The Waikato Times. UNKNOWN.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 130, 6 March 1873, Page 2

The Waikato Times. UNKNOWN.

'IHUKfcDAY, MARCH 6, 1573

OtHi:h matters of more immediate interest have pi evented our alluding to Mr Stafford's speech, a telegraphic summary of wlvioh we published a few issues buck. It is gratifying 1 to find that Mr Stafford has changed his views as regards the future of this olouy. Pt is only a few short months since he drew a very dark picture as to its future, and congratulated himself on the factth.it he was about to take his depaifcure, and would, therefore, not Miffer as other men. He tells us that a- reaction must take place from the unnatural prosperity that always arises from the expenditure of borrowed money. Any man who- has- the slightest knowledge of political economy could l^e informed the lion, pentfeman of this fact. He, however* thinks that we nviy possibly weather the storm. Mr. Stafford, when ha made the above remarks had not just been defeated, neither was there any immediate probability of anything he might say having the effect of bringing his party into power. He no-doubt feels that his day as a prominent politician has passpd ; he knows that the people of this colony, whatever confidence they may once have had in him, never had any iv his colleagues, and have still less in any possible combination of men trtiat is likely to be induced fro sit with him on the ministeiial benches. MiStafford at the present time stands in a position that with his ability he has no right t» occupy. His intemperate speeches in conjunct. on with incompetent followers have entirely lost for him the position ho mi»ht have held. As regards political railways, we should like to know from the hon, gentleman on whom rests the blame of such railways existing. "Who, for instance, opposed Mr Vogel'B proposition to have the lailways that should be constructed decided upon by a non-political Doaid, the Board to be appointed by the House. To Mr Stafford, and to no other man, is attributible the existence of political railways ; otheis of eour-e opposed the measure, but? lie was the leader of the OppoaiDion Parliamentary government throws almost equal responsibility on the leader of the Opposition as it does on the Ministers of the Crown. Had Mr Stafford not opposed the creation of the Board, presuming he was the actual as well' as the nominal leader of the Opposition, a political railway would ha\e been an impossibility. Political railwa\s were wliitt the opposition wanted; every j railway, no matter on what grounds refuse ', has i to some extent sapped the powers of the MinistryI Tho member who did not get his particular railway was foiced'into opposition by his constituents. Mr Stafford does or should know as WBll as- any man in the country that constituents are not i.i the habit of looking beyond their own immediate interests out of consideration for those of the whole colony. Each railway refused construction meant in all probability an additon to the ranks of the Opposition. Mr Stafford knew this, hence his opposition to the" Board. The interests of the colony, therefo:e, have been sacriticexl to parly ambition. Had Mr Stafford held his tongue with regard to political railways was cannot but thiuli he would have shown better taste than is customary with him when his path is crossed, lie can rest assured of this, that he will never again hold the reigns of office; he has been tried- and found wanting. His miserable term of last session would have been sufficient to crush a Chatham or a Gladstone Until a man can get others than incompetents to follow him it is useless to aspire to office.

Harvest is now quite over, writes our Cambridge correspondent, and most of the gram lias been thrashed out, but many of the farmers not having taken the precaution to thatch their stacks, have in consequence lost a considerable, amount of grain. The. a\erago }ield will be pretty good ; so far as we can learn something o\er 20 bushels to tho aero Mr Allwill thrashed 31 bus>heh to the acre out cf one stack and ho expects the other, still unthrashcd r to yield fully as well if not better. Mr Kirkwoods machine is now engaged upon Mr Fisher's wheat at Piricenmu, and so far a very fine jield is promised, at least equal if not superior to anything in the district. Mr Kirkwoods machine met with a slight accident in being moved down the hill towards tho cutting separating Cambridge* East ami West. Tho machine, •which was being drawn by four hor&cs, in coming down an incline where tho road is very narrow, "canted" o^cr, falling on its side. It was at first feared that considerable damage was dono to the machinery, but on being righted, which was done after an hour or two's work, it was found that tho injury was very trifling. The next day it wa* taken over to Pukerimu, and started to work the same afternoon. Our Cambridge correspondent writes in reference to the fracas that toot place between some whito men and Maoris, in tho swamp at Moanatuatua : — '' About this affair in the swamp, I thought it of so trifling a nature as not to be worth reporting. Tho facts aro these: A man named Laney was ditching in the swamp at Moana Main* > one or two of his 4 mates ' were a short distance from hira ; two old Maoris appeared out of tho scrub — one of them named Poora Tuhua, struck Lancy a blow with a tahaia, cutting him about the temple. Laney grappled with him and got him down, but let him get away. The other men came up at this juncture, and at the same timo tho Maoris disappeared in tho bush, Laney and his mates laying they were afraid to follow them, as they thought there might be more Maoris about. The Maoris say that Paora Tuhua is 'porangi mad, but it is doubtful whether this is true. I thought of telegraphing to jou about the matter, but upon consideration thought it better not to do io, as it would only excite needless alarm in the minds of the settlers. I had no idea that anyone would w rito to tho Auckland papers about the matter." Wo have received from tho garden of Mr dimming, of Hamilton, several bunches of very fino grapes. No trouble was taken in thoir cultivation, but they wero grown in tho open air, without that assistance which is generally gi\ en in vineyards to ensure perfect ripeness. They are, « ithoul exception, the finest wo have seen in the colony, cultivated in a similar manner, and an instauco of what can bo done in Waikato in tho shapo of vino cult tire. We learn that Mr lluckland has sold tho run at Cambridge, on which his farm and homestead arc situated, to Mr Hood, formerly of Queensland. Mr Buckland purposes holding a sale of cattle, sheep, and horses, also farming implements, <fee., in tho course of a, few da\s. Ti'.c uulo will tako placo at his farm, Taotuorou.

Tho Cambiidge C.nalrj \oluutceis li i u< l for the distnct pnzea on SiitimUj .iftoiiuon. 'iho day was lathoi wnidy, ami in tho fuieitouu thero Beamed to be a pi obabihty of rain, but it funtunatoly kept away til' after the ebocting waa over. Many of tht lueaibeis of tbc corps weie too busily ciigagcil thrashing, &c , to be able to attend ; nineteen only iii ed in consequence. We append the scores. It will be seen that Coporol Fibhei he.uled the list with 47 points, seconded by good steady shooting : — Five shots .it each iange ; timl shot allowed. Tioop Seageaut Major Kiikwood, 44 points ; Corporal Fisher, 47 ; Trooper Riss, 30 ; Tiooper Jolin O'linen, 23; Tiooper Garland, 31 ; T'oopor llowie, 32 ; Trooper Pearson, 34 ; Sergeant Clare, 39 ; Trooper liandeison, 39 ; Troopei Watbon, 3.') : Trooper Charles OBrien, 31 ; Far. ier Gcmmill, 24; Corpoial Allwill, 15; Troo|jcr Leslie, 37 ; Trooper Halh, 40; Ttooper Whitl.iw , 34 ; Tiooper Reynolds, 29 ; Coiporal Campbell, 28 ; Captain Uiinciinan, 41. Itjis rumoured that the Webb line of steamers will shortly cease to run. Although opinions respecting the truth of this statement tire of a conflicting character,- we think, that tho sooner the mad contract gots into tho hands of those who \ri\\ carry it out more oflioienfcly than hitherto the better. The importance of tho service certainly demands the employment of better steamers than tbose which haic. resulted in the fuiluro of the Webb line. IT the contract had been carried | mit in » manner which we had a right to expect, there is every reason to believe that the Australian colonies, seeing t he advantages likely to accrue would have participated in.it. We have receivod from the Governnu'iit Printer the nominal roll of the civil M.ift'in the employ of the Geno.ftl Government, which numbers 1,885, or one to every 132 of our population. Mr ilorsle\ will appear at Nganmwabia on this and Friday evenings As works of art his pictures are excellent, and wo would recommend all to attend. Mustn'3 R. and E. Mo Loan have sold 800 pure-bred Leicester sheep Wo muli'Mand they are mlemlcd to form three stud (locks in Canterbury. His Lordihip Iji-.liop Croke was a pa««engor to Point fiusscll bj the Blucnoso jcsierdaj.