The Waikato Times. "OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 1873.

Waikato Times, Issue 201, 23 August 1873, Page 2

The Waikato Times. "OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 1873.

In another column will be seen the amount of impoi ts aiid exports ior the quarter ending oOth Juno. ft will be noticed that the imports exceed the exports by JL'fi47,6H, whereas in tlio corresponding quarter of 1$?1! the expoits exceeded tho imports by £209,110, giving a difference of £956,^4. '\ he above facts a r e to be accounted for in Lvvo ways In the first, place iLe yii;ld ot' gold hits somewhat fallen o{V; in the he<,"nA the unpoi '.tLun ol l.ulwtiy

plant, accounts to some extent lor the iuciease mi our imports. Other causes have been at work, but we believe that the two named above arc tho principal. The community amongst whom our paper (Mrciilato3 not being 1 engaged in commercial pursuits, wo may be excused for pointing out that Iho colony during the quarter last past became poorer to the extent of AGt7,iil4, that Mim having gone to iutlato tho alren y bloated pockets of home and other merchants. Wo have of course received something in exchange, but the country is neveitheless financially weaker by the amount named. We must remember also that a vast sum loaves this colony annually for the payment of interost on borrowed money. With these facts staring us in the face we must be a negligent people indeed if we do not urgo the Government to carry out speedily the reproductive works that are under construction. We are paying interest for the money already expended, yet we find tlmt all over the colony there are works which can only give any return on completion being carried on in tho most dilatory manner. The Government is not altogether to Mame for tins ; the greater proportion ot the fanlfc h at the door of those members who insisted on using the Public Works scheme as a hinge on which to swing tho political door. In no other country than New Zealand would a contractor bo given three years to complete 37 miles of railway, but in no other country are there so many strings being pulled in the interest of small sections of the population regard lees of the weal of the nation. Want of labouris oneof thecaufcesofdel.iy,andwesincerely trust that those who have the management of our immigration in the old country will strain evory nerve to send us population ; they must be men, however, able aud willing to work, otherwise we are better without them. We trust that the Auckland members will not allow tho session to close without having a clear understanding as to when the continuation of the railway from Mercer to the Waikato is to be commenced, and when finished. Surely tne Government will not again fall into the error of giving 1 contractors so long a time that they can aiford to cense work altogether during the winter months. We again remind them that until a work is finished it is unpioductive, yet the interest on its cost to the present time has to bo paid.

The inconsistency of some people is almost incom' prehensible. In another column we reporb tho proceedings at a meeting of ratepayers of the Newcastle District, from which it will be seen that they only agree to impose a rate of -*,d in the £, on the value to sell, and passed a resolution that each acre should be valued at the absurdly low sum of .£l. Immediately after having imposed the lowest rate possible, they passed n resolution complaining that the power to rate themselves is limited. The absurdity of their proceeding does not seem to have strnclc any of those present at the meeting ; at any rate nobody called attention to it. Wo were glad to notice that a resolution was passed to the effect that some means should bo adopted to get at those landholders who are away from tho colony, or whose addresses are not discoverable. We have before pointed out the injustice of making those who are working their land and doing some good for the oolony pay indirectly for tho improvement ot the land of those who are worse than useless. It is not too lato now to apply to tho Treasiuor to put a sum on the estimates to yiay tho rates of those not to be found, such payment, to be Hen on the land. Superintendents arc authorised to do this ; but iv our ca?e there are no funds for the purpose, and if there were, we have been told by Mr Lusk that the province could not recover.

The Annual mei'tins; "I" the Newcastle) Highway District Board was held on llmi-. In i\t the Delta Hotel, Ngaruanahia. Mi* Harris wiij \ot.-l tj the chair. This was an adjourned meeting in consetuiciieo of not a sufficient number of ratepayers having been present on tho 31st July. Major Wilson, tho chairman of the Hoard, read the statement of accounts to the meeting. Tho Jieport was adopted on the motion of Mr Byron, seconded by Mr Little. Major Wilson proposed that the rate for the current year should be on the value to sell. Mr M'irlin seconded, and tho motion was carried nem. con. Mr Daw son piopos.'d that all land be valued at £1 per aero for r.itmg purposes. Duly seconded and carried unanimously. Major Wilson proposed, and Mr Bjron seconded, that the rate bo Id in tho £ on tho ialiu» to sell. Mr Dawsan proposed that the rato bo id. (Jn the latter motion being put to tho meeting it was declared carried. Major Wilson then moved a resolution—" That this meeting is unanimously of opinion that it is the duty of the Government to secure the passing by tho Legibl.ituro of some workable A t t enabling Highway Boards to recover rates from absentee-.." Carrie 1 unanimously. On the motion of Mr Dawson it was decided to abolish tho pound, and if tho Board had not the power, that application should be made to tho Superintendent to do so. On the motion of Mr Martin n resolution was carried — " That no person shall be allowed to run c.ittlc on tho run unless ho be a bona fide resident, owiut', or occupier of land, and the owner of tliccatllc running." Carried unanimously. The Board for the present a ear is> composed of — Major Wilson, Messrs Fitzpatrick, Byron, Dawson, and Bycroft. Wo learn that a man named MoDonald fell off tho wharf at Mercer 3 esterday and was drowned. It lias also been reported to us that another man shot himself at the same placo. Wo have not ascertained his name. Mercer is gaining an unenviablo notoriety. It is not long since a man stabbed himself in the intestines with a pair of scissors and died from the effects. Drinking was tho immediate cause of each catastrophe The drinking propensities of tho people in and about Meroor seom to be very fully developed. Wo understand that a few evenings back Constable Limner had no less than fourteen inebriates in tho lock-up. In the Resident Magistrate's Court, at Hamilton, on Tuesday, 19th instant, beforo W. N. Soaranoke, Esq., R.M, and S T. Seddon, K->q , J P, tho f jllo ving caaes were adjudicated upon :— T. M. Hill vJ. Bauer: olaun £A Is Id ; Bettled out of court. Edward Clarke, Colleotor Highway Bates, vW. Buchanan : £3 6s 8i ; adjourned. Same v ?. Howard : £2 la 8d ; adjourned. Samo vW. NeiUon : 10s ; adjourned. Same v John Ghbbons : £2 Is 8d ; adjournod. Wn\. Gumming v R. R. Hunt : £21} ; plaintift" necepled a non suit. Thumns Morris v.Tohn Bauer: £2 15s 7d ; settled out of court. Samo v D. D. Hydo :£3ls 9d ; defendant had a set-off in this case of £3 14s ; not allowed. Judgment for full umonnt nnd costs. T. M Hill v 11. Dunn : £6 4s lid ; judgment, for full amount inultmts An accident attended with serious results occurred on Thursday afternoon to fhc occupants of a vehicle when near the Churoh of England cometory, Symonds street. A trap, driven by Mr Clayton, of Newmarket, in which were his wife and Mr Messenger, sen, butcher, was upset through tho hone taking fright at a donkey which was being ridden by a boy proceeding along tho road. The occupants were precipitated si-\ eral j urdb on tho roadway, Mr Messenger's leg being broken, and Mrs Clayton receiving very neioro | bruises. The driver escaped uninjured. i Tho following are ptMi'ttiul Returning Officers for Pro- ! mihml eieel ion* -\ld|or Mair, Waipa ; W N Ni-uruncki', 1 K»q , Wukdt'i , \\ i'.loi I'.iud.il, Eb<i . Rnghm

The following are gazetted members ol Mangipiko High- t ■n.iy JJoard ; — Messrs J. D. Hill (chairman), G. 0. Y. Tisdall, W. Higginson, 11. Roche, and T. C. Germann. Letters and papers for Europe must bo posted in Auckland on Thursday, tho 28th hut , before 11 a.m. Loiters posted in t he Waikato in tirao to bo forwarded by Wednesday's coach will therefore be in time. The f blowing aro tho religious services proposed to be conducte I tj-niJiTJw in tln^ distrut : — LJlmroh ul Eii"lan I — -Cambridge, 11 ; Ohaupo, 3; Xgaru.iu alva, 11; llaiml ton, 6 30. Presbyterian— Uun bridge 11; Ngannwahia, G. 30. Wo learn that the- partial urology- offered by the Hmild to Air Dargarille is not considered satisfactory by that gentleman, and that a writ, churning two thousand pounds da nnges has been issued. A new theatrical company has arrived in Auckland under the management of Messrs Collier and Laughlau McGowan, an I aro to appear at tho rnnooof Wales Theatre on Monday next. We havp to acknowledge tho receipt, from the Government Printor, of Nos. 6 and 7of Hansard. We would buggest to that gentlem m th.it if the drafts of bills, so soon us printed, were forwarded to the newspapers, that public opinion could bo brought to bear on thorn before being rial a third time and passed. It will be seen by our ndvorlising columns that Mr Dargavillo is about to visit the Waikato. We trust that he will rcoeivo tho same attention m two other candidates have done already. When ho has explained his views, the opinions of all the candidates for tho Superintendency will bo before the public. In duo time we shall compare and comment upon them We ) egret to annonneo tbat Mr Tanficld, the Postmaster and Telegraphist, at Hamilton, whioh offices he has held for soino time to the entire satisfaction of all, has been compelled from ill health to apply for an exchange to some office on the coast in order to try the effect of oca air. Wo are confident that wo only express tho sentiments of all our Hamilton friends when wo wish him success and a speedy return of good health. We loaru that Mr Taylor will succeed Mr Tanficld. The reported expulsion, a few days ago, of Messrs C. O. Davis and Mitchell from Kotorua and the Lake Districts, turns out to be a mere canard. On the contrary, those gentlemen, who it appears have been commissioned by the Government to negotiate in tbo matter of tho purchase of native lands, have been well recoived, and have met with more than usual success in carrying out tho objeols of their mission. It is stated in our telegrams that large tracts of land have been purchased and leased by them on behalf of the Government at Taupo, Rotorua, and tho Arawa country, a circumstance which must bo hailed with satisfaction, as affording an additional guaranteo of tho practicability of the project, lately announced by the Government, of constructing a trunk line of railway right through to Wellington from Auckland. This means also increase of population, and extension of settlement throughout the North Island. The Government, it is understood, hare suspended the operations of the Native Lands Act in the Arawa d strict*, with the view of removing the obstructions to the negotiations for the purchase of lands for publio purposes, v\ Inch have heretofore existed in various quarters owing to tie interference, it is slid, of certain pakeha Maori Mirv.'\ors. The obtaining frosh lands in the districts above n lined, cannot fail to lime a most beneficial elfect not only upon the prospects of this province- in particular, but. upon those of the colony at large. — Cross. The expenditure on roads in tho North Island (bays the Guardian), has been \ery considerable dmlngtho past year. The contracts for road construction entered into during thnfc period amounted to atotalol\fcBl,-4Gjt, which was distributed among the northern provinces as follows :— Auckland, £1G,OOO; Hawke's Bay, £9,303 i Wellington, £21,480; Taranaki, £4,682. This expenditure has been principally in native districts, and should go fur towards rendering the land-, available for settlement. Although the produce of the North Island is not by any moans considerable, it is to be hoped that the efforts of tho Government to construct roads and bridges mny be followed by increased activity in agriculture. The old excuse of want of roads cannot now be pleaded as u sufficient reason for not cultivating the soii, and adding to the li\ed capital of the lountry; neither can the want of terr.lurul,. revenue be urged as an excuse for not. making n> ids. seeing that the colon.) has provided funds lor the puipoH* out of loan.