"OMNE SOLUW FORTI PATRIA."

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 107, 9 January 1873, Page 2

"OMNE SOLUW FORTI PATRIA."

TUFKSDVY, JANUARY 9, 1873.

We risk tho charge of having only one idoa, and being reduced to riding that idea to death. The enmraer ia now Ualf spent and nothing has yot been done to socuvc that our rivers shall continue navigable, — which, wo may remark, they have not been lately. Representation after, representation fias boon mado to the Govcrumont on tho matter ; the only fruit that has as yet been borno, is that MiKenny has taken a flying look at Iho Wai pa ; our other rucr, the Waikato, has not even heen thought worthy of bein^.' glanced at by tho fliguifiod eyes of a govornment official or any person appointed by them. Wo haxe before pointed out that our rivers aro the only means of communication between tho districts in tho Waiknto. The existence of the

rivers has saved the government many thousands that tlioy would otherwise ha^e been compelled to expeud on road making 1 ; in spite of this fact they appear to begrudge the expenditure of a single sixpence to keep the na\igation open. For some time past the Waipa has been unnavigable, and last week traffic was almost stopped between Churchill and Rangiriri ; it was only kepi) open by woi king with two steamers, one stopping at the lower side of a bar and another at (he upper, they then, by means of long 1 tuw lines, towed baigei ha f filled over the obstruction. Truly a happy «t-ito r.f affairs I and one that a little ti ncly eX|ie.idi!ure of money can-U easily have obviated. Au officer of the local steam company, wo presume at the expense of his employers, removed some dozon snags from bad places a few days back. Ib is unfair that any company or individual should be called upon at private cost to do the work of GovernmentWe are informed that the bad places between ftangfiiri and Mercer, could easily be improved by stopping one of the channels through which the water flows. We are aJso informed that th-s could be Ione at very small cost. The c iuso of the obstruction, or the principal one, is that the sand i 9 gradually washy daw a) from the banks. This could be cured, to a great extent, by plauting willows on the same. We have ourselves seen, the beneficial effect of this step on other rivers in this Colony, more particularly in one instance, where two willows stood at the extwme end of what may he termed a small peninsula, proving that had willows been planted all along the banks, the twenty or thirty feet of eaath would have remained part of the bank and not gone to silt up the bed of the river. It is not onr place, however, to take upon ourt-elve-. the duty 1 of consulting-engineers to the Government but we trnst soon to see a gentleruau duly gazutLud to that position.

The scarcity of timber that prevails in this district ia a matter for serious consideration. Even in thes? early days of settlement nearly all the timber u->ed for building 1 is either imported through the hea s or conveyed long distances at ruinous cost. The existence of the "Forest Trees Planting Encourage ment Act" is known to a very limited number of our settlers, if to any. Jrfuch an Act was passed in the session of 1871, and an Amendment Act during the session last closed. The passing of the latter precludes the necessity for our alluding to the provisions of the original Act, further than to explain that certain rewards were offered by it for die planting of forest trees on any land. The amount of reward and the conditions have since been extended or modified. At the present time, the conditions and the reAvard offered stand as follows: — " Any settler planting one acre of land shall receive an order entitling him to purchase any of the waste lands of the Crown open for sale or selection situated in the province in which ho shall have planted, provided that the value of such land shall not exceed £4 for each acre planted." In order to make the Grant more valuable, to those who may plant more than one acre, orders will be granted to be used within two years from date, thus enabling the selector to purchase in one block all the land he may have become entitled to, in place of, as by the original Act, being obliged to take isolated acres which would be littlo or no use to him. We are aware that the value of the reward offered is small ; this, however, should not be the principal consideration with the settler who intends to pass the remainder of his dnys in this land, and, if possible, that his children shall succeed him. Timber will eventually become very valuable, and at no distant date, if even Ihe present rate of consumption continues, there will be none useful for any other purpose than firewood remaining iv our very limited extent of bush. In addition, we will point out the advantago of having timber on a farm : it adds to its appearance, and what is perhaps of more importance, affords shelter for stock dui'ing the heafc of summer and the cold of winter. Trees once planted require little or no labour exI ended upon them; they yearly increase in beauty aud value; and their own iuti insic value adds greatly to the selling price of any farm on which they havo been cultivated. The above should be sufficient reasous to induce every settler, who has it in his power, to plant on his property. We remind him, at the same time that he 18 improving his own property in beauty and value, ho is also conferring a benefit on the district. We trust soon to hear that the planting of uspful timber ia laigely engaging the attention of our settlers,

We notice from advertisement that 'I'^vr F. - .- '<« about to visit the district, aeconipa-vod b- M- Vp-';-. Signor Ferrari will exhibit several trailed monki^s, n nc i . for cleverness and lagacity, we understand, hn\<> nt vpr 'own rivalled. Their performances m Auckland elicited iv t 'hUv roars of laughter from their audiences, consisting as they do of acrobatic feats, walking the tight rope, performances on musical instruments, &.c. Mr Margetts is a very pleasing tenor singer, and has a very choice repertoire of songs. We sco tho Registration Officer has had notices posted calling tho attention of those parties whose names are not on the Electoral Roll of this District, that he is ready to receive applications to be placed on it. Tho time during which lie i» restricted to tho receiving such applications is the present month of January, and tho months of February and March. As the names of a great number of those who had forfeited their right to bo on tho Electoral Roll wore objected to and struck off at the last revision, we hope that the persons now entitled to be placed on the roll will take this opportunity. We need hardly tell our readers that the tune i& now fast approaching when it will bo the duty of overy one entitled to the franchise to place himself on the roll of the- district in which he may have an interest. Hakopa te Kotuku brought a quantity of coal to the township of Raglan last Saturday, which ho obtained from a largo seam he has discoTered in the range' between Waipa and Woitetuna. The seam, lie reports, is of great thickness where il crops out of tho ground, and can be traced for a considerable distance abore and below where he obtained the sample. Haviiig no. tools with him, Hakopa was unable to go to any depth, but was obliged so be content with what ho could pick up from- the ground. Mr Gat van, the blacksmith, who has tried it in his forge, pronounces the coal to bo very good, considering that it came from the face of the ooam. Lieutenant Ilazelwood Jones, of the 18th Royal Irishi while playing with the children of tho Colonel of tho regimont on the terraco of a house at Strada Margherita, Cospicua, fell over and fractured his skull, causing a' most immediate death. Tho deceased gentleman was well known and much respected in Auckland, having served with his regiment hero during tho Mnori war. Ho vras a brother of Mr Staunu* Jonei of this city. — Sart.

Hear} ram lias fallen during the last forty-eight hours ; it is doubtless effectiug great good to the bulbous crops, but should it continue much longer, damage to tho gram crops may be anticipated. Imlj, "There is no rose without a thorn " Tho curler Flora McDonald, which left K'iglan for the Waitara ou tho Ist inst , returned to harbour on the 6lh, unable from streps of weather to reach her destination Captain Kenny says lie has seldom seen so bad weather This is strange, for- on laud there was little wiud during his absence. Complaints are loud *»d numerous at tho unsatisfactory state of the road between Hamilton and Alexandra genj}alh, an I the bridge near Hamilton in particular; this onp, nowcicr, happens to be only a little worse thau its netglibours Tnere is no disguising t'le fact that the bridges all along the line are more or les* in a atate of decay, and it is only & question of- a vory short thno, and there will be scarcely a bridgo t£ croe3. The inconvenience of tho bad state of tins road has been very much felt lately in consequenoo of goods for Alexandra and neighbouring settlements having been carted along it, tho ordinary means of communication, tho river, htTing been closed for traffic for some time. We aye aware that it i» not within tho ability of the Road Board to accomplish all the work requirod. Tho Government must take the niattor m hand, or otherwiao the consequence will bo mo*t serious to tho settlers. We rocomnieud that each of tho road boards concerned should mako proper reprosentationj of the caw ; if this bo done we feJ confident that in common justico tho Government will be compelled to come to their assistance more liberally than has yet been tho ca*o. It is entirely a matter for the General Govurnntpnt ; bsing confiscated territory, the provincial authorities ignore tne existence of such ft placo aa the Waikuto