Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1311, 23 November 1880, Page 2

Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Kqu.il and exact justit o to nil njen, Of whatever state or ocrsu.ision, religious or politir.il. Here sli.ill th< % Press the People's ii(jht maintain Una wed by influent c .md unbribed by K.iin.

TUESDAY, NOV. 23, ISBO.

Tub Thames Advertiser of Thursday last in noticing that Mr W. K. Carter had commenced to run a lino of coaches between Hamilton and the Aroha, takes occasion in the most nonchalant way to refer to the superiority of the route from Auckland via the Thames over that by way of Waikato. The information is conveyed in a paragraph so charitable in its nature towards us here that it actually gives us ci-edit for advantages which we do not possess. The Advertiser says although the Waikato route is " a few miles " shorter from Auckland than by " way of the Thames, the journey " occupies a much longer time, and " is also more expensive than if the " traveller from Auckland took " passage by steamer to Grahams- " town, thence by one of the river " boats. Via the Thames the "journey to the Aroha goldfield "occupies about 13 or 14 hours, " and costs only 17s 6d, the sum " charged for a railway ticket from " Auckland to Hamilton alone." Strictly speaking, however, this is not correct, the fact being that the journey by the Thames would be just "a few miles " shorter than by Waikato ; so that but for the kindly feelings which our contemporary entertains towards Waikato he might even have taken away from us the poor vantage which two or three miles might give us. But this little concession has after all, we fear, been made with a view to magnify the assumed superiority of the line which would run past our contemporary's front door, rather than that intending visitors to the Aroha should have a fair statement of the case set before them. For the information then of people who need not look for good counsel from Graharastown, we will draw a little parallel between the respective routes, which will in all likelihood be of service to those whose duties or pleasure lead them from Auckland to the scene of the new goldfield or back. To begin with, travellers taking fie W-xikato route traverse the whole distance, about 112 miles, by land; those taking the other, somewhere about one hundred miles, by water. By the former eighty-four miles are covered in a railway carriage, and the remainder, over one of the best roads in the Colony, in a comfortable coach. By the latter, a voyage of 45 or 50 miles across the roughest bit of sea around Auckland, in a stuffy, uncomfortable little steamer, has to be borne before the Thames is reached, and this is followed by 50 or 60 miles of the most toilsome, wearisome voyaging up a narrow, tortuous stream, on the snags and sandbanks of which, more especially in summer, half a day or so will bo spent every other trip. But allowing that no such stoppage occurs, that overything except the discomfort, inseparable from travelling in dirty little steam launches, is favourable ; the time which the Advertiser allows for the voyage is 13 or 14 hours ; which is of cour.se less than 11 hours, the actual time which is occupied on the road in travelling from Auckland to the Aroha via Waikato. When the railway authorities, as they will bo compelled to do, run an early train between Auckland and To Awamutu, 11 hours will represent the time occupied from the Auckland station to the river landing. Moreover, this time will not once in a hundred times vary more than a few minutes, while wind and weather, tide, snags, sandbanks, defective boilers, bad coal, and sea-sickness will combine perpetually to delay and disgust travellers who take the Thames route. As to the matter of cost, we cannot help thinking that the few shillings difference in the respective rates is well invested, and no one on consideration will grudge it.

In consequence of the large number of people, working men principally, who have gone to the Aroha in the hope of making their fortunes, the labor markefc just now is very tight. Indeed, if things continue as at present it is difficult to know whether any labor will be available at all in a few weeks. As it is, a very indifferent quality has to be put up with, and that at an advanced rate. A day or two ago a gentleman was obliged to give 10s per day to a man for gardening, the operations of which the employe Avas only very slightly acquainted with ; and ordinary day laborers are asking extremely high rates. What is worse, men are every day throwing up good employment in order that they may depart to the golden mountain. We cannot help thinking that such a course is unwise. Not long ago complaints about the scarcity of work were painfully frequent, and now everything is iaeautfoijsly thrown aside in order to 'he *#«st on the

field." But really, except in the case of practical men, who have had some experience in quartz reefing, nothing will be gained by s;oinL£ upon the field until it is; known that gold exists there iv something like quantity. In the meantime, it were much bettor for working men to re tain that which they have, rather than squander their savings needlessly in a wrong direction. There is no reason, moreover, why they should not secure an interest in the field without throwing up a certainty such as their present employment ; it is quite possible for them to band themselves together into associations, deputing to some trustworthy person the care of thoir interests. J3y this means time would be gained and' an opportunity secured of discovering the probable nature of the field, before a sacrifice is made of the present means of support.

For some time past there have not been wanting signs that the feeling in the United States is daily becoming more favorable to the reception of colonial wool under conditions more advantageous to the producer than has existed hitherto. The fact is that, great as are the capabilities of the American -continent for the growth of cereals and the production of beef, the States are not suitable to the production either of mutton or wool. The Americans are an observant people, and they cannot have failed to notice that so long as their cloth and other woollen goods were composed of the inferior home staple, they could not hope to compete with the superior manufactures of England. By the introduction of Australian wool, they may with their facilities turn out articles which would command a high place in the market, and this can only be done bv removing some of those restrictions which at present exist against the importation of foreign products. It will be some comfort, then, to farmers in the Australian colonies to find that that very county which is so dangerous a rival to us in the English cram market, will itself provide us with a mart for another commodity — W ool — which can be produced on this side the Pacific with even greater profit than is yielded by wheat. English farmers are beginning to see that even they cannot compete with America in so far as regards breadstuff's, owing to the rapid development of the prairie lands of the West, which can be cultivated with little trouble. But even they take comfort from the fact that America is not a sheep country.

We learn by telegram that the Aroha goldfield has been proclaimed and

gazetted. The daily increasing population at the Arohd demands that a post-office should hpcedily bo established oa the farther side of the Waibou, where prospectors and diners may obtain their correspondence without having to send to C'ampbelltown for it. Now, also, that regular coach communication has been established between Waikato and the Arohsi, mails might ali-o be despatched thither with more f ro-juoncy than at present. A deposit of kauri gum was discovered yesterday in the garden attached to .St Peter's Parsonage, Hamilton, which yielded about two buckets full. The gum was accidentally discovered upon digging up a portion of the ground for planting, and in all probability more could be found in the vicinity. ' If this discovery leads to further prospecting who knows that a payable field may not be discovered in the town. We may look forward to seeing the streets torn up, and footways destroyed, in the search for the preciouswell, not metal— stuff. Something ought to be done to make the mam road between Hamilton and Cambridge less disagreeable for travelling upon. At present much of it consists simply of a bed of loose sand which the wind blows hither and thither as it pleases. Surely some remedy might be discovered. Mess s Cotton and Reynolds held their first sale of furniture, produce, etc., at their new s+ore, Victoria-street, Cambridge, on Saturday. There was a good attendance, and fair prices were realised. Mr J. S. Buckland held a large sale of horses at the Cambridge yards on Saturday. There was a good attendance of buyers, but prices ruled very low, except tor really good animals. Professor Fraser will deliver his popular lecture on "Food" at the Public Hall, Cambiidge, on Thursday evening next, under the auspices of the Cambridge Total Abstinence Society. The lecture has everywhere been well received, and will no doubt be accorded a good reception • in Cambridge. A number of people ™ route for the Aroha arrived by the train last evening from Auckland and intermediate places. By a telegram in another column, it will be seen that a half share and a quarter share in the Prospectors' claim at Te Aroha have been sold at fair prices. The contractors for repairing the bridge over the Waipa at Alexandra have finished their job, and the structure is now safe and sound, again. Work on the bridges at Whatawhata and Te Rore is being pushed forward. Commander Edwin telegraphed last night : — " Expect bad weather any direction between north-east and north and west. There is a further fall in the glass, with strong indications of rain." Mr Mofflin, of the Commercial Stables, Hamilton, lost a valuable horse on Saturday through an accident. It appears that he was being ridden or driven through a fence, when he slipped into the ditch, breaking one of his forelegs. When the extent of the poor animal's injuries were known, the owner at once gave instructions to shoot it, which act of mercy was performed without delay. A two-year-old Hereford bull, Horace, the property of Messrs Maclean and Co., arrived in the Waikato on Friday night from Penrose. He was taken to Broad Meadows on Saturday. As may be imagined, the want of suitable accommodation has been greatly felt at the Aroha, To meet this demand, Mr O. S. O'Halloran has commenced the enlargement of Jus hotel. As it is near the HoS Springs and iv close proximity to the Prospectors' claim, increased accommodation is all that is necessary to render it the chief resort of

visitors to the 1 field, and it is with a view to this that Mf O'Halloran lias determined to make extensive additions.

Mr Carter's coach started yesterday morning on the third trip to the Arohfy Jakitrg/soveral passengers. ' The',, coach leaver ' Hamilton at 8 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, starting on the return journey at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, , reaching Hamilton in time to catch the coach which leaves here at 6 o'clock for Cambridge.

The Secretary to the Hamilton West School Committee is in receipt of a letter from the Secretary to the Board of Education intimating that it is proposed to appoint Miss Janet Williams as an extra assistant teacher at the Hamilton West school. Miss Williams is at present employed aa an assistant teacher at the Waio-Karaka school, Thames, and is classified under the Government regulations as fc 4.

The members of the Hamilton Lawn Tennis Club played a tournament en Saturday, the prize being- a racket. Eight members entered, and single games were played, the competitors beint? selected by lot. In the first round Mr Lai*hley beat Mr Whitaker ; Rev Mr Calder beat Mr R. F. Sandes ; Captain Dawson beat Mr T. Gr. Sandes; and Mr W. M. Hay beat Mr J: B. Whyte. In the second round Mr Laishley beat Captain Dawson, and Rev Mr Calder beat Mr Hay. In the final match Mr Laishley .secured a victory over Rev Mr Calder, and consequently obtains the prize. A numof spectators were present and greatly enjoyed the contest.

A fire occured at Mr Breaker's camp, at Fen Court, on Saturday, which resulted in the destruction of the cookhouse, and one of the tenfs. The party, under Mr Simnis, were camped about a mile from the Fen Court Station, and near to what was formerly known as Bell's Bush, and the tent nearest the cook-house was occupied by Messrs Kelly, Smith, and Pinetti. After breakfast, supposing the fire to be all right, the party proceeded to their work some distance away, and did not return until evening, when they found that the cook-house and the tent nearest to it had been burnt down. The damage done was considerable, all the clothes, blankets &c, belonging to the three occupants having been consumed. Mr Kelly had a sum of money in his pockets, part of which was fortunately in gold. The latter he found among the debris. Mr Smith also lost some money, and a watch in his coat was found to have been considerably damaged. The cause is supposed to be purely accidental ; the chimney of the cook-house being constructed of punghas, might have caught fire ; althougn it is a somewhat strange occurrence that the watch belonging to Mr Smith was found to have stopped at 4 o'clock. For some days the members of the party have noticed a strange man hovering about the neighbourhood, but as it would appear that none of the valuables in the tent had been touched, it is improbable that an incendiary had anything to do with the matter.

The following item of news regarding tho various teams of English cricketers which have visited the colonies we clip from the Australasian :—": — " Tho first team (Stephen^on's) arrived in the Great Britain on the 24th December, 1861, after a pass-ago of 6-5 days. The second team (Parr's) arrived, also in the Great Britain, on December 16, 1863, aitpr a passage of 60 days. The third team (W. O-. Grace's) arrived by the in.iil steamer Nubia on S.ifcnnUy, December 13, 1873, and visaed the South Melbourne ground during 1 tho afternoon. The fourth team (Lillywhite's) arrived at Adelaide by the P. and 0. steamer Taujore, and played their firsc match at Adelaide on 16th November, 1876. The fifth team (the Gentlemen of England, with Emmett and Ulyett), arrived by the mail steamer at Adelaide, and came on by the s.s. Victo* rian, reaching Melbourne on Monday, December 16, and played on the M.C.C. ground on Thursday, December 26, and following days." With the view of promoting agricultural improvement in Bengal, and encouraging the study of scientific agriculture, the Beng°l Government has created two annual special scholarships of £200 each, to be held by science graduates of the Calcutta Univernity of ( Urencester College. Tho first two will be tenable tor two and a-half years from the commencement of 1881. An allowance of 1000 rupees will he made to defray the expenses of scholarship owners pi oceeding to England, and a similar allowance for the return journey on completion of the course. 11l 1879 the Australian colonies exported 313,27-1, 3361b. of wool, which was valued at £1.5,901,789. This return includes New Zealand, which contributed 62,220,8101b. of wool, valued at €3,120,139 — a good return from a country that only commenced exporting wool in 1 8 18. The export from Victoria was 47.973.0911b., valued at £2,603,028. It is not only by increasing the number of fchcep that Australian sheep farmers have increased their export of wool. The weight of the fleeces has been nearly doubled by improvements effected in tho breed of sheep by the use of high-class rams. In IS6O the average production of wool per sheep in Australia was 2*941b. greasy and l'7olb. washed. In 1870 the yield per head had incrtased to 3'521b. per head greasy and 2"0.31b. per head washed. In 1877 the yield was 4 - 291b. per head greasy and 2*3Glb. washed; so that, in less than twenty years, the average yield of wool per sheep throughout Australia was nearly doubled, and in connexion with this increase in the yield it must be taken into consideration that the fleeces, both washed and greasy, were oent to market in a much better condition in 1877 than in 1860. The Australasian still continues to jrrowl because Messrs Grant and Foster did not settle their friends in Victoria. What enrages our contemporary is the fact that the climate and social conditions of New Zew Zealand have been made so much of. In a recent article occurs the following :— " We, in Australia, require men of thia class, possessing agricultural experience and some capital, quite as much as New Zealand does, but the Governments of thede colonies did not succeed in inducing the deputation to acquaint themselves with the advantages that we could offer them. In several of the Australian colonies, Lincolnshire farmers or any other men could pick their selection from millions of acres of magnifienfc agricultural land, and can acquire freeholds on far easier terms than the Te Aroha block. In point of climate and natural productiveness of soil, we are not one whit behind our southern neighbours, and the great boast of New Zealand, • that it is a place where an Englishman may make an English home, and produce everything he requires to make life comfortable,' is no more applicable to those islands than to the Australian continent." A Cheese Factory in Poverty Bay. — The dairy farmers of Poverty Bay have taken measures for the establishment of a factory, in furtherance of which a committee has been appointed to collect information concerning the prospects of the proposed company. The rich grassy and well watered pastures of that district are admirably adapted for dairy fanning, and with good management a factory such as that projected, should prove a success.

lii connection with the Ohaiipo races, the District Railway Manigcr notifies that single tickets issued from Mercer and all stations north of it to H.imilton Junction and Ohaiipo on Saturday, November 27, Monday, November 29, .md Tuesday, November v>, will be available tor return up to the Ist December. Tenders will be received up to the 4th nro\. for ploughing about I=so acres of bind on the Pom arrow estate, Hautapu. Particulars, may be n.id from the Manager, Mr Honey. Messrs E. MahoneyandSon, architect?, invite tenders tor the erection ot the new ht. Andrew's Church, Cambridge. Wans, &c, may be seen .it Mr T. Wells' office up to the morning of the 29th instant, atter which they ran be inspected .it the architect's office, Auckland, up to the 9th proximo, on which day the tenders, must be in. Messrs W. J. Hunter and Co. will offer for sale, at the Cambridge yards, on Thursday ne\t, the 2,th inbt., 150 fat wethers (medium si/c), 15 head fat cattle, store cattle, •ihecp, horses, pigs, &.c, &c. The sale will commence at 1 o'clock. Mr J. S. Buckland will sell a choice lot of rattle at the Whatawhata Yards on the Ist December. Lieut. C. R. Johnson announces through our advertising columns th.it the members of the Hamilton Cavalry Contingent will assemble at the Mutt-! on Saturday next at 9 a.m. to fire for Mr Peat's prize. The cricket match Hamilton v. Cambridge, which was to have taken place on the 24th inst., is postponed until further notice. In lieu of the above, a match will be played in Hamilton on Saturday next— Eleven v. Twentytwo,—to which all members are invited to attend, as it will be the opening of the new ground. Messrs W. J. Hunter and Co. will hold their next Ohaupo cattle sale on Thursday. 2nd December, when a choice lot of young steers will be offered. Special attention is called to the price list of the Rodanow Manufacturing Co., of Boston, published in these columns. All those wishing to secure .in excellent and correct timekeeper are recommended to address themselves to this old and reliable firm. No further evidence of their manufactures will be required beyond the following {acts : The firm was established in 1840, and since then have gained pr'i7e medals at the Exhibitions of London, Paris, Vienna, &c, for excellence of manufacture. They are appointed, by warrant, watchmakers to the Queen ef England, Prince of Wales, the Emperor of Russia and the Hey ot Tunis. On reference to our advertising columns, will be seen the Abridged Prospectus of the Caswell Sound Marble, Portland Cement, and Mining Company (Limited), the share list of which closes on the 15th proximo. The new pure cash system now being initiated by G. and C. will certainly pro\e a benefit to the public. It has been a great success in Sydney and Melbourne, and when strictly carried out the customer who buys at an establishment where the good? are marked low to ensure a rapid sale must be a great gainer. G. and C. sell their drapery millinary, and clothing at such prices tor cash as gives the buyer the advantages of a shareholder in a co-operath c .society, without the risk of being called upon to bear aportion of the loss should the year's business prove unsatisf ictory. Garlick and Cranweil will aim to retain the confidence which the public ha\e hitherto shown them, and arc determined to gi\ c the pure cash system a fair trial : whether they gain or lose the first year. Country buyers on remitting cash with order will be supplied with goods at co-operative prices ; iust the same as though they made a personal selection. Furnishing goods, such as carpets, floor iiotlis, bedsteads, beddinp, and general house furniture, the largest portion of which is turned out at our own factory, will be marked at the lowest remunerative prices, and a discount of five per rent, will be allowed to those who pay at the time of purchase. G. &C. having realised the entire value of their stock during their late cash sale, the present stock is ni<w vvij chi-api.y nour.nr. An inspection is invited. — G\uunc and Cr \nwixi., City Hall Furnishing Arcade Queenstreet, Auckland.