The Waikato Times. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1878.

Waikato Times, Volume XI, Issue 886, 26 February 1878, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1878.

Equal and oxact justice to all men, Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political. * • ♦ • • Here shall the Press the Pbopis's right maintain, Unawed by influence and nnbribed by gain.

The meetings of householders for the appointment of School Committees, for the ensuing year, take place this week and next, throughout the Waikato. That for Pukeie was held yesterday, and the elections >t Cambridge, Hamilton East and Hamilton West, Ohaupo, and Puke--1 rimu take place oa Thursday j at, Jlautapu on Friday ; and on -atnrday at Alexandra, Harapipi, Kiblkihf, >gahinepouri, Paterangi, Kangiaobia, Rangiriri, Te Awamutu, and Waitoa ; while Ngaruawahia and WlwtaWhata finish the school elections on Monday next. Too little attention is paid to this matter by the public generally, and the election of school cotuniittees is allowed to come and go wi'hout exciting the slightest interest or attention. Men of intelligence and experience m educational matters will not be bothered with the office, and it is left to go beggiug till, as we have frequently seen, the local coin mil tee is m quite as much ueed of the schoolmaster as are the children of the district. In a matter ao largely »ff<ctiug the welfare of, society this should not be. We have vow an Education Act for the colony on the successful working of which will depend m a very great degree the future of New Zealand aa ft people. We live under liberal institutions which give (he chi d of the poorest man among us the opportunity of rising to the highest posi'.ion m the Si ate, and which practically place m the hands of all the guidance of the Legislature. Even now, liberal as ! our const tuti'.>n m, v v seriously : proposed to withdraw the alight I harrier which n nominal qu.iliScatiou prescribes, aud to placet he highest power of a people, the election of

its rulers, iv the h v,;. ;•' u>o public at large — m one Wvjih i : i.i»iu»urate a system of univorhmi *;>ft' .40, This change may be, and »vr> r»v,.xt m New Zealand, is yet afar off', bu toom ■ to it sooner or Inter every Au^lo- . tiaxon community must m tho natural ripening to maturity of the social plant. The question of wise iqhd will be, not how to prevent it, but how to prepare for it, and stay j as much as poasible its approach, till the mass of the people are m a condition to use aud not abase so great . a trust. j And clearly the education of the ' people is the great preparatory | coarse. They must wash m the Jordan of Education ere they can ' go forth clean from the leprosy of : ignorance and its attendant degradation. For years the Parliament of New Zealand has been struggling to afford this baptism of intellectual regeneration to the children of the colony, and till the last session of the Assembly bad failed m producing a system of national education which commanded a general sapport. We * aye such a measure cow, and it is the duty ot each one of us to assist m carrying its provisions to a happy fruition. As individuals we can do this, and the opportunity, the very foundation stone which we are called upon to lay, is the appointment of our local committees for the faithful and intelligent working of the Act. i The namber of members constituting a School Committee has been ' fixed by the Act at seven, and the manner of election by ballot. Each householder qualified to vote may distribute his seven votes as he pleases, either by giving all to one candidate, or three to one candidate and four to another, or by giving 1 one vote to each of seven candidates, or m any other way he cares to distribute them. And there is another matter for consideration at the annual meetings about to take place, whioh m some cases it would be desirable to discuss — not that the meeting has the power to decide it one way or the other, bat that publio opinion might gnide and strengthen the incoming committee m their determination upon it. We allude to the bringing into force the compulsory clauses of the Act, which by clause 95, can only come into operation "m any school distriot upon the vote of a majority of the committee of such district." In purely rural districts perhaps no necessity for this occurs, but m the larger centres of population, and even m our rising Waikato townships, the necessity for bringing into force tbe compulsory clauses of the Act is every day forcing itself more plainly upon ua. The percentage of the infantile population which attends the district schools is far less than it should be, and the irregularity of the attendance is calculated to lessen to a very serious degree the value of the education imparted. There is growing up amongst us an unintelligent ignorant generation which oar edacation system, as at present applied, fails to touch, and even now the seeds of larrikiuism and the criminal class which larrikinism developes have struck root m every hamlet m the colony. As a community grows these will grow too, and, unless we take the only means to eradicate them at the outset, we shall find when too late, as other colonial and American communities older than we are have found, that the larrikin and hoodlum re masters of the situation. Education is the means, and the only means to keep down this dangerous class, and where Education is refused, it must be insisted upon, just as the law forbids the Public Health to be imperilled because this one or that one is wilfully neglectful of or carelessly apathetic to the safeguard of vaccination. Nor are the compulsory Clauses of the Act harsh m their operation. Children between the ages of seven and thirteen are thereby required to attend a public school, but only when that school is within two miles by the nearest road from the residence of such child, and even then, only for a period oi half the year during which tbe school is usually Open. But there are several pleas for exemption altogether. The parent, or guardian, has but to satisfy the committee that the child is receiving efficient or regular instruction elsewhere, that it m preclude! fron attending from sickness, danger^ of infection, temporary or permanent infirmity, or other una- j voidable causes — that the road between the child's residence and school is unfit for a child of its age to travel, or that it has reached a certain standard of education — they have only to satisfy the committee, we say, upon any one of these pleas and the child is exempt fioin com* pulsory attendance. j There is, too, another reason why the public, on this occasion, should take more interest m the elect im of , local school committees than they j have hicuerto done. Heretofore, the members of the Education Boards of the colony have been nominated by the Government, and we have had instances m Waik tto — the case of Easr Hami'ton is on 3 m pomt — where a whole district hus suffered m educational maters f'om the caprice of a Board which, nominated by the Government, looked upon itself ac above aud beyond the people. The Boards are now elective, and the election of their d embers is vested m the hands of the local committees.

Bablow's Cibcus opens to nightY m Hamilton. Tenders, for cutting at Claude's Hill, Kirikiriroa, will bo received to-day. Oddfellow's Lodob Mbi^ting.—Members of the Hamilton Lodge are requested to attend the next Lodge meeting to-day, for the consideration of important business. Whabfagh at Mbecbb. — A notice appears m our advertising coluihns that on and after the 27 th mat wharfage on certain goods will be charged on tho . Meroer Wharf both oxport and import. j Church op Enolahd PaVsonaob, Cahbredob — Tenders will be received T>y Mr I D. Richardson, Cambridge, for additions j to the above parsonage, up to 4 p.m. of j Saturday next. j Mb Georoe Surra, till within the last ! two years m business m Hamilton as a chemist and druggist, has returned again to that town, and is now practising^ a surgical and mechanical dentist.'. During ' his absence from Hamilton Mr Smith has , given considerable attention and study to the art of dentistry. Hamilton will bo musical with pigs this afternoon from the falsetto of the ; innooent porker to the -deep baas of the old bear, the patriarch of : the herd. Mr Kennedy Hill will deliver a lecture on the points and advantages of the true Berkshire breed, and will illustrate his remarks from time to time by living specimens offered to his audience from the celebrated herd of Mr R. W. Hammond,. Election of . School C^mmtotbes. — Meetings 'of' ratepayers will be Jhold on Thursday next, m the several,' Bchoolhouses, for the election of school committees for the current" year — at Cambridge, at 4 p.m.; at Hamilton East, at 4 p.m.; at Hamilton West, at 7 p.m.; at Ohaupo, at 7 p.m.; and at Pukerimu, at 7 p.m. Borough Council Chambers. —It is notified for general information that, for the present, the office of the .Hamilton Borough. Council is the office of 'the Town Clerk, Mr J, M. GeUing, m Victoria Street. The office is open for the transaction of ordinary business from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. A Small Sewing Machine, platform and hand, sent from Hamilton to Cambridge by Carter's coach on Saturday is missing.- It is supposed to have been wrongly delivered, or atany-rate has gone astray, and information of its whereabouts is, m advertisement elsewhere, asked for either by Mr Carter or Mr T. C. Hammond. The Wool Clip fob California for 1877 is put down at 53,110,7001b5., and the value of wool exported; at 9,500,000 dollars. In this article of produce the dry year proved a disastrous brie to sheepraisers, and it will take some years for the wool-growing interest to recover from the check it has received. The Census. — Some little surprise has been expressed that up to the present time, though the census is to be taken on the night of Sunday next, no. papers have been left at the houses of residents m Waikato. We now learn that on Saturday last two Sergeants and a number of constables arrived m Cambridge from the Taupo Road party. They are ' told off to collect the census returns m the Waikato district, and commenced work yesterdy m a house to house delivery of the census papers to be filled up by householders. The New Roman Catholic Chubch was opened at Cambridge 0n Sunday last by the Vicar General,, the .{very Bevd. H. J. Fynes, and the ceremony was a very grand and impressive one. The church was crowded with people, Protestants of every denomination being present, as well as the members of the Holy Catholic Church. The Vicar General preached a most excellent ' and impressive sermon, ■and the collection m the morning amounted to no less a sum than £25. ; The evening vespers were well attended-,* and the singing was very effective^ -.The erection of handsome commodious churches m so many of these settlement's a matter of oredit to and congratulation by the faithful m Waikato. Educational;:— At the meeting of the Board of Education held on Friday, a petition from Te Awamutu, for £50 for removal of a cottage, to servje as teacher's residencej was granted ; as was,- also, the use of ah immigrant cottage.at Hamilton, the property of the Board, applied for by j the Borough Council, as a Council Chamber. A petition was received from Te Rore, that the locality should be constituted an educational district, and the application was referred to the Inspector, to report upon it. The Engineer was ordered to prepare plans for a schoolhouse at Pukete, and the Board resolved to accept the offer of an acre of land at Huntley, as a site for a school building, and that the meeting of. householders for the election of the local committee should be advertised. Mb Tweed is revealing the history of his management of New York. He states, among other facts, that he repeatedly brought legislative assistance with the money plundered from the city, and on one occasion carried a harter Act by an expenditure of £120,000. The tariff for Senators varied, but when a man was inftuental, he; demanded £10,000 for his vote, and received £8000. The payments were made usually m money, which was paid, as a rule, through the editor of the 'Commercial Advertiser,' a Mr Hastings, who himself received only £5000. Mr Hastings denies the charge, as do also the Senators ; but as regards the latter, public opinion appears to be very hostile. It would appear from the conversations, as reported by Tweed, that some of the Senators, poor men. from the interior, hardly realised that they were being bribed, but took the money as " gratifications," as Charles Fox called them, Senators declining, m one or two instances, to receive more than their colleagues. ' Spectator,' October 13. Pukekura Highway Boards.— At the monthly meeting of the Pukekura Highway Board, held on Saturday last tho following resolution, proposed, by Mr Frances Hicks, and seconded by Mr Joseph Ganc, was carried unaminously : " That m the opinion of this board the present system of rating, based on the I annual value to let, thereby taxing tho I expenditure of the industrious settler is most unfair, and that the basis of rating should be on the unimproved value of the ! land only, thus making absentees and speculating holders pay a fair oontribui tion to the roads and other improvements by which their lands are beinsr increased m value." It was also agreed that the Chairman b« reqnosted to write to the Chalamen of the neighbouring Boards with the view of securing joint action m peti- j tioning the Government m this matter. - Musical CBrriotsir.— ln the way of musical criticism we have seen nothin" I more frank and em phatic than the following on a pianoiorte performance m Australia: — "After Mamade's concert! was over, a critica I listener quietly took us aside, and gave vent as follows to his 1 pent-up feelings : I tell you, mister, she was a slasher. Ou :• Jennie could not hold ! a candle to her. VTu-n -ihe first sat down she looked kind o'wild ; then with a howl she dug her finger-nails into them 'ere rough notes, an shut 'em like lightning up into the thin ones. Then she paused for a reply, mister. She then commenced at the right-hanc. aide, wont rippling down hand over i'st, till she got clean down, making a noise like thunder. She then yanked a handful of notes out of the (Jentre and planted them at the end, thou

wriggled around with two fingers, grabbed up another fistful, punched right and left, went ripety-hopety-scotch up and down, and I toll you that 'ere pianner howled. She then gave another snort, and when she went she bustled m like mad, raised up off her chair, stuffed three fingers there, caromed six more m the corner, .gobbled up a few more tunes, and settled their hash m about a minute. After that she taoked it with the left hand alone. Between you and mo, mister, tho man that own 3d that 'ere pianner went shifting aroung on his chair as though he had a | carpet tack under him. Good night, | mister.' " l' Manubb and Shallow Ploughing.— i Mr John Wallace, at the dinner of tho j Waiuku Agricultural Association, is re- ! ported to have said, he thought farmers m future should go more m for growing wheat than formerly. The wheat shown that day was very good. He stated that . a neighbour of his had grown 92 acres of wheat, and tho average yield was thirtyI five bushels per acre, which was more profitable than grazing cattle. Ingrowing wheat manuring was required, and he was sure it paid well. He gave a piece of land bonedust at the rate of 30s per acre. He was sure he had got an increased yield of £4 13s. He used Bell's boneflour, and drilled it m with seed. He knew one who tried an experiment m regard to ploughing. One portion was ploughed deep, and weeds sprung up m great. abundance; the other portion he scarified, and gave a fair supply of manure. The wheat came up, ohoked the weeds, and on this portion of the farm he had a splendid crop, and he thought that shallow ploughing and good manuring would pay well m this provinoe. • Mr Bukley, another of the judges, m responding, referred to fanning m general, and said, where he had used the beat manure he had always the best results. When good farming did not pay, they might be sure that bad and slovenly farming would not pay. Where he had applied the most manure he had always had the best results. Where he usually applied £4 for manure, when he extended that to £10, he found he had then better results. Plenty of manure made good farming, and without it good orops would not be obtained. The Alexandra Deputation. —In answer to the reiterated statement of the Auckland ' Star ' that the deputation re the defence of Alexandra was ill timed Mr Gordon C. V. Tisdall writes a second time to that paper as follows :— « I regret that you still cling to the word « ill-timed' as applicable to the statement made to Sir George Grey, regarding the defenceleßSstate of this settlement. All the more so, as m so doing you reflect upon the Premier, who himself appointed the time to receive the deputation, at the same time receiving a memo, of the matters that would be laid before him. Premiers' visits to this district must necessarily be like those of angels— few and far between —also so brief that I fear we would not have time to consult you m the matter A true word may be said m jest, so possibly you may remember the old song (neither song nor moral being the worse for being old), 'Gather your rosebuds while ye may.' Perhaps you will allow me space to state one reason why the Premier did not receive as hearty a welcome here as m most of the other townships, and the fact bears out the representations made relative to the neglect from which this district has been, and is still sufferings A few days ago I asked a warm supporter of the present Ministry why he or no one from his settlement (on the , Waipa) oame to weloome the Premier. He said, 'Oh! We only get one mail weekly, late on Saturday (the Premier arrived on the previous Thursday), and, therefore, we knew nothing of it until it was all over.' Your contemporary the ' Herald,' iv its issue of the 14th inst., suggests the resus.citation of the atrocious policy that we trusted had been buried m the grave of its advocate, namely, that of settling the natives among us along the banks' of the Waipa. When Sir D. McLean mooted that policy, it was held to be so detrimental to the best interests of the country £, j * ve] 7 largely attended meeting was held here, and resolutions passed which were forwarded to Sir George Grey, and materially strengthened his hands when he was much m need of support. It would really appear as if the Auckland press had combined to write us down."