The Waikato Times. UNANOWN. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1872.

Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 118, 6 February 1873, Page 2

The Waikato Times. UNANOWN. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1872.

Public opinion as expressed, at jsubl^ meetings has. always been Rooked \,pon by corqful obscrveis as of \ery little value. The two meetings held recently in Auckland to discuss the merits and demerits of the Education Act «,Toid one more instance of the fickleness of the AngloSaxon as represented at public meetings. It is almost astonishing to observe how easy a thing it js to cross the mental scent of a number of men congregated together ; they arcprcpaied to swallow boiusw Jfiom -»he platfoim tuat to insinuate as a probability to ea»'h would be looked upon as little short ,o.f an insult. It is difficult to imagine for instance haiv a body of men, .each of whom is ptesuniedly gifted with common sense, could listen to the nousense 'talned by Mr Cherry and cheer him. He told them tW the question is not whether there should be education, but whether they would consent or not to additiopal taxation. The meeting checre.l at this impudent assertion ; they appear to have forgotten entirely the 3ensible speech they had just listened to from Mr Swanson. They mint have ,i:i;en wety aware before they came to the meeting that theie is no provision other than the rntc made for education. The resolution pnssed reallj means (although they of course could not sec it) that tlie people of Auckland prefer that ignorance should continue to be Fumpunt m their midst. They have acted in such a manner tlu>t the} w ill be pointed at from all parta of tlip colony as the least intelligent and least civilized community in the eoloin . as a people who arc behind the age in which they live, as a people who do not continue of j the same mind for throe consecutive days, in fact, a* a people only worthy of the contempt of every man possessed of (lie slightest power oi reasoning. It now remains for the people in the country districts to show that they arc not of the same opinion as thqje who huve brought disgrace upon the province and colony. Let up liaio meetings and support to the best of our ability those members of .tho Provincial Council who had the courage to bring jforward, and the ability to get passed, an net which reflects a edit on us as a people. We learn that Mossis Holmes Brothers are coming to the Waikato in a few days to examine the liver with the intention, if they find it practicable, of building a steamer for carriage of passeng*y6 aud goods. Mr Kirk wood's threshing machine has been in full work in and about Cambridge. It is being moved from farm to farm, and where small lots have to be operated upon they are .being carted to the machine which, for the purpose, is located in as convenient a place as possible. It has excited considerable iuterest amongst the natives, who have Hocked in large numbers to see it at work, and have expressed a desire that it should work for them. The machine when in full woik tcquues seven hands to attend it, besides the feeder and engineer who travel with it. Some difficulty is expeiienced from the bridge* in the district not being sufU lently strong to carry its weight, the machine and engine eac^ w eighing about thi cc tons. We trust that Mr Knkwood's laudable example will be followed in other distnets. Machinery is the only substitute for manual laboni ; the Litter cannot be proem ed in sufficient quantities, therefore, if fai iners are to succeed machinery must be procured either by individual enterprise j or by co-operation. We learn that Mr. W. Ho\sley it about to visit this district with his highly entertaining and instructive dioramas of Arctic voyage* , balloon voyages and storms .it si a. , We understand that the^nteitninmcnt Mr llorsley otYeis to i&c public is well worth the fee demanded for admission. Thp new church building at Cambridge h progressing but slowly. The contractor has been much delated from want of timber/) which is owing no doubt to the almost unnimg.ible state of our rner-i We lia\o an Hngiuecr in the district ancjan assistant on the road ; suivl.v J hey should be instructed to take the necessary steps to ascertain what is required, and, when found ou^, a su.n of money should be immediatply placed at their disposal. There is to bo aSj nod of the Maoris in connection with the Anglican Church; it will be held at Hopuhopu, at the residence of thp Key, U. Y. Ashwcll. Already several of the Maori members are on the spot; also the Rev. — Maunsell, of Ilauruki, who is the liishop'g examining chaplain for native applicants for ordination. The Right Rev the Bishop is expected to arri\ o to-day. We have not ascertained tho intended programme, but tiuist that tho instruction of the nwiyes in matters both lay and clerical will reeene the most earnest attention. There are extensive estates in the WaiLato sot aside and granted to the Church for Educational purposes; they do not seem to yield a large revenue if we may judge from the very limited amount that is expended on educating the natives. The imtncs are fust losing the know ledge they once had ; it is amongst tho old men and women only that a vestige of better treatmont remains. The cstfite3 we allude to above are situated at Kobnnga, Hopuhopu, and Te Awomutu. A pro«pectii3 of the Auckland Iron and Steel Company (Limited) appears in our morning contemporaries. This company has tyceu formod for working the titaniferous ironsand which abounds in the province, notably the Mauukau harbour, Implements manufactured by Masefield &Co, in Auckland, are pronounced by compel ent judges of the first quality, and considering the present high price of iron at home we sec no reason why a local manufactory should not l>ro,ve a highl) remunerative imestment to the shareholders. An enquiry ig being held in the Russell-Bepkham difference. Mr Joshua Strange Williams (Christchurch) and Mr W. S. Reid (West Coast) arc the C mimissiouers appointed by tteh c General Government. It is being conducted privately, and is likely to ooeupy scnernl days. A little girl, five and a-half 3 cars old, daughter of Mrs Boulder, had a narrow oscape from being burnt to death in Auckland yesterday. The mother lm r l imprudently left the little one 111 order to see a friend oft' by the Thames boat, and in her absence the child attempted to replace some embers which h*d fallen upoH the hearth, when its clothes became ignited. Her shrieks of terror fortunately brought assistance, and although the child 1« droadfully burned, hopes are entertained of ifs recovery, The animal meeting of tho Hauraki Snw Mill Company \yas held on Monday aftsrnoon. The company's affairs judging from the balance sheet are in a prosperous state, the balanqo in their favour amounting to £622. There seems to be a mania at the present lime for the committal of outrages upon girls of tender jcars, Within tlje past fortnight no less than four cases have occurred, to which is fo be added that of a ruffian named Carrol, who oommittqd a jj onenqc a.j, Ai|ckland on Sunday last upon a little girl. The child, it appears, had been sent to his house to borrow some suit, and after a prolonged absence was met by tho mother leaving the house crji^g. Information of tho deed was subsequently conveyed to tho poheo, but Carrol had escaped. Ilia capture, however, was olovorly c fleeted by Detective Jeffrey ou tho following day in Mechanics' liny. He was brought up at the Police Court yesterday, but 111 qonsequence of the illness of tho child the case has been rouiandqii till tcf-morrow. Carrol is fifty years of age, and he was in tho habit of getting his living by soiling fruit in tho streets We should advise in addition to imprisoninqnt on conviction in thrso oases that the lash be iwe.l. It hu been found to be the only doter-rcnt for crimes of equal enormity and the 01113 cttcctivc puniihmout in England to nrrqst the practice of gnrrolting. We are glad to notice by advertisement that Mr Beny, cf Te Awamutu will trade through the Waikato district ' with his threshing machine, .111 1 that ho is prepared to j thredi at reasonable ritt°. Tanners cannot fail to see I thjj ad\antage of employing a machine in preference to th« tcdioLp molcyf work-in. ; with a fail

Red-tape i» delaying the proclaiming of the Whangamata and Hifcutaia Mocks as open for mining purposes, and on this occasion it emanates from the ciicumlocution office ,il Wellington, the General Government it nnooar-, I 1I 1 rm lju<vin«ci>'iitinu« ii-» to ivh»»tl)f>* '"-<>"t f-iom'Mj hh* bo n \ gone tlirougli in the pureiiuac of tlie land from tlje jMaori*, The conscientiousness on their parts arises from ( tjio fm-t that one or two dusky brethren, led t on by Te Jffira, object to the land being opened for goldmining, although tlu n ir right , is repudiated by tho other natiTes. Such advice on the part of the General Government in the face of d.rect assurances both from the Agent-General and tho Superintendent that the |lnnd had been purcliased in the usual way, after being pa««ed through tho Nativo lands Court, is trifling with the interests of the province, and we should rocommend His Honor tho Superintendent to eAcroisc the powers rested in him, and in;iLc tho necessary proclamation. Were he to do j:o he would j-ccpivo tly> thanks of the bulk of the people and help to retain in tho provinco hundreds of diggers who will otherwise leave it from bhcer disgust. Already there are between four and five hundred people at Ilikutaia living in a state of enforced idleness, victims to tho procrastination winch invarinbly attends negotiations between the General Government and the Maori. The opinion of the Attorne3-Gener.ll n* to the power pf the University of Otago to confer degrees possesses (says a contemporary) considerable irtercst. IJo bays it dowu ;—(1.); — (1.) That a University is but a lay corporation with certain powers, among others to grant degrees, (2 ) If a University is created by charter from the Crown, its degrees will be recognised, if so provided in the ( ohttrter, throughout the whole of tho British Dominions. (3 ) If created by a local legislature its degrees will b,c recogninpcj oi^ly within the territory over uLu-h iJie local logiJaturo li,as jurisdiction. For the above reason the University Qf Melbourne obtained a charter from the Crown. The Attorney-General does not ( tlnnk the Otago ordinances limited, but £ho recognition of the local University will be limitod by tho province. It must be said that the academic honors have becomo 90 degraded by successful imposition m the colonies that they do not count for much.