Untitled

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1167, 18 December 1879, Page 2

A promenade concert in aid of tho funds of tlw East Hamilton district school will be held ou Tuesday night, Mr Gwynne having again kindly placed h's gardens at the service of the public. The Hamilton Light Infantry Band and the Choral Society and others have also kindly volunteered their services. . The school examinations at West and East Hamilton commence to-day. The Carandini Operatic and Ballad Company appeared again on Tuesday night at Lo Quesne's Hall, when tho audience manifested the same appreciation of the performance as on the preceding evening. Tho programme was faithfully carriedout, " Auld Robin Gray," in tho first part, was beautifully sung by Madame Carandini, and in response to, the encore which followed she gave " The Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls," which, together with another equally beautiful melody— "The Last Roso of Summer " — were decidedly tho two masterpieces of the evening. Altogether, the concert was a very successful and most enjoyable one. They appear again tonight at Cambridge, to-morrow night at Te Awamutu, returning to Cambridge for Saturday night, and visiting Ngaruawahia on Monday, the 22nd instant. The Rev. W. N. Willis will hold service at Matamata on Sunday week (December 28th), at 7 p.m. At a meeting of the Tamahoro- Road Board on Wednesday last, twelve tenders were received for the formation of the road from Kirikiroa boundary to the Eureka gate. The highest tender was 10s per chain formation, but the successful tender was that of James Coombes, 4& per chain formation, and lOd per yard for filling holes. Aucjcland Summer Races.-— The following horses, we learn from yesterday's Herald, arrived by the Arawata, Messrs Kay and Butler being in charge : — Templeton, Maritana, Lone Hand, Pinfire, Lara, Sinking Fund, and Agent. The first three will be located at EUeralie, and the remainder at Epsom. As far as can be judged of them in their clothing, they appear very fit and well, and do not seem to have suffered from the voyage. The advent of these horses gives the Cup a very open appearance, and the Auckland horses will have to look to their laurels. Till' the horses have settled down and gone into work it is impossible to predict which may be the fancied ones. Mr Ray, at aU events, will be dangerous for any race ho may run for. Maritana especially will be a hard nut to crack, as she can both go fast and stay. Ray has also the measure of tho best Auckland horses with her. The approaching meeting promises to be one of the best ever held in Auckland, as there are over thirty horses In work. Several of the Southern bookmakers being here will give speculators every chance of investing their money. If the totalisator. is allowed, the small men can invest their money in a legitimate way, instead of being skinned at the games of chance that are permitted on this course, and never seen at any other crack meetings. . Lake^Noaroto. — We expect to see Lake Ngaroto present quite a lively appearance on Christmas Day, as Messrs Ohye and Millett have kindly offered to convey a number of picnicers from Mr Ohye's boathouse to the largest of the beautiful islands in Ngaroto. A more picturesque and romantic spot for a picnic could scarcely be desired, while a day's boating on the lake will be an enjoyable change to people living t -inland as in Waikato. Mr W. Millett's newly-built , yacht, and a fine boat built by Messrs Carr and Sons, Auckland, will be put in requisition, besides two skiffs and several canoes, all of which will be on the lake on Christmas Day. The following, from the Star, gives the full particulars of the striking of Major Withers' house by lightning on Monday, referred to in our last issue:— -"It was about 11.20 in the forenoon that the lightning entered the kitchen window, which was open at the time. Mrs Withers and the. servant were in the room, the girl shrieking with alarm as she observed her mistress clothed in lightning, which, howover, passed into the passage without injuring the lady of the house, who felt most alarmed for the safety of her children', a littls boy and girl, who were then in .the passage. The electric fluid shot past them, and, checked in its course at tho front door, ran up the gaspipe with a tremendous noise, and burst through the celling of the passage, over the front door, making its exit through the roof, in its transit having exploded the gas-pipe and set on fire the hall paper and the rafters of the house. The Property Tax Bill was circulated on Monday. It fixes the tax as follows : — For and in respect of all property, for every twenty shillings of the value thereof, a duty of one penny. For, and in respect of all fire, marine, or guarantee policy, issued by any insurance company, for every £100 of premiums received by such company in respect of such policies, the duty of 30s. This tax is to be imposed from the^ lßt of April next, and is to be payable in two instalments — the days to be fixed by the Governor in Council. At a meeting of the Hamilton West School Committee, it was stated that the net proceeds of the late promenade concert and certain small subscriptions amounted to a sum of nearly £13. It was resolved to expend £6 in books as prizes and to reserve the balance for the purpose of providing requirements for the playground. On Tuesday some seventy I suitable volumes were purchased in addition to which are several prizes given by individuals. The committee passed a vote of thanks to Mr Gwynne for the use of the garden for the late Promenade Concert, and, also, to the Band and Choral Society, for their invaluable aosisance. The gumfields.seem to have upset the population in th© North quite as much as any goldfield would have done. A settler from Whangarei called at the office of the Herald, says that journal in its issue of yesterday, in reference to the alleged want of employment amongst laboring men in this city. Ho had first oalled upon the Mayor, who recommended him to make public the fact that certain country districts were needing labor through the medium of the Press. The gentleman referred to states that in Whangarei and adjacent districts, one hundred men, married and single, can at once find employment, either at farm work or in stores, owing to the general stampede for the gumfields. Twelve shillings per day is paid for sorting gum at the stores, and labor with, difficulty obtained at that figure. The gumdiggers have offered the natives, who own one particular gumfield, £5 per week per man for the privilege of working it, but the Maoris declined the tempting offer. Farmers, our informant states, In the above districts are actually lending eaeh other help in order to get in their harvests.

Cambridge Town Laud Sale.— The 12 years' lease m the corner lot, Duke-street and Victoria road, Cambridge, was sold oa Tuesday by Mr J S. Buckland for £800. Mr Hewitt was the purchaser. Changes m liia TaeU'i 1 . — Alterations having 1 been made m tho new Tariff BUI while passing through committee, we give the sfioond thoughts of Parliament upon tho mutter. Green fruit, instead of being taxed lo per, cent., will come m free; salt free, instead of 20s per ton. In Australian wines, the proposed increase of 2s is raised to is per gallon ; candles, other than tallow, l^d per 'lb. Chemists and druggists, or rather their patrons, will be glad to learn that instead of 25 per cent, being put on proprietary — that is, patent medicines, the tax is reduced to 15 per cent. ad valorem, or an increase of 5 per cent, on the old tariff. There has been a severe fight m the Assembly, which is likely to be continued, over clause 30 of the Public Works Bill, which gives the Government power to purchase district railways. A party of 15 members, declare they will oppose it, word by word, even if they have to sit < over the New Year. Mr Maoandvow has given notice that he will move the substition of new clauses, giving Government power to advance money to complete the lines instead of buying, and it is said Govsrnment are willing to accept this amendment, but others regard it as little less objectionable than the bill itself. MAmJBACTUBB bf TOBACOO.--The T6baeco Bill watt laid befere the Assembly \ on Friday. Ib authorises the Commissioner of Customs to grant licences for the manufacture of tobacco m bond. | The licenses has to give a bond with two sureties for £1000. , Tbe duty on tobacco manufactured m the colony is to be tho same (is imported, but a bonus of Qd per lb. is to be given. Tobacco grown m the colony is to be carried direct by the short- j eat route to the manufactory. Raw or leaf tobicco found m the possession of others than a licenced manufactory, may be- Beized. Retail dealers m possetaion are liable to a fine of £50, and the same penalty la enacted for m»nul!&cfcarera using deleterious ingredients. Dealers m stocks of duty-paid tobacco, are to be stamped by Customs, and any attempt to evade renders liable to a fine of £109. To imitate Bttmps is felony.