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Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1103, 19 July 1879, Page 2

Higher Education. — The interim report of the Commission upon Higher Education is now m the hands of the Ministers, a>id will be at once placed on the table of the Assembly. It recommends that there should be one University for the colony, that is, one degree-con-ferring body, with four colleges, situated m Dunedin, Christcluirch, Wellington, and Auckland. It recommends that £35,009 should be spent m erecting colleges m Wellington and Auckland, so as to put these cities on a par with Christchurch and Dunedin. At each place there will be four or five professors, and the chairs will be English, classics, mathematics, physic, and natural sciences. Each professor is to have a salary of £600 or £700 per annum, and there was a difference of opinion as to whether the University should, m the discharge of its functions, be peripatetic. The Otago members of the Commission voted to have it fixed at Dunedin, while most of the others were for making it peripatetic. Mr O'Rorke and Mr Gisborne, however, voted with the Otago men, who, m consequence, won the victory.

Mb T. Bell, lately of the Thames, and who has been appointed by 'the Auckland Board of Education teacher of singing to the public schools m Waikato, arrived m

Hamilton yesterday. Mr Bell comes to this district not only accredited as a teacher of music by the Education Board, but with the very highest testimonials of ability and general worth from many of the principal residents of the Thames, where, for some time past, he has been engaged on similar duties, both at the local schools and m private families. The testimonials speak very warmly of

Mr Bell's proficiency and, what is of quite as much importance, his apfcitnde for imparting instruction. It will be seen elsewhoro that, besides giving instructions m the pianoforte and harmonium, it is his intention to establish singing classes m the several "Waikato townships, on the tonic-sol-fa system or the notative as his pupils may desire. Such classes would do much to improve not merely the young but the older musicians amongst us. Mr Joseph Browne m Auckland, for many years by the working of such olasses, has done much to improve the general culture of voices and mnsical ability m Auckland, and the opportunity now afforded will, doubtless, be availed of by many, and arrangements be made for the starting of such classes m more than one Waikato Township.

The Annual Meeting of members of the Cambridge Branch of the Auckland Acclimitisation Society will be held at Cambridge this afternoon, at the Duke of Cambridge hotel, at 4 o'clock. The Pakurakgi Hounds meet at Cambridge, at 11 a.m., on Monday next.

Mr J. S. Buckland will hold a special sale at Cambridge to-day, at t o'oclock, when some valuable horse stock will be offered. *

Sale op Engravings. — Mr John Kuox "was to have offered for sale to-day, at 1 o'clock, at the Public Ha11, .. Cambridge;

one hundred choice engravings, handsomely framed, but the sale has been postponed until the following Saturday, at the same time and place, m consequence of the Hall being occupied by the Native Lands Court.

Tab Annual meeting of the ratepayers of the Newcastle Highway District will be held at Messrs. Carpenter and Byron's, Te Kowhai, at 2 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon next.

Messrs. J. D. axd K. Hill will offer for sale to-day, at 2 p.m., the house and land on which it stands, m East Hamilton, belonging to Mr J. S. Jackson.

Applications, with testimonials, will be received by the Chairman of the Kihikihi Highway Board up to 3 p.m. of the

6th August, from persons desirous of undertaking the combined offices of Secretary, Valuator and Collector te the Board. The salary is fixed at £32 per annum, with 5 per cent, on, the amount of rates collected.

A Meeting of the Hamilton Caval y Contingent is called for this evening, at Pearce's Commercial Hotel.

The Hahiltoit Extension Line is now nearly finished. The engine with ballast ran up as far as tho station ground m Victoria-street on Thursday morning. The contractor has made very good progress with the work all through, up to some six weeks ago the weather having been most favorable. The Stationma&ter's House at the new Hamilton Station is nearly finished, and the station building and platform are m a forward state. The line will be completed sufficient for traffic m a fortnight, and if the Railway Officials choose, goods and passengers can then come direct into the township.

New Zealand Colonists it would seem are the greatest liquor consuming' people m the world. Hitherto America has been considered to hold that position, as every man woman and child m the States spends £2 10s on drink annnally. But m New Zoaland we beat our American Cousins hollow. Recent statistical returns show that New Zealand occupies the premier position amongst the imbibing nations of the earth, as with a population under half a million of souls £i per head is spent annually on intoxicating drinks, or a total of £2,000,000. Our national debt now roaches the respectable total of £22,000,000, and some people are already shaking their Leads seriously, and wondering how it is to be paid. Our public works only produce enough to pay the interest on the debt. Were the money spent m drink annually by our people devoted to the liquidation of the national debt, m eleven years we would owe nothing. Our working population would save one million sterling annually by being total abstainers.' There is something for the G-ood Templars to work upon. New Zealand m the Money Markgt • — -"We understand that a cablegram has been received of the sale m London, by the National Bank of Mew Zealand, oi Lyttlcton Harbour Board loan 'for £200,000 bearing 6 per cent, interest at an average price of £102 7s lOd, and that the Christchurch Drainage Board Loan of £106,000, also 6 per cent., had been sold a few days previously by the Bank of New Zealand. The Cambridge Amateur Dramatic Society's performance comes off m the Public Hall, Cambridge, on Thursday next, the 2 1th instant. By an error it it was referred to m the local columns of our last issue as to take place on that day, Thursday last. The proceeds of the entertainment will be devoted m aid of the. funds of the Public Hall. The Local Option Bill introduced by Mi» Poldwick is said to be almost identical with Mr Stout's bill, which was circulated some timo ago, and fully referred to m this Journal. The licensing question will be dealt with by Mr Mr Curtis's bill. i

I The Unfenckd Railway Lines. — Mr I Stokes, of Hamilton, has again been a heavy loser by the railway. It is not sufficient that he has lost something like £150 of cattle, killed by passing trains along the unfenced railway line ; but on Thursday night, a fine young mare, rising threo, years old, and valued at £35, was killed about 10 o'clock by the night train. A bms were served out yesterday evening to the members of the Hamilton Light Infantry. They are. medium Enftelds, and thongh the accoutrements would have been none the worse of a little A.C. elbow, grease bestowed on them before being issued from the Government store at Cambridge, tho rifles are serviceable weapons enough. The number of names subscribed as intending members of the Cadet corps, proposed to be established m connection with the above company, amounts to 7(5.

A miner, named Joseph McGlynn, was accidentally killed by a fall of coal, at 5.30 a.m. yesterday, m Whitaker and Russell's mine. The Coroner will hold an inquest on the body this morsing. To rAINTERS AND CARPENTERS. — Mr John Briton is calling for tenders for the erection of a building at the Hamilton Station, and for painters' work. The Annual Meeting of the ratepayers of the Town of Ngaruawahia Highway District, has been postponed to Wednesday, the 30th instant. Mr J. Downie Stewart has been elected to the House of Representatives for Dunedin.

Canterbury Leases. — A return has been published of the pastoral leases m Canterbury. In a summary of the larger holdings, we find the following : — H. A. E. Murray- Aynsley, 15,722 acres, £237 8s 9d rent, 3'62s average rent per acre ; Australian Mortgage Co., 23,915 acres, £627 14s 6d rent, (i - 29s average rent per acre ; Bank of New South Wales, 34,983 acres, £1204 6s 6d rent, $-2Gs average rent per acre ; Bank of New Zealand, 19,788 acres, £222 12s rent, 2'7os average rent per acre ; Canterbury and Otiigo Association, 105,950 acres; Robert Campbell, 1090 acres ; George Gould, 81,481 acres ; W. Gerrard, 143,309 . acre^; Mathieson's Agency, 48,992 acres ; New Zealand Loan and Trust Co., 105,419 acres; New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency, 646,547 acres ; J.^ A. and G. A. Sutton, 51,340 acres ; Trust an:l Agency Company of Australasia, 427,427 acres; Tesohomaker and Lecreu, 2 1,801 acres ; F. Tooth, 58,777 acres; Union Bank of Australia, 34,701 acres; and James Williamson, 37,350 acres.