The Waikato Times. "OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1874.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 343, 25 July 1874, Page 2

The Waikato Times. "OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1874.

i) r Vowel's statement is the most cheering that has (\vi- Lftii deliuicd in the Assembly cf New ZeaIhikl. It is bo in the first place, because it shows unprecedented prosperity, aud in the second, because the Treasurer, by tl.e principles lie has enunciated, ha^ picked that lie is r.ot a reckleFS politician, but railer tl.at his coinage is tempeied with prudence. This is nioie gi'atifying because there is every probability of his retaining the helm for some lime to •conic. The i'l'ticipp-U-d surplus fiom last jear i& pioud to 1 {^c been \ at-'cd upon a fake hypothesis; vlio 1 all liiililitirw were discharged tliera was a s nail dri ciency. 'liw u mis upor which the loans duui " the past year have beeu contracted have aiipcnrcd in oiu ' cokn-s ficiii time to time, it is

there-ore u"ucc<s-nry for us to icier to them. Mr | Voyelpoiu.i on I, however, that the rncai rale of inUav&t paid on the Public Wov]:s:iml Immigration Loan is £4 Ik lid pc:- cent. ThL, abliough it appears to colouuii iimmcioi-s a low Kite of interest, ifc quite high enough to tempt lioiuo capitalists to ijivcj.l, provided the &ccurity ofi'ercd is passably good. Taking the average price of Consols at 92, they pay interest at the rate of £3 5s 2U, being, according to Mr Vogel's calculation, £1 9s Ski per cent, less than procurable by investment in the New Zealand securities. This, to persons who live on their invested money makes a \ery material difference in their incomes, so long therefore as the finances of tho Colony are managed with prudence there should be no difficulty in raising in the London market any sum required. The increase in. tho Land Fund, although very satisfactory, no doubt, to those who have to meet Parliament with as smiling a countenance as possible, yet it must not be forgotten that the sums that have flowed into the Exchequer represent bo much of tho stock of the colonial store disappeared ; stock that it is impossible to replace. If the greater proportion of the land which so large a revenue represents had passed into the hands of bonaflde settlers, then indeed would the large increase in land. revenue be subject for congratulation, we fear, however, that from the want of a Land Law somewhat similar to that of tho other colonies, large tracts of country will not be utilised for years. It is quite time that a clause should bo inserted in all CiwuGi'ants, compelling occupation and improvement before the land shall pass absolutely to tho purchaser. Unless this be done very shortly, it is not difficult to foresee that the owners of land will be few in number, and from their vr^t territorial possessions, 'exercise an influence over the destinies of the colony that cannot fail to be prejudicial. As a matter of policy, to say nothing of justice, no man should be allowed fco obtain land from Government unless he is prepared to occupy and improve it either himself,"or by deputy. If this were tho case, there would be plenty of land for all. It is not very difficult to foresee, and only a very short distance ahead, a land famine that will stop immigration and retard the progress of the colony. The great speculators will look on, and the greater the scarcity, the tighter they will hold. Mr Vogel is an enterprising politician, and, without doubt, the above faces are as patent to him as to any man who chooses to watch the course of events. He is powerless, however, if he attempted to stem tho current of land speculation he would be out of office in a week. The people must do the work for themselves by, at the next election, only voting for men pledged to prevent the estate of the colony falling into the hands of a few. We purpose in future issues to treat upon other questions that are suggested by the Treasurer's statement.

ihe *i\ men charged with stealing a canoe were relfased on bail on Thursday. There being only one Justice of tho Pence in Nj/aruawnhio, the hearing of the case has been adjourned till Monday next, when the Resident Magistrate will sifc at (lint township. Another derth has been added to ths list of mortality that htis ocnnred in Auckland during the past few days, that of Mr W. Rat tray, who expired on Thursday evening last, offer nn illness of short duration. Mr Ratlray'a loss will, we kaie no doubt, bo keenly ielfc by h lar>o number of friends in conjunction with whom he was ever ready to assist in eieiy cuiso that was etilculated to promote the general well-bung of Ins fellow citizens. The following is n classification of trades of the immigrants per Mihtiadps :— Males— 3 railway laborers, 1 stableman, 4 bricklayers, 2 joiners, 2 Inilow, 2 "farmers, 2 ploughmen, *7 mechanics, 1 builders' laborer, 2 plumbers, 6 carpenters, 1 wheelunghl, 1 carter, 2 travellers, 2 unenuraernted, 39 laborers, 25 f.irm laborers, 1 shepherd, 5 gavdenu's, 2 grooms, 1 sawyer, 1 engineer, 3 miners, 3 painters, 2 bootmakers, 2 blacksmiths, 5 smiths, 3 plaste.-crs, 4, bakers, 1 platelayer. Females— lo general servants, 4 funn servant-, 1 dairjmaid, 14 domestic t>ei vants, 1 dressmaker, 1 nu»-sc, 4 cooks, i housemaids, 1 laundiess. It is purposed to hold the following religious services in the Waikato to-morrow -.—Church of England—M^aruawahia, 11 a.m. ; (Jhaupo, 11 a in. ; Te Awamutu, 3°p-m. ; Kihikihi 0.30 ii.m.; Cum bridge. 11 a m.; Hamil<on,6.3op.m. Woslevan Methodist— Te A'namiitu, 11 am ; Pnkerimu. 230 pm. ; Cambridge, 630 p.m. ; Hamilton, 630 p.m. United Presbyterian end Congregational — Rungiaohia, 11 a.m. The following shows the percentage, calculated on the admission, ol cases in which drunkenness is assigned ns a cause of insunity, in Viciona and other countries : Victoria, 22 20; Scotland, 19-60; France, 22 80; Hanover, 6*00; Unitod States (Pennsylvania), 33 00; England (Bethleham), 12 50. It appears tLat, on December 31, 1873, the total m niber of re-iisten-d lunatics in the colony of Victoria, in other words, Ihe tola! number of persons officially known to be of iinsiumd mind, wu 8 2555, of whom 1379 were males and 9c>o ic malts. It will he si en by ndveilisemcnt that owing to an error in a former acheitisement the meeting of the Kgaruawahia Town Board will not bo held til' the 31st July.