The Waikato Argus [PUBLISHED DAILY.] A Guaranteed Circulation of over 8000 WeeklY. FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1908. Local and General.

Waikato Argus, Volume XXIV, Issue 3782, 15 May 1908, Page 2

The Waikato Argus [PUBLISHED DAILY.] A Guaranteed Circulation of over 8000 WeeklY. FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1908. Local and General.

Four short interesting stories will appear in our weekly supplement to be issued tomorrow. Frank G. Carpenter dilates upon “Beautiful Mombasa,” and Bram Stoker gives an interesting pen sketch of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Tragedy is always associated with the end of Napoleon, and Colonel Dodger attempts to solve the reason of his downfall. “Bible Discoveries in Egyptian Ruboish Heaps” should attract the attention of students; Mr W. T. Stead's article on “The British and German Navies” is worthy of more than a passing glance; and in this connection “The Mystery of Germany’s Dreadnought” cannot fail to receive notice. William English Walling makes a big attempt to prove the Czar the greatest reactionary in Europe, and “Japan’s New Difficulties,” “Colour Phtoography, ” etc., are themes sure to commend themselves to a large circle of our readers.

Captain Edwin telegraphs:-Eas-terly moderate to strong winds; glass little movement.

Messrs Davis and Co. will sell at their mart at 2 p.m. tomorrow poultry. produce, household furniture, and sundries.

A meeting of those interested in the formation of a hockey club at Frank ton will be held in Messrs Lucien and Allen’s rooms at 8 p.m., this evening, when a go d attendance is requested.

The action of two of those who entered for the turnip growing compet;tion at the Waikato Winter Show in refusing to allow the time for receiving entries to be extended, is not considered to be very sportsmanlike, and it is quite evident that the farmers in question are more deeply interested in the prize money than in the welfare of the association or the district.

The price of beer at Rocky Lead, Victoria, for some time past has been 4d per pint. The beer drinkers of the place resent this, what they consider, extortionate rate, and a mass meeting was held, and a resolution was carried that all present should abstain from drinking beer until the price was reduced to 3d per pint. A contemporary, in describing the accidental death of a cow, substituted the letter “c” for “hj” with the following result: “The engineer put on full steam, dashed into the cow, and literally cut it into calves.” It would not be a bad speculation on the part of farmers who may have old cows on their hands from time to time to engage the services of that clever engineer.

At the Ararat Presbyterian Church on a recent Sunday evening, the Rev. J. J. Spalding preached from Isaiah Ixiii., 1: “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah?” The preacher made several references to “dyed garments,” and fair members of the congregation who met later in the evening agreed to accept the text as a tip for the Sydney Cup. They telegraphed to Sydney on Monday morning, backing Dyed Garments, and were rejoiced in the afternoon at the receipt of a telegram that the horse had won. The Otago Daily Times has made inquiries into certain allegations made in respect of the condition of one of the assistants to the guard on the night a volunteer was killed by falling off a train. As a result, it finds deceased was in a semi-intoxi-cated condition. The railway assistants when they left Dunedin were in a perfectly sober condition, and one who became intoxicated obtained liquor on the train, while associating with the volunteers. No doubt a large amount of drinking was going on in some of the carriages among the volunteers, and the railway carriages bore strong testimony of this in the way of corks, empty bottles, etc., which were strewn over the floors.

According to telegraphic advices Constable Ryan, formerly of Hamilton had an exciting encounter with the escaped highwayman Easton at Rangitaika. The escapee attempted to draw a bead upon the constable; but the latter was too quick and had the handcuffs on him before he could, stir. The fact that prisoners can secrete a revolver and cartridges within the precincts of the prison camp with a view to making a bolt for freedom, should convince even the Hon. James McGowan that there is something wrong with the classification, in fact it would almost appear as if the prisoners did the classification themselves—they could not do it more successfully. Men do not as a rule go to such trouble to obtain firearms unless they intend to use them for some purpose, and unless some radical change is made in the mode of drafting a tragedy will be enacted some day, and the only unfortunate part of it is that those who are responsible for the scandalous exhibition of idiocy will not play a leading part in it. Hunger and the fact of being hunted down drives men to desperation, in which condition they do not assess thier own lives or those of others at a very high value.

Referring to the strike of bricklayers in Gisborne because wages were not increased from 12s to 13s a day, a local builder informed the Poverty Bay Herald that his men were perfectly satisfied until they were urged by others to take the stand they did. He went to a great deal of trouble to keep the men going. “In fact,” he said, “I have lost about £250 in bringing bricks from outside in order that the men might have work; and now,” he added, “when we have plenty of material this is the way they treat us. I don’t care if it costs me 15s a day; I won’t be bounced on in this way, but I’ll get men elsewhere.” The ruling wages in Gisborne was at one time 13s to 14s a day, but a short time ago, when there was an influx of labour into the town,and the building trade somewhat easier than at present, the men went on at 12s, which is the rate ruling in Auckland. The strike has come at a very awkward time, as there are several big buildings in the course of erection, and tenders for others are being called.

The hockey club which is being formed in the Hamilton city district promises to be one of exceptional strength. The first meeting of this club is to be held at the office of Mr E. H. Northcroft this evening at 8 o’clock.

Mr Harry Collins, agent for Perry’s Electric Biorama Company, passed through Hamilton yesterday, on his way to Rotorua He informs us that the company will appear in Hamilton at an early date. A Maori in the Whakatane district required a small shop built, apparently on the deferred payment system, and the following copy of the letter explains itself: “Will you please kindly to my questions that I want you to send me a little shops, and I pay you for the things when they be sell.”

Messrs King and Co. will offer tomorrow at their mart their usual large assortment of household furniture, sundries, produce, harness, horses, and vehicles. They also draw attenion to their sale of properties by auction. These properties are well situated in Hamilton East, and should commend themselves to speculators and others.

Many of those who attended the gathering at the Ruakura farm yesterday that there was too much speechifying—too much cry and too little dinner and the speeches occupied just about an hour and three-quarters, which most people consider might have been more profitably spent. The visitors* went there to inspect the’farm and learn something, not to listen to oratorial outbursts, and now that the affair is likely to become an annual fixture the organisers might well tackle this question with a firm hand.

On Tuesday next an interesting entertainment will be given by children in the Town Hall, Hamilton, in aid of the Anglican Chruch building fund. A splendid programme has been provided, and the children have been carefully trained by Mrs Bosworth. A novel feature of the entertainment will be the first appearance of two vouthful jugglers and tumblers— Presto and Vardo—who are very clever in their respective departments. The price of admission is one shilling, with children at half price, and tickets may be obtained at the Musical Budget.

“The Girl from Tennessee” arrived safely in the Town Hall, Hamilton, last night in charge of the Walsh Dramatic Company, and made herself at home and popular with Hamiltonians in a very short space of time. The audience was a good one, was delighted with the production, and showed its appreciation in no uncertain terms.' On Monday evening next the company will stage “Wedded, but no Wife,” 50 per cent, of the proceeds of which will be devoted to the Waikato Hospital. No doubt the public will respond readily on the occasion, as the donation will carry with it a Government subsidy of 24s in the £.

At a meeting of Masonic Lodge Beta,"Waikato No. 12, last night in the Masonic Hall, Hamilton East, the following officers were elected, viz:— W.M., Bro. D. Lusby; D.M., Wor. Bro., H. E. Tristram; S.W., Bro. C. L. MacDiarmid; J.W., Bro. W. H. Fricker; Chaplain, Wor. Bro. W Dey; treasurer, Bro. W. W. Lindsey; D. of C., Wor. Bro. P. E. Stevens; secretary, Wor. Bro. J. E. Hammond: S.D., Bro. C. Horsnell; J.D., Bro. D. R. Bain; S.S., Bro. E. Worner; J.S., Bro. C. S. Hutchinson; tyler, Bro. G. G. Wilson. The installation will be held in the Masonic Hall on Thursday, 25th June, by which time the alterations and additions will be finished, and the banquet will be held in the refectory.

On Sunday last the anniversary services of the Rototuna Methodist Church were held. The Rev. H. L. Blamires conducted the afternoon service and Mr J. T. Griffin that in the evening, and there was a crowded congregation on each occasion. On Wednesday evening the annual and social meeting were held. The secretary of the Trust read the balance sheet as follows Total cost of building and seats, £169 4s; organ, £22 10s. Amount collected locally and in Hamilton, £144'165; borrowed from Methodist loan fund, £6O. The Rev. H. L. Blamires and Mr R. Webber each gave an address. A vote of thanks was passed to all who had assisted in making the evening a success.

A well-attended meeting of those interested in the formation of the Hamilton Light Infantry Volunteer Corps was held last night ni the Volunteer Hall. Mr F. Molesworth was elected to the chair. Captain Wood reported the steps already taken; that Major Bell had reported favourably on the acceptance of the corps to the Defence Council, and had assisted in other ways. The corps now only awaited formal acceptance by the Defence Council. Mr E. H. Northcroft was unanimously elected captain pro. tern., and to assist him in organisation, a committee consisting of Captain Wood, Lieut. Rowe, and Messrs Hankin and Hooper was formed. The movement is benig taken up enthusiastically, and with the visit of the American fleet to Auckland so soon after the formation of the corps a valuable opportunity of observing other corps and of being in co-operation with all the volunteers of the district will be offered to our local infantry.

The Observer says“lt is a pity to spoil a good story, but the real facts as to the eel which popped out of a case of pictures sent down from the Waikato for the Society of Arts Exhibition ought to be told. The slippery customer was not a voluntarily intruder upon the fine arts, after all, nor the artist responsible for its enclosure in his package. A sportive member of the Working Men’s Club had been on an up-country tirp, and on his return brought with him a number of lively eels, which he distributed amongst his friends. One of the recipients had an artistic, bent, and dropping into the art gallery while the process was going on, he laid his eel upon a package while he proceeded to criticise the works on the walls. The eel, however, was not content to wait for its owner’s return, and as soon as his back was turned it wriggled its way to the interior of the case. Presently, an attendant came round to open up the package, and then there were developments. Whether the eel or its discoverer was the more startled it would be difficult to say.

Last evening in the course of conversation with some farmers interested in our great dairy industry, Mr Lawry, M.P., said the milking machines were successful to a degree; but were still open to great improvement. fie stated,however, if he had a large dairy of cows and could obtain milkers like those v/ho were trained from infancy, in the Cheddar Valley, he would not use the best machine science could produce. He incidentally stated that nearly forty years ago, he offered a prize of £lO for the best milker to be judged at the ensuing agricultural show. The late Mr Jeremiah Bainbridge at a meeting, facetiously remarked that Mr Lawry was offering a prize for himself, as he could milk nine cows an hour. Mr Lawry replied;—“ Yes, twelve.” Mr Bainbridge said:—“l will bet you £5 you can’t.” The bet was made and the trial came off in Mr Lawry’s cowshed, on the Surrey Hills estate, now Grey Lynn. Mr Lawry won the /wager as he milked thirteen cows in fifty-eight minutes, extracting twenty nine and a half gallons of milk in the time eradicated. Possibly this is a world’s record.

“Why should I harm thee, little fly” is Uncle Toby’s famous inquiry. “Is there not room enough in the world for me and thee?” Science is unhesitatingly pronouncing a grim negative to the question. There is not sufficient room in the world for “me and thee.” The common house fly is more and more coming to be regarded as a propagator of disease.— News Letter, San Francisco.