UNKNOWN.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 123, 18 February 1873, Page 2

UNKNOWN.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1573.

Ouu contemporary the Cross publi.shed jestorday morning a sensational hoax. The writer's object so far aa it apparent is to show the necessity for direct telegraphic communication between this colony and Australia Ha presumes th.it war has been declared between England and Knssin, and that the commander of a Russian vessel, from early information, has been enabled to practically take possession of Auckland, and levy black mail on its inhabitants. The skit, as w.ll be seen, caused rijnio alarm in Auckland; having a sensational heading, those who seldom go below the surface of statements believed it, and without waiting to read the account, alarmed (heir neighbours, and a panic appears to have ensued. We cannot justify our contemporary in playing wh.it may bo termed a practical joke, a species of joke that eeldom ends pleasantly The conductor of a newspaper should always bear in mind th.it the majority of tho->e for whom he writes are not given to much reflection, aNo that if he is to support the dignity of the Pi ess he must not play with the sharp tool tlmt is placed in his hand.-, it he'docs, he is certain to injure himself and those who reud his paper. _\ ow that the question is raised, however, we may as well consider probabilities. There is no diluting the fact that ir. the absence of an English man-of-war f.om Auckland harbour that a n^l.l lun m uud dumand any term* from the inhabitants that tho commander might deem fit. Cuuoidcnng the immonso amount of Bjitish property in Iho Ausiraiius, our fket is miserably small, and tho protcctiun to our haruuuis in the shape of forts is littlo more thau a farce, s>o that wo are

actually in danger ot having lealihed tlio dire cilamity predicted by our contemporary. The queatiou naturally suggests itself how are we to improve mutters ? Jn these days diplomacy verges \ery closely ou the borders of war. Great Britain cannot endanger her supremacy (on tlio soas) by keeping- a sufficiently large fleet in. the Southern Ocean to protect her wealthy and exteuaive colouies. Tliere is little fear that a fleet of any magnitude could escape the vigilauce of our cruisers, but there is always the fear of the mischief that could be inflicted by a single vessel coramondeJ by a plucky and enterprising officer. We colonists are prepared to fight for our adopted country, but we mnst not disguise from ourselves the fact that ifc would be useless to attempt to contend against a modern Bhip of war. Whilst the last European war was raging, great uneasiness was felt at this end of the world ; there was some talk of getting the Australias declared an independent kingdom, so that we should not become involved in a war ib reed upon Great Britain, but in which her colonies had no immediate interest. There are few men in these colonies w,!io are not prepared to sacrifice a groat deal to maintain our connection with the old country, in return we have certainly a right to ask that a sufficient fleet shall be kept in our seas to protect us from any sudden attack by the isolated cruisers of a common enemy.

j lv a recent exchange of the Lyltellon Times we notice an article not very complimentary to the settlers in tins | part of the colony. The wufcer, quoting the threadbare, I but not less true adage, " necessity is the mother of iuven- ! tion," proc2eds to stigmatise the residents of the North, and paraouhrly the people of Auckland, as a class ' leTying upon shifts and sandy foundations rather than upon the surer basis of honorable industry. The writer says " tLat for years the Imperial Government kept Auckland I going out of the commissariat chest," and that subsequently j when nun was staring them in the face they were saved , by the discovery of "Hunt's famous gold mine at the , Thames ; " and now they have hit upon another expedient 1 to draw money from the pockets of 'the confiding publicThe writer then proceeds to expatiate on the new project of the Iron Smelting Company. Without of course directly reflecting upon the ch.naeter of Messrs Sutton, Calder, and Element, or thei? discovery, still m the most kindly (?)way the wiitor would " warn the public, with so I many examples of the hollow past before them, not to be j too hasty in pniting with their money in bolsteiing up any nesv venture for a season which may ultimately prove as delusive as other schemes have proved. ' This homily comes well from the Canterbury proviuce, when wo remember the many and futile attempts that have been made to develop one of its known resources : to ivit, the coalfields. A mine of wealth is known to exist in the Malveru Hills, but its coal measures have laid undeveloped for years for want of sufli ient energy and enterprise to open them ; while in the matter of gold several compmies have been 'forme I for its discover , which have had no other result than taking money out of shareholder's packets. It is well to preach prudence, but we think the author of the avtiijie in qucfction is rather too Biigge«li\c tins time in rvspect of the newly-formed Iron Sand Company, and especially so as experiments have been made which unmistakeably t>ho\v that iron can be produced 'from the sand, and if Only capital is forthcoming « c have no doubt that a profitable industrial enterprise, fairly worked, w ill be crow nod v> itii success. Hid Excellency the Oorerno.- hm accepted the invitation of the natives to meet them at Nganuwahia. The meeting, w c learn, is fixed for the 12th March next. We learn also, that Rewi h likely to b* preaoirt, if so so.nj gojd will doubtless arise from the meeting, otherwise we do not attach any great importance to the contemplated muster.

Panuitaxg v. — Elidi mi, c n& hoi Maori kia rongo koufcou, kua whakaae mat te Kawan v ki to koutou hiahia, Tenei ano hoki te Kawana to haero mai kei Njaruavaha ki te 12 o nga ra o Maehe ki te poro poro ake kia koutou no te mea tonoi ano hoki ia te haere kei Mcrcpaua lie Kawaua mo reiu. A project is on foot in Auckland by a number of ladies of a philanthropic turn of mind to c stablish a reformatory for tho waifs and strays of the province. They propose to i raise subscriptions to supplement the sum of £230 voted by the Provincial Council. Out of the 33,000 shares of the National Bauk sot aP a f fc f.ir allot tiiont in the colony, II,WJ hare been applied for in Auckland. This number is in excess of Auckland's proportion of tho colonially subscribed capital. The undermentioned promotions and appointments in tho Armed Constabulary are gazetted. 2nd class Sub-Inspector John Ross Watts, to be Ist class Sub-Inspector, vico MacDonnell, deceased ; Lieutenant Henry Alexander McLean to be 2nd class Sub-Inspector, vice "Watts, promoted ; Ser-geant-Major John Taylor Marshall to bo 2nd class Sub-In-spector, mco Swindley, resigned. One of the prominent events of the past -week in Auckland seems to have been the prize firing of tho Volunteers nt the Mouut Eden rifle range. The weather was generally unfavorable to the contest, but tho Volunteers were not to bo deterred by the ram. Tho highest prize of £10 in tho first set was won by Sergeant Provo, who scored 16 ; that of ,C(J in the second set, by Volunteer Urasscy, of No 4 Company, with a score of -12. The prize firing closed on Friday afternoon. Tho death at Coromandel of a man n.vned Robert Montgomery is recorded by tho local journal to have arisen from starvation. The body was found on the Tokatea Range in a frightfully attenuated condition. The deceased was a natuc of Uclfast, and well connected, lie had been for a short time engaged as a teacher, but employment failing him, and, doubtless, too proud to beg, aud too honest to steal, he met with the lingering dcith of starvation in the bosh. Wer learn that Mr William Nieholl is appoiutod to the charge of the telegraph station at Te Awamutu. We cong-tatulate the To Awamutu settlers on having this officer appointed to their district. lie has been for some time acting as assistant at Xgaruawahia. We, in common with ibe rest of tho public, have always experienced extreme courtesy at his hands. Those who havo not registered their names as voters, will bo able to procure printed forms far doing so at our office and at tho residence of each of our agents. Our Southern intelligence tolls of tho attention, amounting almost to enthusiasm, bestowed at present on the various local sources of coal supply in Canterbury, Westland, and Wellington, a decided impulse has been given to public feeling by tho news of the strikes on the Australian coalfields, and by tho probabilities of a possible famino for fuel. It requires some such spur as this to arouse New Zealand energies, but why this conjuncture of affairs should not have a similar influence in our own provinco is one of those things hard to bo accounted for on any other supposition than that our public mind is specially lethargic. That wo have coal measures as extensive and as valuable as thoso of any other province in the colony, and equally valuable in proportion to their extent with those of Australia doas not admit of a doubt, and no time could be more opportune) than tho pro' sent for directing special attention to this magnificent field for enterprise and luvcstment. — Cro&s.

A Newfoundlnivl dog, belonging to A. B Nfwman, assistant light kerper at Mount Desert, san Mr Newman's hltle child enrned off into tlio waves Uy the undertow, the other daj, and not oulj rescued linn, but tried lo resuscitate him r.fter bringing him ashore. Failing in Una the intelligent anmi.il tool Lite b>) a hat u,ud ran to the lijusu with it, and laid it beside the lad'i mother. He then ran to tho lather, and takmg hold of him pulled him tr> tho shore. Wheu a man aud wouian .ue made 0110, thuro is always ;omo doubt which is fie oue, a.ud occasionaLly it takes two to bottle the rjucbtiun.