The Waikato Times.

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1196, 26 February 1880, Page 2

The Waikato 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, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26.

The members of the Cambridge Farmers' Club are deserving of the thanks of the district for the promptitude they have displayed in dealing with the all important question of the outbreak of Pleuropneumonia in the Auckland district. Although the members were not prepared to the full length of the scheme propounded by Mr Fantham there was an evident determination existing in their minds to take all necessary measures for the prevention of further importations of infected cattle, and the stamping out of those cases of disease already in our midst, as well as a disposition to accord Mr Fantham an expression of their gratitude for so prominently bringing the subject under their * notice. Though Mr Fantham manifested a strong desire to carry his resolutions in their entirety, there is after all little disparity between the plan he proposes and that adopted by the Club, and if the latter course will have the desired effect of impressing upon the Government the necessity for taking active and prompt measures for the eradication of the disease, Mr Fantham is not the man to fall out with it. Indeed, in whatever manner the Club may set about the work they have to do they will have met with the heartiest co-operation of every breeder and grazier in the district. We hope no time will be lost in making full enquiries into the reported cases in the Te Awamutu district, so that if they exist they may be isolated without delay. In the meantime, the precaution of stopping further importations of infected stock should not be lost sight of. In this, moreover, the Club will have a valuable ally in the Auckland Agricultural Society, and their united prayers are bound to receive the attention of the Government. If, as we have reason to believe, the Government are about to appoint Mr Naden to inspect the anticipated shipments of cattle from Australia, there need be little apprehension on the mind of settlers. Mr Naden is spoken of as a man eminently well qualified to perform the duty proposed to be allotted to him, and, | moreover, possessing the confidence I of our local Club, and the Auckland Society. The matter seems to be fairly in train, and the issue may now be awaitrd with nome dcgroo of confidence. '

Mb J. K. McDonald informs us that he has received a telegram from Mr Breakell that he withdraws from the con* test for a seat in the Hamilton Borough Council. Mr James Coombes also, we learn, retires, owing to press of business engagements. Very refreshing showers fell in all parts of the district on Monday and Tuesday evenings. The dry weather of the past month has had the natural effect of scorching up the pastures, and the rain will therefore be most acceptable to the farmers, though it has come somewhat late in the day to do much good. However, the numerous fields of turnips sown in the district will feel the effects of the moisture, and a fairly abundant yeild may be looked for. Tub fruit tournament, as we may perhaps call it, between Cambridge and Hamilton is being still prolouged, new champions having come forward for the hitter district, while Tamahere puts in an appearance in the person of Mr Patrick Leslie, of Wartle, with a fine show of apples, grown on his estate, now on exhibition in the window of Mr Le Quesne of East Hamilton. There are a splendid collection of fruit of both eating and cooking varieties, and amongst them is a " Tower of Glamis," weighing 13£ ounces. Mrs Alexander, of the Hamilton-Ngaraa-wahia Road, has had not only exceptionally fine apples but a heavy crop. Mrs Alexander has lately sent a quantity of these apples away to Nelson, and amongst those she sent were two weighing together just one ounce short of two pounds, or say 15i ounces each. A meeting of the Hamilton East School Committee was held on Tuesday. Present : The Chairman (Mr W. dimming) and Messrs Williamson, Pearson and Carson. The Chairman stated that he had written and telegraphed to the Board for extra desks and a better water supply. The Board had declined to go to the expense of sinking a well, but had authorised another tank for the teacher's house. The Chairman stated that the schoolmistress, Mrs Field, was in Auckland, being in ill health, and required realease from school duties for a time ; and it was decided to grant Mrs Field the necessary leave of absence. The return from the collection of the Ferry tolls at the Hamilton bridge continue to be most satisfactory, averaging since the commencement of the mouth, £3 5s daily, or at the rate of £1,186 per annum. It must be remembered, too, [ that this is by no means the best season of the year, the ferry revenue, strange to say, being always higher in the winter than in the summer months. One thing is certain, that if this rate continues or increases, the borough will be in one of either two positions. It may safely reduce the rate of tolls, which would be a great convenience to the general public, or it may take up the debentures far quicker that it was ever supposed could have been done, and hasten, what all would hail as a s 11 greater benefit, the throwiug open the Hamilton traffic bridge free of toll altogether. Any surplus acccount, and there will be a large one, between the annual liabilities of the bridge and the ammount raised by tolls, must be applied to one or other purpose, j for it cannot be used for general purposes of the borough. Our attention has been drawn by Mr Smith, fruiterer, of Hamilton, to the absurd charges made by the railway authorities on three small cases of fruit received by rail from Auckland. The three boxes together weighed llolbs., yet for the extra three pounds over one cwt. Mr Smith was charged the full freight of a second cwt. Such a rou^h-and-ready mode of reckoning, however profitable to the railway, is scarcely fair to the trader, who cannot be expected to retail fruit at a fair price and compete with more fortunate purveyors of stock on equal terms when subjected to such a tariff. We stated in a late issue, from information received, that the Waipa Council will bear their fair share of establishing the ferry at Pukete, and that the clerk was instructed to state this. The letter received by the local authorities in respect to this matter from the clerk to the Waipa County Council does not bear this out. We quote now from the letter of the clerk of the Council, of the 10th inst. — " I have the honor to acknowledge your communication re the opening of a ferry at Pukete, and am directed to say as there appears to be no road to the place and no board to open one, the Council are not willing to take the steps necessary to establish a ferry at present. —I am, &c, Y. T. Maudebs, Clerk Waipa C.C." The letter, strange to say, is addressed to the Chairman of the Ngaruawahia Board, and was forwarded on by him to Mr Morris, Chairman of the Pukete School Committee, with the memo, that it could not surely be intended for him, bnt must be meant for Mr Morris,. There must be a mistake some where. The road from Hamilton to Grahamstown is now an excellent one, and easily travelled by horsemen, while for vehicles it is open as far as the Waihou, whence the steamer could be taken to Grahamstown, a four hours trip, which added to a five hours drive from Hamilton makes Grahamstown but a short trip of nine hours. A gentleman that rode through and back on one horse, informs us that he did the journey comfortably. Leaving Hamilton at 5 p.m. on Monday last he reached Missen's hotel at a quarter to 10, where he stopped all night. Here he had excellent accommodation both for himself and his horse. He left Missen's at half past 7 o'clock next morning, and breakfasted at the Waihou River, crossing the river at half past 8, and reaching Paeroa at 11 a. m. Here he remained for over an hour, and reached Grahamstown town at 1 p.m. In returning to Hamilton' he left Grahamstown on Tuesday afternoon last at 12. 30, reaching Hamilton next day about the same hour. A better punt than they now have at the Waihou, and it would be a great accommodation if the Thames County Council would erect a wharf at each side the river, so that people both on horseback and in traps could get across at all hours. When the present punt happens to be sunk, horsemen have to go over in a boat swimming their horses. We have received from the Government Printer a pamphlet entitled " Crown Lands Guide, " published by the authority of the Minister of Lands, with the object of affording, more especially to persons who may have recently arrived in New Zealand, and to others who may be ignorant of the land system of the colony, such general information as to the character and localities of Crown lands, and the terms and conditions on which they may be obtained, as will enable those in quest of land to set about its selection without much trouble. Wk regret to notice a primitive style of advertising adopted in this district, which the fact of a local paper circulating- widely amongst all classes ought long since to have rendered obsolete — that of posting written notices at the doors of hotels and other similar places. If an employer requires a number of swamp hands his readiest and surest means of obtaining them is to insert an advertisement to that effect in our columns. The charge for this class of advertisements has been reduced to a minimum for fcha convenience of both pmployers and unemptoy e>&, and it is not fair to jouraalistio enterprise tkafc it should.

be called upon to compete with dead wall announcements of this kind. A public journal in a country district is only maintained at great expense, often at positive loss to the proprietors, while at the same time the district reaps an immense benefit by its issue, and it is only reasonable that the public, individually as well as collectively, should do all that they can, and especially in such a legitimate matter as this, to encourage and foster an enterprise in the prosperity of which they are perhaps more nearly concerned than many of them at first are aware. We have received advance copy of Mr Langbridge's "Handbook to Waikato," and will refer to the brochure shortly.

Intelligence received from Norfolk Island is to the effect that the island is at present passing through a phase of reli* gious mania, unparalleled in the history of the cdmmunity. It was begun by a man who was discharged sick from the whaler Canton, and who has been awaiting a chance to get away since. Crowded meetings are nightly held, and an extraordinary change is working amongst the people.

Thk Rangiriri Races arc announced to take place on the 15th proximo. Thk Annual Concert in connection the Presbyterian Church, Ngaruawahia, takes place on the 17th proximo. Notick \i given that a general meeting of creditors in the estate of Jbdward Wilson, of Hamilton, contractor, will be held in the District Court House, on Wednesday, 3rd proximo, at 2 p.m.