The Waikato Times. "OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 1871.

Waikato Times, Volume V, Issue 288, 17 March 1874, Page 2

The Waikato Times. "OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 1871.

Wr, have discovered that wo, in common with the remainder of the Press, attached undue importance to the meeting that is to take place at Te Kuiti on the 28th inst. It is to be regretted that it is almost the iuvarfable custom of those who furnish native information to the public journals to exaggerate every small incident into one of grave importance, and every contemplated meeting, no matter what the object, is generally stated to be Jikely to very considerably influence tbo future of the eoiony. The sole object of the meeting to be held on the 28th, so far as we can learn, is to put a stop to the practice of the .Ngatihauas disposing of the lands of other tribes. Although a letter appeared in our columns addressed k> the Rev. lleta Taravvhiti, which at tho time possessed every evidence ot being authentic, inviting all Europeans to attend, we believe thai no invitation has been issued on anthority. The meeting will be purely Maori, and therois no reason to believe that anything will como of it — tho usual amount of pork, rura r and bombast will be tho principal concomitants- Wo shall in future refrain horn noticing na'ivo moreincuts unU'ftS of a really aggressive nature, or they arc calculated to lead to important results, as we feel convinced that tho notice taken by tho Pioss of Maori matters gives them an importance to which as a rulo they siro not entitled. "VVk call attention to the resolutions that were to have been put to the meeting of tho Auckland Teachers' Asbooiation. 'There can be little doubt that if t ho hccomi resolution wore acted upon good would rcMiU ; it is pivpo&icrons that a teacher slu.uld bo entirely dcptiidcut ibr his very scanty sal.n-y upon the number of scholars that attend his bdicol. Jt appears tons that a fixed salary should >«> 'lie lot of each, to be increased according to leMilts as retards tho acquirements of the pupils at lending school. We will put a supposititious case. A master has the misfortune to teach a, school in n district in which small-pox or some other conta-T'.ous

disease is lM^in^, the children would uot atk-nd school and ho \>ould be unable to live. We agroe with tho teacher m thinking' thut cxti u bi\:)it.hes ot education i:i out 1 schoo'.i would ba beutfL-idl, but are of opinion that the subjects taught bhonld be limited, otherwise there would be danger of the master giving too much attention to the higher clashes, to the neglect of the junior, or of those children whoso parents ate only desirous that their progeny should acquire tno mere rudiments of education, and those as speedily as possible. The proposition that the teachers sLiall send one of their number to represent them at the Board is a most proper one, aud we trust that it will be acted upon. The teachers have in all probability the greatest a mount of technical knowledge, and the presence of one of their number — a representative mau — could not fail to work beneficially. Again, it is only fair that those principally entrusted in the workiug of the system should have the means of making themselves heard. The suggestions that the different Jdighway Boards in the country districts should bo the school committee, wo are not inclined to think a wis-e one. Local politics often run very high, and the questions at issue are generally as to the prosecution of a certain work that will directly benefit ono section of the ratepayers and not another. The squabbles, as a rule, are petty aud generally carried on by ineiiy who, although, well fitted for the ono work, would be quite unfit for the other. The schools should be under the management of the most intelligent of the inhabitants, which we are sorry to say, with few exceptions, the Road Boards aro uot.

The company of Volunteer Engineers nt Rangiriri ia, and has been lor the lust few days, in a state of mutiny. We have been unablo to learn the real or supposed grievance ; of this, however, we are perfectly clear, the men of the force are as well if not boiler paid, than any other in the North Isbmd. They ha\ c undertaken to perform certain work on given conditions, and if they aro not prepared to carry this out they should be discharged", — not, however, before at least six of tho ringleaders have been tried by Gourt-Murtial and awarded se\ere sentences. The country has been put to great expense in organising tho force and bringing it to the Wnikato, the publio interest therefore demands that a severe example shall be made. A meeting of the members of the Auckland Stock Importation Company, says tho Herald, was held in tho Junction Hotel, Newmarket, on Friday afternoon. Ten shareholders wore present. Mr Basset t occupied the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting having been confirmed, the chairman stated that as a consequence of the purchase of the fasttrotting stallion ' Young Performer,' the company was in debt to the extent of £225 Is lid, and tho business before the meeting vmstbo liquidation of tho company's liabilities. Mr Joseph Mny considered it very desirable that the horse 1 Young Performer' should be retained in the province. He moved, 'That the horse be retained by the company, and that the mares to be served be limited to the shareholders, in the proportion of one mare to each share held by them ; and that the price for service of each mare bo £5 ss. to be paid within one month from date.' — Mr Wallace seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. — Mr Buckland proposed, '-That the number of shares for the current year be limited to 80.' — Mr Bainbridge seconded the motion, and it was also agreed toi Tho Secretary was instructed to inform non-paving shareholders that if the amounts duo on their shares were not immediately paid up, the shares would be forfeited. This concluded tho business. From the following it will bo seen that the fungus of tho New Zealand bush is a much prized product in China. In answer to (he enquiries of a Government official, the acting Colonial Socretary of Hong Kong wrote as follows :— " Regarding the accompanying specimen of a kind of fungus on which you rlpsire a- report, I have the honor to inform you that this fungus is much prized by the Chinese community, as a medicine administered in the shape of a decoction to purify tbe blood. It is also used on fast days. A mixture of vermicelli, beim curd, and thia- fungus, is boiled and enten instead of animal food The sample which accompanied jour letter i* considered a very good one. The ordinary price of the arliVlo is from 17 to 20 tael» per pe^ul wholesale, and ono maco five candareens to two mace per oatty retail — thnt is to soy, about 10^(1 per lb. I may add that a superior kind of the same fungus is produced in tho Chineeo Provinces of S/o Chnen and Yun Nan, which is sold at the rate of 30"dollars pcrpecal (1331b5)." As an instance of the value set upon sheep bred in Auckland ptovince. we may mention that there- were shipped to the order of tho lion Mr Millar, of Napier, by th* s s. Star of the South, which sails to-day, sixty very superior Lincoln ewes, of a class very rarely to be met with. These sheep hare been selected at ft cost of £6 each from the flock of Messis Buttle Brothers, of Otahuhu. who have for some yeais past paid great attention to the breeding of a good class of sheep, and are no doubt now leaping the profits.— Seraldi Wo nro glad to learn that a master has been at last appointed to the charge of the school at Ngaruawahia. Mr (xlnnfield has accepted the oflice, and from what we can learn, is experienced and well able to perform the duties that appertain. We learn that Mr Mackay has gone overland to Rangititei, a placo on the West Coast, Vetwcen Wellington and Wanganui. We presume that he is accompanied by Mr Carruth'ere, the Engineer-in-chief, with the object of settling the route by which tho railway shall go south. We are in receipt of a telegram from Mr David Bruce intimating that he will leare Te Aw&mutu on Tliuradoy next with 60 head of fine fat cattle for the Auckland market. Ws are glad to report <jhat the Waipa started for-Alex-andra this morning. We understand that there ia now sufficient ™ nter m the river to render her safo arrival almost a certainty. It is now nearly four months sinco a steamer baa reached as high as Alexandra, and groat loss in consequence Ims been entailed upon the settlers. Mails for the Australian Colonies ard United Kingdom will close at tbe Bluff at 10 a.m. on Thursday, the 19th. This w-ill afford an ODportunity of communicating bv telegraph. ° * In onr last issuo n typographical error called Mr Knoxs sale of fawn implements at tho pound, East Hamilton, for tho 31st inst. in place of Saturday, tho 21st. Wo learn that Mr Hally, of Cambridge, has abandoned his intention of building an hotel in that township. Mr Laird has bought tho material on tho ground and will proceed with tho work.