THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 1904.

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1058, 4 August 1904, Page 2

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 1904.

IT would be an excellent test of the real markraanßhip of the New Zealand Bisley team, which have done so well at Home, if on returning to the colony they shot some matches under entirely new conditions Everyone is proud of the winners of the Kalapore Oup and various other "pots" and prize-moneys, and regarding rifle-shooting as a mere branch of sport we have erery reason to be proud of tho marksmen now at Home, But the men aro all members of tho Defoiice Force of this colony, who are armed with rifles made not for Bisley shooting but for enemy.slaying. It may not bare occurred to the shooters themselves, or to "pot-hunters" who eagerly scan the cables for the latest successes, that thi good those marksmen are doing is infinitesimal. They fire under fixed regular conditions. They may use all sorts of scientific paraphernalia to assist the riilu; they know exactly tho distance of tho target, and tho stafo of the wind, Th«y aro winning " pots" and not potting the King's enemies, and as sports they aro upholding the reputation of the colony, Sunnose, when they returned, the Bisley team wero taken into the back-country, with bare rifles and ammunition—com. moil service ammunition-and wore made to fire at objects the distance of which thoy could only guess at j Is it likely that men who have nevorehot without accessories would make a kttor eoore than a d«er-

s talkor ? Most probably not. The ( enemy when he comes will not allow the New Zealand marksmen to pace off the distance he happens to be from the firing point, and he will not wear a white waistcoat with a black bull's-eye on his chest. Neither will he carry a flag to show whether the wind blowing is a " fishtail" or a southerly gale, The enemy would be in the next county if the regulation two minutes is allowed betwoen shots, and, worst of all, would perhaps return the fire. A lot of twaddle is talked 1 about "firing under service conditions," but no shooting has over taken place in New Zealand under such conditions. We will believe that the champion shots are better able to defend the country than a recruit who has just passed his class-firing when we see the champions alongside the recruits firing at an object the same colour as the country, at an object which the officer tells him is 500 yards away and is probably 1000. A man dodging ) about targetless country with a rifle, gathering in shooting knowledge unattainable on a range, is the man who should get the sharp.shooting billet "when the country calls."

Tlio second match for the Northern Steamship Company's trophy will bo fired by tho No, 3 Ohinemnri Rifles on Saturday. Tho ranges are 200 and 600 yards, ten shots at etch range, The ladies' committee of tho Waihi Hospital Ball notify elsewhoro that thoy will bo pleased if tho ladies who promised gifts for the suppor will kindly send thorn to the Academy of Music to-rnorrow (Friday) afternoon, Members of tho Waihi Miners' and Workers' Union aro notified by tho secretary, Mr J. E, Slev'n, that th annual election of president, sccrrtary and coihmitteo will he held at the Union Hall on Saturday next, Tho poll commences at 9 a,m, and finishes at 10 p.m, In defending a person from a cliarSo of having called a constable a " slop " at tho Hutu Court, tho defending counsol pointed out that Webster's dictionary doiinos " slop" as a loose coat or smook frock, and the uso of the word probab'y arose from the tunic that the oonstables wear, Tho epithet was therefore, he continued, not a whit more insulting thau trap or cop, but the presiding Justices did not agree with this line of reasoning, and fined tho acousod. Mr W, Bird, M.A, Inspector of Native Schools, paid a visit hero yesterday, leav+ ing again this morning by tho mail coach for Tauranga, whence he visits Rotorua, the Urewora country, Whakatano, Opotiki, East Coast and (Jisborne, During his brief stay hero ho was shown over tho Waihi Gold Mining Company's battery by Mr P. 6, Morgan, and visited other points of interest under the guidance of tho same gentleman, A daring feat was performed at Timarn the other day, when a cyclist deliberately rodo his wheel a distance of 2000 ft along a nine-inch plank, riding from end to end of the new eastern mole staging now in course ot construction, Botweenthe oyclist anil tho sen wos a clear spaco of about 25 feet, and had he lost his equilibrium he must have fallen headlong into tho sea. In tho event of a fall ho would almost certainly have boon killed by striking the rocks whioh have boon deposited in the sea to form tho mole,

The heating of the civil action by Cnpi tain Seddon against Mr. T. E. Taylor, M.H-8., will bo postponed till the November sittings of tho Supremo Court, at Christchurch, Mr. Taylor has inado application to the Bpeakor under the Privilogos Act, 1866, which protects members of Parliament from nttendanoo nt Court during tho session, and tho Spoaker having in terms of the Aot mado inquiry, and found that tho onds of justioo would njt bo defeated or injurious* ly delayed, has grontod tho certificate. Mr. Taylor has applied for a commission to take evidence abroad, A considerable fall of snow ocourred during last night and the early hours of this morning, mantling To Aroha, Karangahake, and the western hills of Waihi, The topi of the trees of tho hush* dad bills to lbs west of tho Waihi town-, ship were coverod with a considerable sprinkling of snow for three or four miles, the first time in tho history of Waihi, we nndoritand, that snow in auy quantity has fallen in suoh oloeo proximity to the town, Tho wind during tho forenoon has been bitterly cold, nod loiterers in Mainstreot were to bo seen iu groups sheltering from the cutting wind. Without making any particular fuss, tho Flour Trust is increasing thopricool flour by substantial increments, V?hen the' hitob' ocourrred at tbo end of May, it will bo roineiL'berod, tho Irust reduced tbo price of flour to £l ss por ton f.0.b., in order, it was stated, to force into tho combination certain mills which had refused allianoo, Since thou tbo recalcitrant mills havo come in, and about four weeks ago the Association raised tho price to £8 f.o.b, Without apparent reason tho price hai been further augmented, and now tho agents of tho Trust have circularised bakers, stating that tho prioo of Association flour was now £$ 10s por ton f.o.b. Thiß represents a tise of 25s por ton insido tho past month or so,

Last ovoning, in tho Aeadoniv of Music, tho choir of Wesley Church, assisted bv a number of other singers and instrumentaliata, rendered tho well known and popular cantata" Esthor, tho Beautiful Quoon.'i 1 Tho fliraplo story of King Ahasuorus, Queon Esther, and tho other charaotors, form a splendid subjeot upon which to base a cantata. The rondering last night was a real musical treat, and those who braved the elements to hoar it must have felt more than compensated for their trouble. Mrs. MoWilliams, whose powers as s vooalist are too well known to noed any corauiont, took tho part of Queen Esthor in a manner which left nothing to bo dosii'cd. Tho part of Ahasuorus tho King was taken by Mr. E, Morgan, who sustained his decidbdly difficult rolo in a most juisfying manner. All tho other parts wero exceedingly well carriod through by iho various vocalists. Mr Charles Raynor as Hainan, Mrs Holmes as Zcrosb, Mr Humphries as Mordccai, Mr. Ludwig as Flcgai, Mrs. Molndoe as Queen's Maid of Honour, Mr, Henderson 83 Hai\ bonak, Mr. Roid as Hegai, and Misses Oatos, Henderson, Hands, and Mrs. Harrison as Maids of Honour, all rcmlcrod their various musical por lions in a highly satisfactory manner, One of the most pleasing portions of thecntcnainmontwastho choruses liy the choir of fifty voices. Some of those were really oxccJlefit, and reflected great credit upon the conduoloi, Mr Adams, and all concerned, A good deal of lime and patience must have beon expended iu pelting tho affair worked up to its high standard. Tho orchestra was also well tip to tho plane of tho rost of the entertainment, Miss Morgan acted in a most efliotent manner at tho organ. We understand that tho cautftta will bo repeated «t «n early date.

A practical joke ended rather seriously at Dannevirke tlio other evening, says a local paper. Some young men inserted tin tacks under tbe saddle of a liorso, whoso owner was expected to set out for home. The horse played up, and maddenf ed with the irritation of the taeks, bolted, and at the Mangatera bridge the rider was thrown. He lay there until picked up by some peoplo going home from a danoe.

An act of dishonesty worthy oi an ox* perienced thief was effeoted in Wellington. A lad 13 years of age, who is employed as a messenger In the city, took a bioyclo valued at £s los from the front of a business house in Jervois Quay, hirod it out to his companions at a penny a ride, and explained to his parents that his employer had bought it for the uso of messongers, Last Saturday the informant, seeing his machine in the possDßßion of the lad, ontered into convoisation with him about it, and this rosultod in tho lad offering to sell him tho machine for £i- Tho boy pleaded guilty to a charge of theit o£ tho Dioycle, and was conviotod and ordered to couio up for sontonoe when callod on,

The Departuiont of Public Health has issued a phamplot prepared by Mr L, E. Brachor, Government Leomver on Hygiene, explaining how infants should be waahed, dressed, fed ond no forth, "It is mentioned thai 104 of every 1000 male children ami 87 of ovory 1000 fomalo in. fonts born in tbe colony, die before reaching the age of ouo year. Ignoranoo of the health laws governing the aotion of the digestive organs of children is blamod for tills high rate of morality. For their own comfort, apart from the infant's welfare, mothers arc rooommondod to properly caro for their children, " A hoalthy baby," tho phamplot explains, " is far loss trouble to look after than one that is con* tinually ailing and miserable." The Now Zoalaud Alps aro to be nogo • tiatod by no less a person than Miss Benham, of Landon, England, who is now engaged fighting tho peaks of tho ltocky Mountains, This intrepid climber, who has a record of being one of tho most famous mountaineers in Europe, an' nouncei that iho will remain in tho Rockioi till the middle of Ootober, where ■he will sail for Now Zoalaud to overcome tho Sea Alps, She is looking forward to testing ber mountaineering abilities in tho islands of the South Seas, She has already conquered many Switzerland peaks, and is said to be equal in climbing to any member of tho Alpine Club, Somo of tho peaks in tbe Becky Mountains which sho is about to negotiate are among the most formidable olevations in tho world, but they do not frighten this woman, Several prisoners wero sentenced at tho Auckland Supreme Ooutt on Tuesday, Eru Haro Warakihi, oonvicted of forging and uttering at Gisborno, made this appeal to His Honor: " 1 wish peaco and love to alight upon tho Judge and the whole of this house from our Father in Heavon and our Saviour Jesus Christ, I have been brought before Your Honor in sonncotion with this trouble which I committed, It is my earnest desire to mako atonement for tho offonco if Your Honor would accept a money payment. 1 havo already paid a portion, and I wish to pay tho balance if Your Honor will fix the amount to bo paid by mo," His Honor pointod out that prisoner had been sentenced to two years in Gisborne in 1895 on six charges of forgery, and sentenced him to two years' hard labour, Gertrude Susan Mangan, a girl of 18 yjars, for thofi from a houso in which sho was a domestic sorvant, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, and left tho doolt crying bitterly, John Thomas Bennett, found guilty of obtaining money under false pretences received three years; Miohael Georgosou, a seaman, for thofc from a vessel, ono year; Neville Gold-« smith, a youth of 18, for breaking and entering (two chargoa) two years; Albert Earnost Stevens, fir stoalingfrom a vessel, eighteen months,