The Waikato Times "OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA" SATURDAY, MARCH 20,1875.

Waikato Times, Volume VIII, Issue 444, 23 March 1875, Page 2

The Waikato Times "OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA" SATURDAY, MARCH 20,1875.

We have no desire to <&*^fc£ from the praise due to those who by theirVtfe^y have succeeded in Organizing, for the last tHree years, an Agricultural Show at Te Awamutu. may, however, be permitted to point out that each year the show has taken place since the first, it has not evidenced improvement, but on the contrary, retrogression has been abundantly apparent. The quality of the prize animals has been about the same, but there lias each year been fewer of them. This, we take it, is the natural result of drawing exhibits from a very limited area of coun try. It does not take long for farmer B to find out that farmer 0 has a better animal to show than he. Under those circumstances unless farmer B is a very enthusiastic supporter of the show, it could hardly be expected that he wonld exhibit, well knowing that defeat must follow. The consequence of thisNjs, that farmer C walks off the prize, year after yeaSk and the object is defeated, which we take it iljjjo -jretruct visitors through their visual organs, the for* first-class animals should assume. We do not say that it has beenthe case in many instances, but in some, certainly, second-class animals took prizes. This would not have been the case, had the show been a general, instead of a partial one, and the public would hxve had the benefit. of instruction, they have not now received There is another side to the question, one of the objects of shows is to urge breeders and producers to exertioii^and limited stimulation can only result in limited pit-ogress. A breeder for instance, who finds that hei^a salmon amongst minnows, is apt to fancy that he is a great breeder, whereas if he were brought in contact with the " silmon " of other districts, he would discover that after all he was only a very " little great man," the most useful lesson he could possibly acquire. Unity has been often talked about, and urged by us and admitted to be the thing desired, there the matter has hitherto ended. We refrain* -from suggesting any scheme by which unity can- be attained, unless it be the meeting of the representative men of the different "Pedlingtons." Nd^ce might bo given to the officer commanding the district, who would no doubt find a sufficient force to prevent any bread? of the peace taking place. But to look at the matter seriously, we cannot help expressing our opinion that good as the shows have been at Te Awamutu, they hxve done harm to the district, rather than good. We think so for the reason that they have sent strangers away only half instructed as to the capabilities of the Waikato, If no show had been called together these men would very probably have gone about and ascertained facts for thejtisfeives. The Waikato cannot afford to be divided In any matter whether political or social. United, it is a power to be felt and respected, split into sections it is weak and cannot command the respect of any body of men be they breeders, agriculturists, or politicians. It is for U3 to tell the people the truth, and if they will not benefit by it, the fault is not ours.

It will be seen by advertisement that the receiver of the Education Rate gives notice that he will summons all who have not paid their rates to the local collector before tho 29th instant. ' We recornjnend all to act upon this warning. Nearly everybody considers the tax objectionable, but as it is levied according to law, to resist it only entails expense and annoyance. The next general election will be the time to take action. We call attention to' Mr J. P. Neill's sale of $fessrs Bridgman's stock, &c. which will commence fit half-past one to-morrow (Wednesday). There was a good muster at the meeting of the Gun Club, on Saturday, in Mr Claude's paddock, when a sweepstake was fired at the Gyro, with the following results :— Mr Steele, 3; Mr Woolly, 4 ; JVIr Claude, 4 ; CaptDawson, 5 ; Mr Hammond, 2; JMr Hay 4; Mr Pilling, 3; Mr A. E. Cox, 2: Mr Wood, 5 ; Mr -Whitaker, 2-; Mr Campbell, 3. There was a considerable attendance of spectators to witness the contest. We, Cross, learn that the insurances on the pro. perty destroyed or injured at the fire at Parnell, on Friday night are as follows : — Mr Olson : Stock, fixtures, and plant, £2,950 ; factory, £400 : dwel-ling-house, .£3OO ; furniture, £100; total, £3,750. The dwelling-house and furniture were insured in £ho New Zealand, the rest in the South British. Mrs Meurant's house was insured in the New Zealand Company for £200 ; Mr Blunden, in the South British, for £20Q. The ruins were still smouldering v/esterday. Jtfo clue has been found as to the cause iif the fire. The workman Mfc in charge by Mr *)lson left the premises at 5 o'clock, having extinguished the fires and looked up the pl.ice. Mr iblso'n estimates his los*3 in the item of stock alone A £4,000. 'Vhe speech of Sir Q. Grey .it the Thames only joachfd us last ewuiug by ooach. W"ft have only ftad t'me to cmsorily glance at it. - 3-1 an ;/ of his »,<>r>tiraents we entirely disagree with, and otiiers we <<in only partially absent to. We fchall trent (ho patter of his speech at length in our next. We al-tj disappoiuU-tl.

priCtt^OX ttU UVHUVi.^ ituiuwax uo.tau«u« -, «,- •. •• will be £een that the entertainment by the Hamilton Entertainment Committee will not be held till next Tuesday, the 30th instant. We have to apologise to those of our subscribers who did not receive their 1 papers last issue at the proper time. The delay was caused by the breaking of part of the machinery, which was mended in a few hours and the result of the accident remedied as soon as possible. We have received a circular from Mr Wise the publisher of " A Digest of the Law and Practise of the Resident Magistrates and District Courts." If this book is what it is represented to be, it should be in the hands of every J.P. It has been compiled by Mr Barton a barrister of some standing in Dunedin. We have been requested to intimate that all the papers necessary to be filled up in order that a foreigner may become naturalized, can bo procured from Mr Searancke, the Resident Magistrate, at his office in Hamilton, information as to the necessary steps will be given. We remind thoso not British subjects, that it is necessary they should have t^emse^es gazetted such before they can fulfil any jamei^Kor political office. The case of Mi Yon der Hyde should be freak in the memory oi all. ijjt**The trirfl of "a liew sheep-shearing machine ( says the Argus) was made on January 30th at the stores of Messrs J. H. dough and Co, Collins-street west, The machine is one of American invention, and was introduced here by Mr Coucho, of Stuart, Couche and Co, under whose attention it was brought during his recent visit to the United States. He was there informed that by means of this machine exports could shear as many as 30 sheep in the hour. The trial yesterday was merely of a preliminary character, and it is intended in tlio course of a few days to publicly test tho merits of the machine in a satisfactory manner. The shearing apparatus consists of a comb, across which two small knives are moved rapidly, the motive power being furnislTed b^iurning a wheel, whereby these knives are set to work. The shearer, who was entirely unaccustomed to the machine, took about a quarter of an hour to shear a large ram. This time can scarcely be taken as an indication of the value of the machine, for no doubt witli practice far more satisfactory results could be obtained. We have received the following letter from Cambridge. " A gentleman who has recently come to live amongst us is rather fond of shooting, he took it into his head bhe other day to go to Maungatawhiri 'to try and get a shot at some pigeons. Being a stranger to that locality, he tried to get a native boy to show him through the bush, but none being procurable he readily accepted the proffered assistance 9£ aSglgantic adult, and proceeded in his company^gretiuy to the alarm of the natives present both male and female, who knew that the guide and protector of the Pakeha Avas Wira, for whose arrest there is a warrant out, for being an accomplice of Parukutu in the murder of Sullivan. After the two had been in the bush for some time, a solitary shot was heard, the friendly natives waited for some time in a state of suspense, and at last saw emerging from the bush the native, carrying a gun, and followed by the Pakeha, who saddled up and proceeded on his homeward journey. The gentleman I imagine would not have felt very comfortable had he known to whom he had entrusted his guidance ?tnd game." — M.A.C. " iEgles,-" in the Australasian, writes thus touching the operations of the £>ank 0 £ New Zealand in Melbourne. — The (New Zealand) eagle has fluttered the (banking) Volscians in Corioli (Collins street). On 'Change there were at least fifty explanations of the high bid for cash. New Zealand generall)' was becoming hard-up — the New Zealand Bank was going to lose the Government account, which would leave a gap of ,£300,000 in deposits to be filled from somewhere — it was paying out some ot the Melbourne Institutions for their rivalry in New Zealand — the bank was a political institution backed by and backing the enterprising Mr Vogel, -'who never travelled with less than £100,000 New Zealand debentures in his trousers, pockets. On the other band, the suggestions as to reprisals were just as judicious and numerous. Let them have a couple of hundred thousand for thirty days at five per cent, and then claim it — smother them with money at their own rate. Or else fight the amiable stranger by bidding just as high for money as he. Unless matters soon adjust themselves satisfactorily, there will be metaphorical wigs on the green in the money market. It is very seldom that we hear of a grog-loring Chinaman, but when we do so that disciple of Confucius is usually a heavy partaker of his favorite beverage. Our, Otago Daily "Times" country reporter writes : — An interesting individual lives at Clyde. He is a fine specimen of his race, and can do a day's work witli any white man in the Dunstan district. At striking at a blacksmith's anvil he excels all others, and may. frequently bo seen wielding the heaviest of sledge hammers at the heaviest of possible jobs. 'In-'* -\vjays that are dark," this Mongolian's peculiar weakness is brandy. Lie will consume a bottle of the besi and strongest Heimessy with only once taking biv.ith, or gulj) down a tumbler full witlyas little trouble Lo himself as a European will cx]>C7id in Mvnllovi ing the same quantity of porter. Should anyone bo cm ions enough to put to practical test this dark-skinned child of the Flowery Land's br.mdy consuming abilities by paying two shillings for a full half-pint, he will drink it up long before you have settled your speculations as to whether he had really done so or not, while, to make you thoroughly assured that you have not been mistaken, will a.sk foi more. People invariably fail to see thi.s, as, after i-ccover-ing from their astonishment at John's performance they are quite convinced of his ability to put away a much larger quantity than they feel themselves inclined to pay for. No publican permits this " heathen Chinee " to measure out his own nobbier, but religiously performs that little office /or him, at the same time keeping strict guard over the bottle until greeted with the well-known adieu of " Welly good, thankee," and their customer has reached the door. The sale of the herd of Mr Gilbey, at Ilargrave park, in Essex, attracted a largo attendance of breeders and others, some 200 poisons being present at tho luncheon, at which Lord Chesham presided. Fifty- one head of cattle were offered and the following are among the highest prices made — prices far ahead of anything ever before attained by Channel Island stock : — Cows and heifers — 'Duchy,' three years old, 255 guineas, the Duke of Bedford ; ' Lightsome,' twenty months old, 255 guineas, Mr H. Jenkins ; ' Duchess,' nearly seven years old, 215 guineas, Colonel Wilson ; ' Milkmaid,' nearly eight years old, 155 guineas, Mr Sharpless, Philadelphia ; ' Milkgirl,' about two years and a half old, 150 guineas: 'Day .Star,' two years old, 125 guineas f and 'Tal,' two years and a half old, 110 guineas, the Duke of Bedford ; ' Smirk,' nearly one year, 00 guineas, Mr Brown ; ' Margin,' twenty months old, 80 guineas, Mr Tower ; ' Milklike,' seventeen months old, 75 guineas, Mr Beadcl; ' Milkly,' four months, 70 guineas, Mr Simpson. Other females mule from GO guineas down to 20 guineas. The 18 cows le.iched the extraoidinnry average of £90 lO.s Cd. The nine bulls vaiied from 12 guineas tt 52 guineas. ' Banlioy,' fetching the latter piice i from <Jaj>! tin l\iiruiuri ; ' Ducal,' a very promising bull, two yenrs old, m.ulc 40 guineas to Mr Gibson. TLo tut'il amount of *h rt u\)r yes 3.0^6 "iiinevi,