The Waikato Times. "OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 1873.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 142, 5 April 1873, Page 2

The Waikato Times. "OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 1873.

The House of Legislature will meet in a few weeks for the dispatch of business, and we should not be doing our duty to the district we represent, or in fact to the colony, if we omitted to call the attention of members to the advisability of extending the Waikato railway as speedily as possible to Rahuipokeka. It is scarcely necessary for us to point cut that the objects in view are three • — first : to open country for settlement that would otherwise remain in a state of nature ; second . to develops the miueral and other natural resources of the col >ny ; third : if possible to construct in the first iustance only such railways as will be most likely to yield a profit after deducting working expenses and interest on the cost' On till three of the above grounds we are justified m urging the Government to undei take the above work, The distance fiona Mercer, to which place t ie railway is at present being constructed, to Rahuij okeka is about 28 miles ; there u ill be no engineering difficulties of any consequence to overcome; in iact, it could be consti ucted at as little costas any line in the colony. The principal reason for extending the rui way is that on both sides of the Wuikato river afc the place above-mentioned , there are enormous coal deposits ; one of the seams is now being worked by the Waikato Coal Company, and if the railway were extended, no doubt the other would be worked immediately. Coal could theu he taken to the Auckland market and sold at a reasonable rate. Nothing tends to the progress ot a country in an equal degree to cheap coal. Many industries could theu be established which at present it would be absurd to attempt. The increased cost of coal and thehighrate of wages cosnequent on the strikes have added to the price of every niauufacutred article we import from the old country. Home politicians have expressed fear that the present combination ot ciicumstances will drive much of the trade into the hands of manufacturers of ot her countries. This will doubtless be the case, and there is no reason in the world why New Zealand should nob commence to manufacture many of the necessaries of life. Hands could be imported willing to work at a trifling rise on home wages ; the necessaries of life aro cheaper in New Zoaland than in Great Britain ; the slight rise in wages would therefore place the workman in a much better position than he can possibly liope to attain in tWe old cv>uuti'y. Auckland uaUUUt) participate in the advantages that would accrue from the establishment of manufactures unless cheap coal be procurable in her capital city Were the railway completed to the coal fiel-ls in tho Waikato, sho would be ablr, in some article-, to compote successfully with home ma 1 ufaeturcrs

B\ telognm we. lean) that >ho >Sj dney (<o\oi'iiment havo determined to accept i.nmediutcly a contract for a Sui Fi.mcisco niail service. A London firm, it will also be seen, has tendered to perform the service for £52,000 per annum. This 13 good news for JYoiv Zealand, as it will place IN ew South Wales very much, ia the same position that she has held with regard to the defunct service. Sho has been at the mercy of the other colonies, and it has been scant consideration indeed that bhe has received at their hands. A small contribution from us is all that can be justly asked as we shall have to subsidize a, lino of steamers to connect New Zealand with the port of call in the Pacific. This should not be a very expensive affair, as steamers of the stamp of the Wonga Wonga and City of Mclbourno would be qniie large enough to meet all our requirements.

Accident has done more to convince the sceptical of the improvement that has taken place in native feeling 1 towards the European than has been made j evident by all the meetings that have been held. Tho reception accorded to Mr McLean, when by stress of weather he was compelled to take shelter in the " King " native harbour of Ivawhia, must be gratifying to all who know anything of native character. Tapihana, one of the most troublesome natives we have had to contend against, is [evidently coming to his senses Sncerers at tho " sugar and flour " policy, as they are pleased to term that of Mr McLean, have received a rap on tho knuckles. Good feeling and common sense, by his policy and personal influence, is gradually being instilled into the most lecalcitrant of the natives. Had peace been broken by hasty action this could not have como to pass- One blow struck or one rifle fired would have blinded the natives to their own interests, and so theirs and those of tho European settlers are nearly identical, the settlement of the country would have beeu retarded, or great expense would have had to be incurred to crush the active opponents of the Government. Quietness has allowed the natives to calmly consider their position. No small success has given the mo^>t bitter enemies to the pakeha an opportunity to buoy up their followers with the hope of the possibility of eventually driving the white man into the sea. 'I here is little difficulty in foretelling that the last angry shot has been fired in JN'ew Zealand, and to the Hon Mi* McLean is doubtless owing our happy relations with the original inhabitants of our adopted country.

We have been requested to intimate that Mr Harris's trap will, during the ■winter months, leave Hamilton for Ngaruawalna at 3 o'clock. We bare much pleasure in announcing that Mr Clarke, the Collector of the Educution Kate iv tho Ngaruawahia district, has only met with one person who has refused to pay, ■who of course compelled legal procced-ngs thereby to be commenced against him. We arc sorry for the credit of the di&triet| that one black 'sheep should havo been found in it, more particularly as the refusal to pay comes from a rnsii as well, if not better, able to do so than any other inhabitant. We trust that in no case will refusal be met in any other way than by a summons to the neat sitting of the B.M. Court, w hero without doubt resistance to the law will be punished by the infliction of cost in addition to tho rate. Wo havo before us some excellent specimens of photographic art executed by Mr Low, of Hamilton. That gentleman is preparing a Waikato Album ; it vrill contain views of the most picturcsquo sites in the district. It is his intention to get tho album up as tastefully as tho ad.vancernent of the art of bookbinding will allow. Wo havo little doubt that a ready sale will be made to the immense number of visitors who are daily passing through the Waikato, — they will form excellent mementos of their travels. Settlers also should purchase one to send home to their friends in order to give them an idea of the country they have undertaken to settle. A large native meeting is to be held at Tokangamutu on the 28th instant. Invitations have been sent to all the tribes in tho island. All the Kuiti natives are now away for pigs and other food. It is to bo the largest meeting they havo yet had. A death by drowning occurred on Wednesday last in Auckland harbour under circumstances which lead to tho belief that the deceased, Adam Chisholm, while labouring under depression of spirits, committed suicide. It has transpired since that the deceased made application a few days back at the Old Men's Kefuge for admittance, and subsequently at the Hospital, and met in both cases with a rofusal. This is supposed to havo preyed upon his mind, as a few days before tho committal of tho rash act ho exhibited unusual depression of spirits. Tho body was discovered by some boys floating near the Kailway works, in Mechanics' Bay, and from its condition could not have been many hours in the water. An inquost was held on the body, and a verdict of " Found drowned " recorded. Chisholm at one time possessed considerable means in Auckland, and was considered one of the best judges of cattlo in the colony. An inquest has been held at the Railway Terminus kot<sl on the body of James Biggs, WllO Was found smothered in a swamp at JEtiverhead. The deceased was a gum-digger, and left Lucas' Creek iv company with a man named Wilsou to procure drink at JSiverhead, which place they reached by boat at twelve o'clock at night. They procured three bottles of rum, and then started for homo. After pulling some time they ran the boat ashoro, and imbibed freely of the rum and fell off to sleep. Xext morning at daylight Wilson awoke and found that deceased had left the boat, and that ono of the bottles of rum was missing. Not feeling any alarm for the safety of deceased Wilson pushed the boat out and proceeded home, where he remained all day. Inquiries being made several days afterwards by mate 3 of Biggs, Wilson then stated what had occurred, and suspicion was aroused as to the safety of the missing man. Search was made and tho body was found in the mangrove, with the head entangled in the scrub, and head downwards. The jury returned a verdict of "Fonnd drowned." An inquest was also held at the same place on the body of the man who was f jnnd floating in the harbour on Tuesday afternoon last. There were no papers of any kind on the person of deceased to further identification, and the features were too much decomposed to afford the slightest clue. A verdict of '• Found drowned " was recorded. Mr Chalmers, gardener of tho Domain, Auckiand, annDiinces that he has a largo supply of mulberry trees ready for planting out, which may be obtained on application to GK M. Mitford, Esq., Paroell. A Court of Inquiry is being held in Auckland respecting tho cancelling of tho commission of Captain Lundon on tho | ground of incapacity and acts ©f insubordination. This step arose out of reports furnished by Major Ctordon to the i Hon the Defence Minister. The inquiry is likely to occupy several days. We learn from the Cross that " a largo hui is to tako placo shortly at llotorua. Tho Arauos aro ufc present making groat preparations for tho ovoat." In tho Parliament at Sydney on the 25th ult., Mr Parkes, the Colonial Secretary of Now South Wales, stated that his Excollency tho Governor had received tho following telegram from Lord Kimborley, the Secretary for the Colonies, on the subject of intercolonial Customs duties :— " London 22nd March. — Her Miijobly's Go\ eminent havo considered elegruiiH fr.mi Conference, and will introduce immediately

a lull 1., i, mow ie>trictii>ns on intercolonial tariff arrange"ent> " A\ ••, lil 'j otlur Libor.i! jui.rnnN iv the colony, biw from t'lo fir-,1, :ifler perusing the despatches, Hint this result mu->t follow a consideration of the correspondence. It is a couce-sum which tho Imperial Government could not avjid making, after having, as the Colonial Treasurer so cliarh si'OHeil. granted, long years ago, a like power to the Dominion of Canada. How far the concession will benefit New Zealand remains to be seen. That it clears away undue trammels id certain, so that whatever lino of action will best suit the internal economy and peculiar circumstances of this colony is tho hue to be followed. Whatever fosters our own mran-j of production, that should bo our choice ; w halcTcr interferes with that is what is to bo avoided. The concession must be gratifying to Sir Vogel, who for ft long time concerned himself in the agitation of this question, and took a leading part in it throughout. — Crosi. Mr D. Simpson, C.E., says the K. Z, Herald, has accomplished his task of making a " flying survey " of the country between Shortlitnd and the "Waikato, with view to tho ulti, mate construction of a line of railway, in accordance with the promise of the Hon Mr Eichardson to the Thames deputation. The Thames Advertiser of Wednesday contains a long nnrrative of Mr Simpson's adventures, from which welearn that Te Ilira and tho Ohinemiiri natives were opposed to his progress, knowing the speci.il services on which ho wa3 engaged; and that they endeavoured to turn him back by their usual device — a resort to bounce. Mr Simpson, as an old colonist familiar with the natives and their ways proceeded ou his journey, and successfully accomplished his task. It is quite clc.tr, however, that the natives are not disposed to permit the construction of a railway through Olnneniuri at present, and we think, notwitlutmding the counsel of the Advertiser, that the Government wouUl be most indiscreet if they took any action which would embroil them with Te Hira and his people. What may bo done, without any danger of collision, is to improve the navigation of tho river. Let us avoir ourselves of water communication wherever it exists, and when that is found to be iusuftle enfc to meet tho requirements of any district, then a rail w ay should be built. It would simply be an act of exaggeratedfolh r to build a railway parallel to the Thames river at tho present lime.