The Waikato Times.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1263, 3 August 1880, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

Equal <uul evict justice to all men, Ot \\hate\er st.ite or persuasion, religious or political. Ueic sli.ill the IVess the People's rij*ht maintain Hnawed by influence anil unbrihed bj jj.iin.

TUESDAY, AUGUSTS, 1880.

Oner annually we are privileged to glance over the records of crime which during the last twelve months have been gradually preparing. It may not be a congenial task to turn over the pages of these annual reports, but it is just one of those which public men, and more especially journalists cannot shrink from"; Police statistics, inasmuch as they indicate the proportion and i;he direction of crime, ought to prove most valuable aids in the work of moral reform : It is by their mean-? tliat efforts to efi'ect a diminution in the numbers of offences are best directed, and though it v may appear to savor somewhat of ambition, it is with this intent . uppermost that we now address Ourselves to an examination of the reports furnished by the officers in charge of the three police divisions of the Colony. The Circumstance of the increase in the number o£ offences against the laws, in 1878 over 1879 is Referred to in all three ; but, while Superintendents Weldon and Bro-. Jiam find a reason chiefly in the material augmentation which has been made in the population, the bfnceY.irt charge of the Northern Division (Superintendent Shearman) goes -somewhat further and assigns as oneof the most potent causes the general depression in the Colony's affairs and jlje consequent scarcity oi 'labor. - In the year 1878 the total number of 'offences reported was 7127,-while in' 1873 the number was 8204, a difference which must be accounted for on other grounds than those of mere increase^ of population ; for it must be remembered that in regard to many classes of cri^ie the means .of detection are becoming more efficient year by year, and the incentives to the commission of such offimces are, of course, correspondingly weakened. If we look at the returns this will at once be apparent, for a decrease' appears under the headings ' of " breaking and entering," " assaulting the police," " Distillation Act," "gambling," and others of a cognate nature,' all of which offences are now more e.asy of detection than formerly. On the other hand, the heads under which an increase is shown are of that kind the commission of which is, in nine cases out of ten, prompted by poverty, and in some cases by the actual cravings of hunger ; such for instance as :—: — arson, bankruptcy; Destitute Persons Act, embezzlement, false pretences, housebreaking, illegally on premises, larceny, Licensing Act, malicious injury, neglected and criminal children, Public Works Act, railway regulations', riot, sureties of the peace, and wif e desertion. Indeed, there are some other offences, which, having apparently nothing to do either with poverty or plenty, can be traced in some measure to the influence of the former ; crimes which bring no immediate profit to the criminal, who is probably prompted to their commission by a desire to go td gaol when he can no longer find fopd and clothing else than through the agency of honest labor. But, it is too clear that during the past year or so (for the comparative tables before us have been both compiled since the period of depression set in), there has been a large addition to the average amount of crime in this Colony, and that one great incentive has been poverty. And it has done something more than add to the sum of criminals ; it has carried vice through all grades of society, and classes which contributed but insignificantly in times past to the police calendar are now much more largely represented thereon. Petty larceny, housebreaking, wife desertion may | still be confined to the lower orders |of humanity, but breaches of the ; Bankruptcy Act, embezzlement, and false pretences, are offences of a much higher character, and require more skill in their execution than j can be commanded by the clumsy ! thief who steals a coat or a pair of I trousers from a shop door. There is '' another offence, arson, the increase of which is one of the surest signs of the times. In 1879 the number of cases reported to the police in the Northern division was double that of the previous year, while in the others it was treble ! The total number in this division including the North Island, Nelson and Marlborough, last year was 21 ; in Otago it was 29, and in Canterbury, 23. To these numbers must of course be added a number of fires never reported at all, but the majority of which will readily be believed to have originated in a similar way. In previous years arson was a crime generally nrompted by a fiendish desire 'for revenge rather than a desire for pecuniary gain, & proposition the truth of which is proved by the fact that properties insured and those not so protected were indiscriminately destroyed. At the present the property

tJ£Stroye£l-J»jjiKi covered by insurance poli'eiSij^is- out of all proportion to that uninsured. Although Mr I Superintendent Weldon,ofDunedin, lays the blame upon the use of intoxicating liquors principally, and he is no doubt right, the real immediate cause of crime would seeni to be poverty. It is very hard to disassociate the terms "" poverty"" and " honesty " after their long alliance, but we can find no other solution of the - difficulty which besets us. The humourous words which the Poet Laureate has put into the mouth . of his Northern Farmer possess a deeper meaning than most people, are disposed to accord them. Tis'n them as 'as munny as breiiks into 'ouses an steals Them as 'as -coats to their backs an' taiikes their regular meals. To diminish poverty; to make a people contented, is to our mind synonymous with removing crime. And if we are earnest in our desires and endeavours to. make the world more honest, we must labor to remove the obstacles which at present overlie the paths to virtue. We must not look to Government, to do it ; we must do it ourselves. We must learn to be less reckless in our business speculations ; to be more economical in our domestic politics ; more careful* of our physical and moral health while we have the means at hand to enable us to be so : .we must as a people be more self5 dependant, and at the same time more religious. It, is 'jiot the poor the outcast, the sorely tempted, who should be aspired to take those lessons to heart ; with them the tide has turned. But let the prosperous the young and the strong take heed of them lest in an evil hour they become recruits in 4hafc array of vice which is spreading over this fair land of ours, extending a baneful influence across the path of the succeeding generation. "

We regret to, state that there is no improvement in Mr Laings condition, and that his prolonged unconsciousness is causing the greatest anxiety to his medical attendant

As will be seen by advertisements appearing in our columns two Boards have been elected for the Newcastle District. This being the case the books of the late Board have been left in the hands of the police, who took charge of them on Saturday at Whatawhata, and who will hold them until the proper authorities decide as to who are the rightly elected member*.

The early closing movement has taken root iv Cambridge, the 'principal storekeepers .having, as -will bo seen by advertisement, agreed to shut their establishments at 7 o'clock every evening except Saturdays. This concession will confer a great boon on assistants, ,and will not, we think, militate against the profits of employers.

Captain Steeie has received a letter from Mr Grant, one of the Lincolnshire delegates, in Avhich that gentleman states, that owing to numerous applications which he has received from farmel-sf armel-s desirous of emigrating to this Colony, it is very probable that he will shortly re. visit New Zealand, bringing out a party with him. He does not know whether he will remain himself here, but such a thing is not improbable.

Considerable improvements are being made in the district between Hamilton and Whatawhata. Mi\ W. Jones has done a great deal of good work on his farm, a large area is fenced with a good post and wire fence, and the grass sown is looking very well especially on that part of the hill not visible from the usual track; and lying a more northily aspect. Parties travelling the usual road to Whatawhata are not much impressed with the appearance of the land, but intending settlers can do much worse than looking tibout them for a home in this direction. There is a large area of excellent land lying to the right, away beyond and around the Roto Kauri lake. There is ia. sliort cut known to but few people leading from the Hamilton Whatawhata road round the corner of Mr. Jone3 fence, which leads you out to the Newcastle Whatawhata road p,t Mr. Hobbs, it is passing over this road that one notices such an area of good level unoccupied land, a large proportion of which we understand is classed as swamp aud as much of it is Government land, it could be procured at a nominal price. It is well worth looking at by intending settlers.

The No. 1 contract on the Whatawhata nud has made a liberal progress during the past fortnight, but still what is done remains in a very unfinished state. The 2nd contract is being pushed on, and should the weather hold good will be finished in a fortnight. On No. 3, Mr Coleman is makiug an, excellent job of the swamp work, and considering the obstar cles met with in the shape of timber, is makiug good pi'ogre&s. This part of the work is very heavy for the men, who have to walk about half a mile through water to work. They have however very good quarters to live at, and the camp presents the appearance of a little village. There are about 20 men here, and tlie number will shortly be increased. The road when finished will be a very good one, and it is to be hoped that the Road Board will be able to get the further sum of money necessary to complete it. The present swamp contracts will absorb all the money granted, and then the cuttings will remain to be done.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Council which should have taken place at the Chambers last night, to paas accounts for the month and sit on Domain Board business, had to be adjourned for want of a quorum till Thursday, the sth inst., at 7 p.m. The members present were, His Worship the Mayor, Crs. McGarrigle, Peat, .and Davis.

The recent broken weather has proved the wisdom of the Cambridge Highway Board in appointing a day man to look after the roads. All the bad places are now attended Jko as required, and the conseqtienoe is the roads are now in a much better condition than at any previous time during the winter. The cutting near Leslie's is standing remarkably well, little damage having been occasioned by the rain which has not been repaired. We are glad, in the interests of the Tamahere people, to hear that the nasty hole in the approach to the bridge over the Mangaone Greek has been mended. It is now possible to drive across without risking one's neok. We are told, however, that little improvement can be effected unless the 1 bridga itself be raised five or six feet ; and' this is a work we hope to see done during the approaching summer.

A meetiag. called by advertisement, addressed to cricketers and iootballers, was held at the Duke of Cambridge Hotel, Cambridge, on Saturday evening.

The rsqm and Mr. 'H. J»jr» Cotton wqg&fpted to^fifeo cWfc' It. x#a§f' proposed and' seconded, "That- Messrs Mackintosh, Cotton, and Moore be appointed a deputation to see Colonel Lyon relative to the market reserve ground forcricket during the coming 1 -season."' Carried. A somewhat lengthy discussion followed whea it was fouud the said reserve could at any other time bo utilised foi other purposes, although in all proba. bihty nofc-for thin* or perhaps the .next year; still, there was the danger ahead .of bfeing a cricket Aground. It was * proposed and seconded 1 ; "That an .application, be made to the Chairman of the Domain Board to set -apart, say 10 acres of land to be available for cricket and football purposes, and on what term.? the same oan be had." Carried unanimously. The meeting now stands adjourned ..to, Thursday, sth August, at 7 o'slock.j '' " •

It will be seen from our report of the Cambridge Domain Board that no time has been lost in getting the trust workable. The inhabitants of Cambridge are fortuuate in having" a member who studies their intefests with so much vigor and promptitude, and lucky in having a Chairman who spares no time and trouble for the public weal. Cambridge suburbs in the future, if the present Board's- programme be carried out, should be indeed fair to look upon ; frees are to be planted, footpaths made, leaseholders must, keep their tenements according to Board law, and there is every reason to believe the 'leases will be all taken up at once. Portions will in all probability be allotted for cattle shows and recreation grounds, and in a few years, with a fair modicum of prosperity, Cambridge progress will be an undoubted confirmation.

The usual monthly meeting of the Waikato County Council, called for Saturday, was adjourned till to-morrow for want of a quorum, the only member present being Councillor Primrose.

An American journal says:— "The tide of emigration still lapidly rolls on. . There is an addition of some thousands to the number of immigrants every week. It is now estimated that 400,000 immigrants will come in rut New York during the present twelvemonths, and 100,000 more by other American ports. Such a number will be unprecedented in history. As rapidly as they arrive the immigrants are drafted off to all parts of the country; and the results of their labors should be a suitable addition to both agricultural and manufacturing productions. " — Scottibh American. ,

Referring to the bill which has been adopted by the Canadian Hoiise of Commons legalising marriage with a deceased | wii'e*s sister, the Scottish American says it is an important step, and will at once remove an anomaly which existed between the law and the usage of the country. What had before been permited simply, will now be legal. Such a ttep in Canada should prepare the way for a homogenous law throughout the British Empire. And it would seem likely that it will be followed before long in this Colony.

Support Local Industries.— Messre, Ridler and Dalton, Kiwi Mills, aye producing the best of flour from Waikato grown wheat. For prices, see advertisement in first column, page two. — [Advt.]

Our Te Awamutu correspondent says : ■>— It is greatly regretted that in the report of the concert appearing in the "Waikato Times of Thursday last no allusion was made to the excellent pianoforte accompaniment of Mr T. A. Bell of Hamilton. His services so kindly rendered contributed in no small measure to the great success of the entertainment. Hamiltonian modesty was doubtless the cause of Mr Bell's name not appearing in connection with the concert. It is the first concert at Te Aamutu at which Mr Bell has assisted and his playing added an air of novelty and freshness to the affair which was greatly appreciated. We are also grateful for the support and assistance of other Hamilton friendH. The missing Cornet is still at the bottom of the Mangapiko. Bonfrey's Road.— lt is a curious fact, but true, that although this road has been condemned, as being too expensive to fiaish and impracticable and a new road substituted, still in the middle of July, during the wettest weater, the contractor for building culverts on the new road, actually carted all his heavy timber over it. How doctors differ !

Mr Delacar, a new settler, near Mr DinstUle'a, on the Whatawhata road, is setting au example to some of his neighbors. We were very much pleased, on riding past, to notice that he is one of tho.«e men who helps himself. The road fronting 1 his property he has cleared of titree [and fern, adding very much to the general appearance of his place, and we think that the Highway Board, now that day light is let in, and it can be seen what work is necessary, will get the road formed in this direction. We throw out this hint to the Board that the road from Dr. Careys does need a good deal done, and if we do not hear of any steps being taken when fine weather sets in, we shall again refer to it.

The Variety Entertainment given at Le Quesne's Hall, last night, in aid of Mrs Neilson, brought together, as it should have done, a very large audience. It is indeed somewhat to be regretted that the character of the parformance fell short in point of merit of the object for which it was given ; for it cannot be denied that on the whole it was not successful. Some of the items were remarkably good, but there was an element in it that went far to destroy the best efforts of those gentlemen who, after all, contributed the largest share. For instance, the very good singing of Mr Meacham, Mr Wright, and a somewhat, less degree, that of Mr Vivian, and the elocutionary efforts of Mr Pascoe and Ellison, were but ill matched with the attempts of the individual who was vain enough to suppose he could amuse a Hamilton audience with such songs as " Machael (J^tSlaherVor some such name. Messrs Locke, McKenzie, and Buck, in their Negro delineations, were by no means bad, though their efforts were marred by the absense of music, and the same might be said of some of the other vocalists. There was an evident want of arrangment about the whole affair, but makijig due allowance for all shortcomings, a veiy fair evening's amusement was provided. Miss Culpan presided at the pianoforte, and the Hamilton Light Infantry Band was in attendance, and played some very nice selections during the intervals. In a pecuniary sense the concert was a grand success.

A not ice to debtors to Dr. Waddin gton's estate appears in our advertising columns. Aiticai ioks in handwriting of applicants arc invited by the Hamilton Borough Council from boys desirous ot performing duties required by Council. Tkxim-rs are invited for the survey of the Cambridge Domain containing se\en hundred acres. Trvni.RS are called for carting timber from Ohaupo Station to Heathers Creek for the Tuhikaramea Highway Hoard, to be in at Ohaupo on Tuesday ne\t. J, S# Buckland, Esq., the popular Master of tho Pakiiranffl Hunt Club, requests that gentlemen donirous of continuing members willfonvard the amount of the annual subscription, and that those intending to resign will kindly notify tho same Tin. AVaitoa Highway Trustees intend striking a r.ite of nincpcncc in the £ for the ensuing year. • Quarterly Licensing Courts will sit at Jfgaruaw.ihia on Tuesday, 7th; at Hamilton, Wednesday, Bth ; at Cambridge, Friday, 10th ; at Te A^timutu, Monday, 13th proximo.