The Times.

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1178, 15 January 1880, Page 2

The Times.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawedby influence and unbribed by gain

THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 1880.

; Thb question referred to by the Rev. 'Mr Berry- in hi* lecture recently delivered in Waikato, as to the cause of the decline of agriculture In. Great Britain is interesting to as, not only as it aftects thefutnreof the colonies, and especially that of ; $h&i Zealand,; to which the eyes of intending emigrants at home are at present turned, but^ as being a matter of momentous interest to the empire. 3M[r Berry, and the Lincolnshire delegates who spoke after him, - attributed the depressed state of the ' 'agricultural interests ' in Great ifrifcin less to the guccesaion of four "jb^i. harvests, xb& h & Wlowod ' one another, otban jjp'the simple fact that America and the colonies could produce grain, meat, and all kinds of fero produce mwb cheaper

thaa the agriculturalist at home could possibly do^ and that now. steam had, bridged r the distance, they werd able to $wainp the home market at a prioe with which the English farmer could uot hope to compete. As might be expected, there is a party at home who seek a rough and ready cure for this state of things iv advocating a recourse to protection, but we quite agree with Mr Bjrry, that protection is too contrary to the spirit of the nation to be ever acceptable. We might, however, go a step fartbef and say that dear food, which is what protection means, would strike a death blow at Bngi iSnds manufacturing greatness. She cannot afford to, sate her agriculture by Buch a course, because the prioe she would pay for doing so would be the surrender of her dominion of the industrial world. To increase the cost of production would be to enable Germany, 1 Belgium, France and other opuntriea,. which are beginlng to pi-ess her close in manufacturing productions to wrest from her the marfcMs? r Wch she still enjoys. That the alleged chief causes of decline in agriculture is, however, a permanent one there is reason to doubt. It is the great wheat growing tracts of America whish have of late swamped the markets of Europe with, that particular product, but it has taken but a' comparatively small time to work out as wheat growing regions Vast tracts of country in America, and the work of, spoliation of the land is rapidly going on. The wheat centre has already travelled twelve Hundred miles fros: the Atlantic Seaboard, and' is now stopped by the central deserts of the Continent, while the average yield has largely fallen. Last year the States produced little more than twice as much wheat as England itself. The cause of this decline, both in the discontinuance of wheat production and in the lessening of the average, return is to be attributed to the fact that wheat, so long . as it pays, is grown year after year till the soil becomes worn out and refuses to produce a payable crop, and, land being plentiful, the farmer works it on the principle of taking all out and moving further westward on to new soil. The same cause and effect is going on in California and Oregon, and the large wheat farms of which we hear so much in the former state are said not to be so profitable, even with labour-saving machines of all kinds, as many have supposed. We may state on the authority of the Standard that though the large " ranchera," auch as Mr Mitchell in San Joaquin Valley with 90,000 acres under wheat ; Dr. Glen, *in Colusa County, with 45,000 acres, and others get eighty-five cents per bushel for their wheat, they do not find their business so profitable as is imagined. Indeed, some of them, says our authority " have in ten years cleared nothing, "but have managed to get into debt '• on a scale quite as gigantic as their "farms." The average return of wheat land in America, as we republished from the Scotsman some twelve months ago is only about 11 bushels per acre. It will thus be seen that the present state of things, brought about by the rapid population of new territory and the close connection oi these countries by means of steam with Europe is not likely to have so material effect on the position of the British agriculturalist- in even the near future as at first siglit appears, nor to effect those radical changes in the political and social fabric which some have predicted. The present outlook is, however, a dark one. It is nob all who caD afford to wait for a time — not, perhaps, very ! remote — when the agriculturalist at home will have less competition to strive against. The more adventurous will seek a safer field for their labor, and, like the tenant farmers of Lincolnshire, turn their attention to one or other of the colonies. In their case New Zealand has made a prima facie impression which we can quite well understand, for in very many respects it is physically, politically, and socially the counterpart of the mother country. Rich in soil and minerals, and possessing the germ of future manufacturing and maritime greatness, with a climate far surpassing the Sonth of England itself, with a liberal Constitution, lioeral land laws, and ample scope [ and elbow room for all, it is not to bo wondered at that New Zealand is the chief attraction to intending emigrants. It will be well, then, for our statesmen, whilst the present cloud hangs over British agriculture to lose no opportunity of rendering this colony attractive. That which attracts to Canada is the cheapness of Und in the Dominion. Unfortunately, heie the Government has fallen of late into the fatal error of throwing every obstacle in the way of those who have sought to acquire native lands in large blocks ; yet, if we are to attract and maintain a stream of immigration of the right kind — such a stream as bids fair now to set in upon us— '•cheap land and good land must be easily procurable in quantity. It matters little whether those who negotiate the alienation of such lands, as they may naturally expect to do, make fair profits out of their purchase and re-sale. What the colony needs is the land for settlement. The very fact that such lands were purchased in large quantity would be the best guarantee of their re-sale at a moderate price. The law of supply and demand would regulate that question,

MrF. A. WHiTiXEB, M.H.B, proceeded .to Ohaupo yesterday by the mid-day train l en route to Te Awamuta, where he meets Mr Stewart, C.E., Distriot Engineer, with a view of pointing out to Mr Stewart the works for which money grants have been authorised by Parliament, and otherwise facilitating their immediate prosecution, j The summer months are on us, and we hope the Public Works authorities will not suffer them to pa?s without advantage having been taken to vigorously push on the several authorised works in the Waikato. Oira readers will remember that on Friday the delegates of the Lincolnshire Tenant Farmers' Emigration Association, Messrs Grant and Foster, were to visit Mr Every Maclean's station beyond Cambridge. Accordingly Mr Maclean drove them out on Friday in his f our*horse drag to the Pairoa Station, sixteen miles from Cambridge, and then to Okaraire, five miles further on. This portion of the Patatere country is very beautifully situated, consisting of undulating hills and flats, which hare been broken up an 4 laid down in clover and grass. At the time of the present visit they were ankle deep in feed notwithstanding the large quantity of stock kept on the stations. The general character of the country, was much admired as the party drove down the Valley of Oraka to Messrs Martyns station. There they sojourned for the night, and very much •njoted a bath in * hot spring on the Messrs Martyns estate. Here' Mr Maclean left them, and on the following day Mr Martyn drove them over to Mr Firth's M&tamata Estate. There they were amply repaid for their visit, and expressed both pleasure and surprise at the 1 immense amount of country reolaimed by a single individual. The grass on the Matamata Estate is, even for Waikato and in such a season, exceptionally grand, the clover and grass stretohing away for miles in waving fields of luxuriant feed. The wheat czop also was inspected and i expatiated upon, our Lincolnshire visitors expressing surprise that the wheat was so good on so light a character of soil, and suggesting that on such soil generally' the land might, with advantage, if intended for wheat culture, be left longer in grass before being again btoken up for tiflftge, so as to become more solid. That on Mr Firth's place has, muoh of it, been only i two years iin grass. The next place -visited was that of the Messrs Campbell, down the Valley of the Waihoa, from whence they were to proceed over the Te Aroha Blook, accompanied by the District Surveyor, Mr Cussen. It was expected that the party would return last nigb^t to the Eureka Station in order to take the midday train for Auckland to-day.

The Weather. — Commander Edwin, Colonial Meteorologist at "Wellington, ' predicted the change of weather and rain which set in on Tuesday, in a telegram received in Hamilton on Monday, but which we did not see in time for publication. It is seldom such heavy rain is seen in Waikato as that which fell in torrents from about half past ten to two o'clock during Tuesday night and yesterday morning. The night was pitch dark, and the atmosphere oppressively sultry and disagreeable. Though yesterday the weather wa*s fine, it would seem that we have not yet done with the rain, which according to the subjoined telegram, will come in an opposite direction from that of Tuesday. The telegram is as follows :—: — "Wellington, January 14th, 1.15 p.m. Expect bad weather any direction from N.E. and N.W. Glass falling again ; soen expect more rain after 12 hours., R. A. Edwin." It. is to be hoped for the sake of our Waikato Bottlers, with harvest operations on their • hands, Commander Edwin may be for once miataken, at any rate as regards this district.

The Whot Coast Maobi DiPEiotn/ra. — Considerable misconceptien (says, the Canterbury Press of the 6th inst.) appears to prevail in some quarters as to the intentions of the Government regarding the West Coast Maori difficulty. We learn that all that is contemplated at present is td repair the main road crossing the Waingongoro. A small number of the armed constabulary men have been told off to do the work. There is no reason whatever to apprehend that the action of the Government will give rise to any disturbance, as the road was originally made with the full concurrence of the natives. This work will only be carrying out the intentions of Parliament, whioh voted a sum of money last session for making roads in that looality. Mb Walters evidently means to keep up a good strain of Australian blood in the future. Peeress and Fanny Fisher have both foaled, the former a colt and the latter a filly, both to Yattendon. Peeress will visit Maribyrnong, and Fanny Fisher will again visit Yattendon. We have to welcome to the literary world of New Zealand a brother journal in the- double sense of the word, being no less than an organ of the Masonic craft. Our new contemporary is a well got up double sheet of foolsoap, entitled The New Zealand Freemason, and is published by Messrs Maokay, Bracken and Co., of Dunedin, and appears under tbepatronage of the District Grand Lodges of New Zealand. It contains some interesting articles on Freemasonry and cognate subjects, accounts of meetings, and general intelligence connected with or speoially interesting to the craft. Me F. H. Ljwisson gives the following contradiction to the statement made by the reporter of the Auckland Star in his report of last Friday's races, that proper publicity of Mr Lewisson's gift of a silver cup, or any notice of it was not taken at the raoes:— "To the Editor: Sir,— ln justioe to Mr Walters I wish to contradict an error in your report of the Ladies' Purse Hace, Hamilton, for which I gave a silver oup. It is true that my name was not mentioned on the race oards, but there may be a reason for that. One thing is certain, it was not the fault of Mr Kennedy Hill, who treated me with the utmost courtesy, and drove me out and baok from the raoes. Mr Walters directly after the race invited a few, myself among the number, to orack a half - dozen of champagne furnished by the prince of providores, my host Pearce. My health was drunk, to which I responded. Apologising for troubling you. — Yours, &c, F. H. Lbwisson." The Rer. Mr Martin, whoso eloquent preaching is speoially alluded to In our Whatawhata correspondent's letter, will conduct divine servioe in the Wesleyan churches at Hamilton, Cambridge, and Pukerimu, on Sunday next. The amount of £19 5s was realised by the two promenade concerts held on behalf of the funds for providing priaes and a feast for the East Hamilton school ohildren. The first concert realised £5, the second £13 10s, and a sum of £1 5s was colleoted by Miss Bell. After defraying the purpose for which the money was raised and the expenses in connection with the concerts, a balance of about £3 remains on hand. The Hinemoa arrived in Auckland harbor early on Tuesday morning having the whitefish ova on board, which were successfully transhipped. The Hinemoa left on Tuesday with Mr Firth on board, bound for Tauranga, en route to Lakes Taupo and Tarawera. Ninety thousand ova were left to be hatched out at the Domain, and 451,000 sent to the two lakes above mentioned. Some of our old identities will recollect Captain Spiller. The London correspondent of the Star writes :— " The prize of the Brighton wwqu, »qw at its height,

has been oarried oft by one of our colonists, a Captaili Harvey Spiller, whose military conliebtatn, the WorW understands; vis based 'on association with the yoluntwrs of New Zealand. Mrs Balaton, 'whom he has [tut married, possesses an ipcomo of £7000 a year, *nd is going to flefcble' half on her lucky spouse.' ' Ms John Shbbhjin may be expsotod at Cambridge early next week, for the purpose of attending the sitting of the Native Land Court there.

His Gbaoe Abohbishop Steines is causing quite a revival in church matters in his diocese, and is evidently an earnest and thorough divine. A resident priest will in future be attaohed to the Symondsutre6t Roman Catholic mortuary, and the house belonging to Mr Soppett, close to the cemetery, has been purchased for his looatioa. The purchase of the two thoroughbred mares Lady Elizabeth and Lady Gertrude by Mr R. H. D. Fergusson, of Gorton, near Cambridge, is much lamented in Hawke's Bay, where their strain is much thought of, and the Napier Telegraph alluding to the sale, says that had it been known that these thoroughbred mares were to be disposed of they would have found eager buyers at a very much higher price than that given for them by Mr Fergusson.

THX WIXBUTB PItUKS DOTIGTOTT.— The following telegram from Wanganui, of Tuesday's date, explains the present position of affairs:—"Nothing new is positively known as to the intention of the Government relative to the Waimate Plains. On the one hand it is -whispered that no later than the 29th will witness the contemplated coup, while others are assiduously circulating a report that the Government cannot, and dare not, move on the Plains. I have to-day been in communication with several persons who have just returned from that district. Mr Sharpe, photographer, who has been visiting the redoubts at Waihi and Opunake for the purpose of photographing the scenery thereabout, tells me that recently the men of the Armed Constabulary have been drilled in bush fighting* movable objects being placed here) and there in the bush and amongst the fern to represent Maoris*. The men are! said to be in a high state of efficiency, and thoroughly sick of inaction. The photographer in question managed to forward a request to Te Whiti to be permitted to visit Parihaka, but was refused. On asking tb.9 advice of Europeans at Hawera well posted in native affairs, he was told that if he persisted in going, probably he would not suffer personal violence, but his apparatus would certainly be destroyed. A European who recently passed through Parihaka, and was hospitably entertained, informs me that there are fully 2000 men there. I am also informed by an influential resident of Wanganui, who is married to a native woman of high rank, and is credited with possessing a most intimate knowledge of native affairs, that recently from 100 to 150 of the Wanganui natives left for Parihaka, all well armed. On putting questions direct to him as to whether, in the event of the Constabulary going on to the Plains there would be trouble, he expressed himself utterly unable to venture an opinion; in fact, the position beams to be one of utter uncertainty and anxiety. I observe that a number of natives about Wanganui are extremely bounceable. They swarm about the public-houses, and are evidently quite aware that something in which they are directly interested is on the tapis." Mint of the Hamilton townspeople would have been surprised yesterday afternoon at hearing a neavy full-toned bell sounding on the western outskirt of the .town. The bell in question was the one presented by Messrs Porter and Co., of Auckland, through Mrs Gwynne, for the use of the West Hamilton school. It was yesterday hung in the belfry erected for it, and will be a useful addition to the paraphernalia of the school when it opens again. A singular disease amongst the cattle on the plains ox Hawkesßay is attracting attention. The animals drop dead without any warning. A post mortem examination shew a clot of oongested blood on the brain, all the other organs being healthy. Mr Power, Inspector of Sheep, says it is a sort of apoplexy, and recommends frequent change of pasture. Others think it due to old pasture, containing a large proportion of ammonia from continual stocking, the recent rains having made ammonia more active. Whatever the cause, over 60 head, including 17 owned by the Mission, have died. Bacheldoss Pantescope was not exhibited on Tuesday night, as only some eight or ten persons were present. Last night, however, there was but little better attendance in Le Quesne's Hall though the performance has been well spoken of in the Auckland Press and elswhere. The Native Land Court at Cambridge was formaliy opened yesterday morning by Judge Symonds, but, in the absence of the Native Assessor, adjourned till Friday next. Tub Fun and Frolic Company, by •pecial request, will perform once again in Hamilton before leaving Waikato, appearing on Friday evening inLe Quesne's Hall. The entertainment is a most excellent one, and we would bespeak for the company, on their return a more favourable reception than they have yet received through bad weather and other oauaes in JSamiltonIt will be seen that Mr W. B. Langbridge, the enterprising editor of the Waikato Hand Book, has had many difficulties to contend With, and subscribers will have to wait a week or two longer than was expected for the publication of the book. We would urge upon those who have yet information to furnish to do so at once. The book, however, we learn will be out without fail this month.