The Waikato Times. "OMNE SOLUM FORTH PATRIA" SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1871.

Waikato Times, Volume VI, Issue 310, 9 May 1874, Page 2

The Waikato Times. "OMNE SOLUM FORTH PATRIA" SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1871.

Tm second residing of the J^dueatlon Bill was fixed for 1 u.t in^Lt. It is mif'i tluuatu tint opie? of the J3.1l were Jiofc in nieul.ilion in time i\n consideration not only by tl.e public, but nUo by Hie membcts of Iho Council. Not (ill J,i to nti the evening of the ni'opoj&oJ bocond mvlin.* \.oiv ue pos'-essed of any of ihejn-nvNionsconiiuiicfJ in the jnoposecl Bill, and 1 'icii oul) i'coin (lie <!icjfi>t-, w.ulii by our urba-n conteiuporaiies. We ate glad to fin I lh.it no atl'>m],l in to be made to ioree religious in-tiuct.on during flic lt^iilur lioura of study, ;il»o that i-roM^ioa is

i" vL fur ,n(j hiuiLm ij i i.t n[ uu- | iM lU ij. es ,ui'l do,-tw, .;c i'.io option cf p.uoi U, or lather at iheii" ' speci.il request at\er regular school h-mi-g. It is proposed to i,ii«,e t'n» pece^iry funds to carry ou the ctlinMtiunal sy^em by utilising re-erves set apart lor thufc |mrp,.sf, mid by a household tax of 10s for houses nob assessed over X-~>, £1 when botweeu £2,"> and £»;0, ami £? when over that amount. TJie taxing clau-us difft-r from the present Act in that, inplnoc of tho capitation tax on children being 03 for e.ich cluld np to fonr, ji leo of Gd per week is to be paid for each scholar. It is difficult to suo-o-est any other modo of taxation than the house tax, yet, no matter at wlnt the scale may be fixed, inequality must result. Many of onr large runholders for instai.ee, who occupy hundreds of acres of land live in houses that would be assessed at very little. In their case, the value of their houso does not in the smallest degree represonttheirwealthand consequent ability to pay taxes. We admit the necessity of increase 1 revenue to carry on an efficient system of educßtion, but we desire fo point out that the proposed Act would press more heavily upon tho poor man and notmake the lich pay more than at present. There are very few colonists who occupy houses of greater value than £60, consequently very lew would pay more than the .£l, whereas every man who sent his child to school, would have to pay, in addition to the house rate, 6d per week, which will amount— allowingthe child attends forty-four weeks of the year— to £1 l^s ; if' two children, he wift pay £2 Us ; if three, £3JIQs; and if four y £4 18s. By the old Act he could only pay £2, no matter how many children he had to educate. In onr opinion, a heavier tax on houses assessed over £25 should be imposed, and tho school fees omitted altogether. Not being possessed of a copy of the Bill we are only in a position to touch upon facts given in the, columns of our contemporaries.

We hare deferred all comment on the proposed Highway Bill till we obtain a copy. When his Ilonor the Superintendent yisited this district he promised that a draft of the Bill should bo in the hands of the chairmen of the different Boards some time before the meeting of the Council his failure to carry out his promise has prevented any suggestions being made or opposition offered. There is an evident attempt on the part of the Executive to scramble it through the Council if possible. A sad accident occurred on Tluusday morning at Mount Albert, by which Mr George Bray and Mr WaUor Pell were killed. They, in company with a lad of 12 years, were employed in digging gravel. The two deceased were filling the dray at the time the boy noticed that the face of the pit was giving way. The boy called out, and ran up the sideling ; his warning w«s too late, a^nd the two unfor-' tunate men were buried, and the boy was caught and sub- ! merged to the waist and wis unable t" move. The boy called for help and was heard by Mr Sadgrove, who hurried to the spot, extricated the boy, and then ran for assistance. It was too late, however ; both men were dead when dug out. Sir J. Cracroft Wilson, C E., stated at a political meeting the other cloy that if the sale of land of hind in Canterbury continued at the present rate until 1880, the dale when the pastoral lenses expire, there would bo no runs to think about. iin that province. At the sume meeting, and m reply to a similar question, Mr Stafford said :— "I think it is wi«c on the part of those wlio desire to see tho country settled, that they bbonld not enter into engagements which will lu<t for 12 or U u-.irs aft. r 18S0. When tin* time coniea, I think, s') far as I can m>c now, thof, tho lund which then remains should be clarified i.ilo different qualities, and that there should be a fair assessment of their vulue to the countiy and to individual-, nnd I would say to the person in possession r this is the value of jour land, if you will give it jou m«.y continue on, if not, some one else must come in.'" The following statement, madu by the CamtckuroU coirespondent of a contemporary, seems to bhow that even tl o Cuiiterbuiy price of £2 per'nere lor land does not prevent, tho country being taken up in large blocks by speculator?, so (jre.it is the present demand for freehold land :—": — " Ihe land sales are continuing to present enormous proportions, over £20,000 woith hating been disposed of the other doy at one sitting of the Board. The worst feature in this bu«iness is that us a vile the land is bought in very large bloc-kj, and falls into the hands of capitalists and {.peculators. Of course tho money is paid down on the nail, but how much brtter for the country to see the land bought up in small blocks and for bond fide settlement." The following immigrants hare arrived by tho shit) Dorette, from London :=— Married men with families—Agiioultural labourers, 2; bricklayer and plasterer, 1; engine driver, 1 ; iarin labourers, 7 f hammerman, 1 ; muclmiiet, 1 ; painters, 3 ; shipbuilder, 1 ; smiths, 2 ; blacksmith, 1 j carpenters, 3 ; farmer, 1 ; gardeners, 2 ; labourers, 7 ; plasterer, 1; railway labourer, 1; shoemaker. 1; not enumerated, 4. Married men without families— Blacksmith, 1 ; gasfitter, 1; lab-jtners, 2; aawvor, 1 ; carpenter, 1 ; farm labourers, 3; pnmter, 1 ; smith, 1. Single men—Agricultural labourer*, 5 ; bu»cluTi>, 2 ; cabinetmaker, 1 ; engineers, 2 j farm labourers, tf ; fireman, 1 ; gardener's labourer, 1 ; Hammermen, 3 ; masons, 3 ; painters, 3 ; painter's labourer, 1 ; railway eer\.uits, 2 ; smiths, 2 ; smith's helper, 1 ; blacksmith, 1 ; brickluyers, 3 ; carpenters, -1 ; engineer's assistant.", 4; farmers, 3; groom, 1 ; helpers, 2; labourers, 12; porter, I j printer, 1 ; railway guard. 1 : shepherds, 2 ; tinsmith, 1 ; not enumerated, 4. Single women— Cooks, 3 ; housemaid, 1 ; paper hand, 1 ; not enumerated, 6 ; domestic servants, 13 ; laundress, 1 ; tailoress, I. The Wellington Independent, April 10th, says, that during the past fe"w days some trades-people m Wellington have been made aware of a most undesirable addition to tho " circulating medium "of the place. In one ca*e— a spurious sovereign very closely resembling the new George nnd Dragon i-sue, was successfully passed off for the genuine article, and there is leason to believe that ruoro of the same make have got into the possession of unsuspecting people. A person off his euard would accept the base coin without hesitation. The Geor»e and Diu^'on and the Victoria head are well executed, and the color of the metal is good, but a eloso examination quickly exposes the imposture, and coin being light in weight, minus the " ring " of tho legitimate sovereign. We have received a letter fiom a traveller complaining of the dangerous sta, c of some of the bridges between Ngaru.iw.ihia and Hamilton. We leirn that their immediate lepair is contemplated ; it is to be sincerely hoped that the mail coach or B.ime other vehicle uill not bre.ik through and senous damage to hfeandlimb result before their repair. Ii such a thing were to occrr, no blame can attach to us, as we have pointed to the matter at least a d,o;:eu timee. It will be seen by advertisement tint the Oxford Troupe, which has given satisfaction to those who have attended its performance*! since it arrival in the Waikato, will perform at HamiUon on Tuesd.iy ami Ngarnawabia on Wednesday. n Thnrsday evening a meeting of the country members of the Provincial Council was held at tho British Hotel. It was decided to lecjuest tho Government to delay bringing | the new Highway and Education Bills forward before Tuesday, in order that they might have time to di«est their provisions. A dividend at the rate of £20 per share (£3O paid) wos declared on 13th January at tho annual meeting of the Norwich Union Fire Office. This dividend represents a ret urn upon the original paid-up capital at the rate of 60 per cent per annum. The shares ore now worth about £200 each. The office has a reserve fund of £500,000. It is purposed to hold tho following religious services in the Waikato to-moi-row :— Chinch of England— Alexandra, II a.m. jTe Awamuti:, 3pm; Alexandra, 7 p.m. ; Hamilton, 11 a.m. ; Niinruawahia, 630p m. Wesleyan Methodist — Cambridge, 11 a.m. ; Pukerimu, 230 p.m. ; Hamilton, 6.30 p m. ; Tp Awaniutu, 11 a.m. Mr Phillips moved in Ibe Council that the Superintendent would cause to be plaoed on the estimates the sum of £2.">0 for the puich.ise of a steam tire engine for the city of U'U M.I. We trust that His Ilonor the Superintenfl< ' ' nothing of tho s>ort The people of Auckland ! ' i.neroiiß and rich enough to purchase a lire (ii ilitiin&ehea. i. - jiv cilled by the Pukekura Koad Board for (he oxeciii...ii of load work in that district. Also by Mr j Yiaiou for t lie erection of an hotel ut Hamilton. It will be seen by our telegraphic column tint tho sle.imer Pretty Jane left Napier last evening with 32 head of cattle rtiid i.'oo nheep for Auckland. The annual meeting of tlie Centnil Wmknto Agticultural A«ocution will be liekl on Wednesday i.cxl at TeAwamutu Aifcr the im cling, 'the tterdary will be prepared lopny all amounts itil. due to pi i/c winneit Mi bhtcli.ui staled in t.:o I'mvi'icial Council that 557 non.i'iat.oiih h\ 'thr fucn-is of intending lmmigrantnto this pio; i.ko had liu-n in-Mlr .since the )nt J.uiu.uy. Thunnilb foi .».n." U , . v . Europe, «.\.c , close' in Auckland , on 'J'iko!,^, .ii 10JJO .v.m