vests in the hands of those under thirty years of" age. The Council, if it fulfilled its legitimate function, would be a check upon those who exploit this immature voting capacity to pass experimental legislation. As regards the appointments which have just been made, they are, perhaps, less objectionable than many that have gone before. There is, however, a total absence from the list of any man connected with the farming interests of the colony. Mr McDonald is an auctioneer, Mr Wigram a merchant, Mr George is interested largely in mining, and Mr Beehan is a draper who retired from the contest for a city seat, to which he had no chance of election, in order not to split the Government vote, a step very prolific of Seddonian appointments to fat billets. The farming community of the colony have at anyrate every reason to jbe dissatisfied in that not one of their class is included in the list.

The clover seed crop in the Oamaru District is said to have completely failed through lack of warmth. A Business Men's Association has been formed in Westport. Its main object is to regulate holidays and to control the credit system. Mr W. I. Conradi. who has just completed his first year as Town Clerk for the Borough of Hamilton, informs us th»t during that period he has attended sixty-five ordinary, special, Domain, and Committee meetings. The Ashburton No-License Council has a deficit of £4lO 3s 9d. The cost of defending the case for voiding the poll was £lll, and the other charges for conducting the campaign were £540 19s 4d—a total of £651 19s 4d. Against this amount only £241 9s 9d has been raised. An accident occurred on the Komata Reefs Company's tram Hdc, Paeroo, yesterday morning, resulting in the death of two horses belonging to a Mr Dovidson. A couple of trucks loaded with quartz were coming down from the mine, and the brakeßman (Donuelly) lost control of them, and jumped off. The trucks came along at a great speed until they were near Mr Perkins' store, when they ran into two horses which were grazing on the line, and threw them into the creek about 30 feet below. Both were terribly cut about, and had to be killed. Our Wellington correspondent writes :—' The Commandant's general orders contain the results of the volley firing which took place under regulations for the year ended 28th February last. The distance was the suo yards range, and magazines were used. In the following quoted results the percentage of hits to the rounds fired is given. Tho highest percentage of all tho crops in tho colony was secured by the Piako Mounted Rifles, in the Auckland district, with 85 2. Two Otago corps, the Winton Rifles and the East Taieri Rifles came next with 82.25 and 82.12 respectively.' Further details Bhow that the percentage of the goldtields corps were as under : No. 1 Ohinemuri 76.9, No. 3 Ohinemuri 72.3, Waihi Rifles (only 15 men fired) 57.1, Thames No. 1 Rifles (42 men fired) 40.8, Hauraki Rifles (32 men fired) 33.9. Then follow others, and the Cnromandel Rifles are last on the list with 27.2. For Children's Hacking Cough at night take Wood's Great Peppermint Cure, 1/6 aud 2/6

Astronomers predict that seven comets will he seen at the latter end of this year, namely, theFayr, the Vineeke, the Brooks, the Arrest, Perrini, Geaeobini, and Spitater. They are all timed to appear between September and January. Folice-Cornruissioner Dinnie, accompanied by Mr Tunbridge, ex-Commis-sioner, is now on a tour of inspection of the police districts of the colony. They were at Gisborne early this week, and should reach Auckland in the course of a day or two.

The first session of the present Parliament will be opened on Monday by Commission. The Governor's Speech will be delivered on Tuesday. It is anticipated hy old Parliamentarians that the session will be a long, arduous and sultry one.

It is reported that an Invercargill publican has issued a writ claiming substantial damages for alleged slander from the local Lioensing Committee, on ac count of certain strictures passed upon his method of conducting his licensed house.—Ensign. '

Inspector Cullen on Tuesday re. ceived a telegram from Sergeant Moon, of Whangarei, stating that a man named Prank Cowan, of Hukerenui, was arrested at that place the previous day by on a charge of cattlestealing. The accused had been taken before the Court and remanded until July 18, bail being allowed in £SO nnd two sureties of £SO each. Bail was forthcoming.

An inquest was held at Dunedin on Tuesday on the body of a man found in an advanced state of decomposition in a creek on Mount Cargill. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased, name unknown, was found dead, but there was no evidence to show how he came by {his death. Deceased was believed to have been between 30 and 41 years of age, and the hands presented the appearance of a man unaccustomed to manual labour. No one is known to be missing.

Consequent upon the recent sudden and unexplained departure for parts unknown of a local land and estate agent, a number of gentlemen connected with land and estate agency business are making arrangements to lay before local members of the House their views on the necessity for the passing of legislation making the licensing of land and estate agents compulsory before any person enn engage in the business. At present, apparently, anyone who has a pound or two, an office, and some necessary furniture to put in it, can start as a, land and estate agent.—Truth. A case of interesb to Odfellows generally has recently beeD decided by the Unity In Manchester. A member of the Order came to New Zealand and was taken sick in Napier. The local Lodge advanced benefits as per scale and claimed a refund from the member's lodge at Home. After considerable correspondence, the matter was referred to the Unity, with the result that the Home Lodge has been ordered to remit to the Napier Lodge the sum involved. This is a very important decision, emphasising as it does the fact that a visiting Oddfellow when overtaken by misfortune can claim full Lodge benefits in the colony.

A. meeting of the promoters of the scheme for cutting a canal from the Waitetnata to the Manukau Harbours by the Whau route was held in the office of Mr A. J. Furness, Auckland, on Tuesday afternoon. There was a full attendance of subscribers to the fund for securing a detailed survey and other information. Mr John Bollard, M.H.K., occupied the chair. A statement of progress was submitted, showing that sufficient money had been subscribed to dec fray to cost of the necessary survey, but it was deemed advisable to obtain a further sum for contingencies, and a committee, consisting of Messrs M. Clack, J. M. Mennie, R. Cameron, C. V. Houghton, J. H. Smith, and H. Atkinson, was appointed to interview merchants and others wittna view to raising an additional sum. All present seemed satisfied with the feasibility of the projact. The meeting terminated witha vote of thanks to tho chairman.

A good deal of curiosity is felt as to the attitude which will be taken up by tbe Opposition during the session. So far, nothing has been made public ; but it is well-known (says the Wellington Post) that conferences among the party have already been held, and probably the plan of campaign has been talked over, if not actually settled. One thing, however, is practically certaiD, aud that is that the easy-going attitude adopted by the Opposition for some years past will be replaced by an amount of vigor and watchfulness which has not of late characterised -its Parliamentary actions, and a pretty determined effort will be made to resist any attempt by the Premier to curtail the privileges of members, and to insist on a more rigid adherence to standing orders than has of late prevailed. Without being in any way captious or unpleasant, there are many matters in which a vigorous Opposition can make its presence a benefit to the rest of the House, and ensure the proper conduct of business.

A slander action, in which Robert Coehill claimed £5Ol damages for alleged slander from Frank Wilkinson, chemist, was concluded at Dunedin on Tuesday. Wilkinson had gone to the shop of Rutherford, a grocer, who sometimes employed Coghill to go through the books, and told him the circumstances connected with the disappearance of a £1 note from the till in his Kensington shop about the time Coghill was behind the counter using the telephone. Rutherford told Coghill and others, and, according to his evidence, Wilkinson told him that he was morally certain the note had been taken by Coghill, and his daughter, who was at a desk behind a screen, corroborated Rutherford in this. Wilkinson, who was unaware of the presence of the daughter, stated that he only related the circumstances to Kutherford, but denied actually charging Coghill with theft. The jury, after a long retirement, returned with a verdict for Coghill for one farthing damages and costs, but on it being pointed out that they could not award costs, but that a verdict of 40s would carry costs, they retired again, and came back with a verdict for 40s,

Our Waimangu correspondent writes : —On the evening of June 19 Waimangu gave one of her grandest displays—in fact, it was a record shot, estimated over* 1200 ft high. There is no doubt it was an awe-inspiring sight, just between lights in tho evening—half dusk—lasting nearly a minute, shooting up a vast column of black water and stones, some of which weighed over a ton. One stone fell on a plank seat, smashing it to splinters. Great excitement prevailed amongst the men working at tho new accommodation house, although they had seen many shotß before, but nerer imagined such a display possible. Unfortunately, there was only one tourist present, and he missed the best part of it through not knowing which way to look. Nobody can form the least idea of the grand spectacle it formed nDless they witnessed it, and even then they were too bewildered to form a correct idea ; in fucc, it baffled description—mere words cannot do it justice—it was so awfully grand, and when at its best tho sight of a lifetime. The new Government accommodation house is practically finished, and reflects great credit upon the designers and builders, Messrs Salmon and Powick, who have carried out the work Ruccessfully. In spite of many difficulties, they have given great satisfaction to the inspector, Mr Corlctt. The house will be a decided convenicoce to tourists, being the only house anywhere near, and commands a splendid view of the geyser and tho acetic of tho Tarawera eruption.

The death is announced of Dr. Wright, one of the earliest medical practitioners in Auckland. The Premier, speaking to a press representative, said the Government bad not decided on their nominee for the Speakership of the House of tives, but he personally considered tnat Mr Guinnesß' claims to the position were paramount. In connection with the outbreak of smallpox in Tasmania tho Cabinet has decided to quarantine for eight days all vessels from that State, and, further, that all passengers arriving from any part of Australia are to be ordered to report to the Health Department at stated intervals. The steamer Warrimoo, which left Dunedin yesterday for Melbourne, will not call at Hobart in consequence of the outbreak. The storekeepers of Cambridge will do well to have new and good locks put upon the doors of their.business premises, for of late several sums of money have been abstracted from certain shops, and the only reasonable conclusion to be arrived at is that some nefarious individual has become possessed of keys that enable him to visit the premises during the night. It is well known that about three skeleton keys of different sizes would give admission to most of the residences and stores of the town, and the sooner good locks are substituted for those now in use, the better it will be for the owners. On Tuesday af ternon Sir William Russell was the guest at a complimentary tea held in the Princess' Theatre, Hast* mg 3, tendered him by a large number of his constituents, who desired to show their appreciation of the services he has rendered to the colony and the district as a member of Parliament, Colonial Secretary, and leader of the Opposition. It was but fitting that the constituency whiolj he has so long and faithfully represented should reoognise his services in a suitable manner, and this they did by presenting him with an illuminated address and a solid silver epergne, which forms probably the handsomest piece of plate ever given to a public man in New Zealand. By the 'Frisco mail news was received in Cambridge on Tuesday of the death of Miss Ellen Willson, who for many years was a teacher of music in that town, and was formerly house* keeper for Dr. Waddington, bo'h at Alexandra and Cambridge. She was a composer of no mean order, having published a number of songs under the nom de plume of 'Estelle,' and at St. Andrew's Church, Cambridge, several ohants are used that she wrote especially for that choir. She was also gifted with a vein of humour and satire, which was amply illustrated in ' The Chronicles of Cam--bridge,' which she wrote and published about 20 years ago. She lived a tonely life, and six years ago determined to return to the Old Country and rejoin her relatives. From communications received from her .by her friends in Waikato, we judge she regretted having left the colony, and she was thinking of returning to it when she was stricken hy the fell disease cancer, which caused her death, at the residence of her nephew, near Wolverhampton, England, on the sth ultimo. She possessed a house in Lakestreet, Cambridge, which she leaves to her nephew with whom she was staying. She was a great loyalist, and on the death of the late Queen, she composed a funeral march, several copies of which are in the hands of her Waikato friends SYNOPSIS OF ADVERTISEMENTS uost: Brown mare, £1 reward j roan horse, 10s reward. Wanted: Cook?, generals," etc., Mrs McConnell's Registry Office. Waterproofs of all descriptions at the N.Z. Clothing Factory, Hamilton. Some instructive proverbs are inserted relating to the Cosy Corner Store, Hamilton. The timextable for the s.s. Maori, running from Raglan to Waingaro, Waitetuna, and Te Uku, is advertised. A couple of horses are in the Cambridge pound, and are advertised to be sold on Bth July, unless released in the meantime. Rhedmatism is cured by Chamberlain's Pain Balm. One application relievex the pain. For sale by W. Dey (Hamilton), Thos. Wells (Cambridge), and G. M. A. Ahier (Te Awamutu). Why pay rent ? One hundred pounda will buy a four-roomed cottage and full fiarter-acre section in Main Street, amilton West. Easy terms arranged. _pply sharp to W. Thompson, Land iAgent.