WAIKATO COUNCIL.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1349, 22 February 1881, Page 3

WAIKATO COUNCIL.

Thjb adJQqrnedj,monthly. meeting of „ the Waikato' County Council was held yester*day, at the Chamber?, Hamilton East, when $$m we present— Captain Steele (chairm»n),;Crs Gumming, Primrose, and Henry. r ' "' - ' Tho_ minute* of the previous meeting were**ea& alid tjonfir'med, and the outward correspondence was read and approved?l'-- <* Mr J. P. Campbell, chairman of the Cambridge' .Town Board, wrote explaining that the amount received as subsidy from the Qwntyvwaß, £180, and not £80, as reported. The Clerk said he had receipts from the Town Board for £235 during the last 20^ months. Mr Robert Lindsay wrote drawing attention to the bad state of the bridge at Smith's corner at Wairangi. Timber had been cut for repairing, but it was still lying in the bush. The writer wished to know who would be responsible in case of an accident. It was resolved to .authorise Cr Henry to expend a num of £6 5a to cart the timber and make the repair*. A petition was read from a number of the ratepayers in the Huntley portion of the County, asking the Council to accede to the request of the Government by giving £80 towards the erection of cattle pens, as there was no prospect of getting the work done in nny other way. , The Chairman did not think the Council should 'giro £80 to the Government;, when they could #et a pen built for something like £55. They had the expending of the County funds, and it was their duty to do ho with care. They were willing to work by the Government plans and specifications. It wag resolved that the Clerk telearraph again to the Government on the matter. The Seoretary to the Treasury forwarded voucher for £250 2a subsidy, the sum of £434 having been deducted on account of charitable aid. Considerable surprise was expressed at the magnitude of the deduction, and it was resolved to write to the Government again requesting to know the basis upon which the deductions had been made. The Clerk to the Wairoa County Council again wrote, asking the co-opera-tion of the "Waikato Council towards effecting a ohange In the constitution of the Waste Lands Board by making it partly elective. A. letter was read from the Manawatu Council, Foxton, asking for copies of byelaws relative to slaughterhouses, and pedlars' and hawkers' licenses. The Town Clerk of the Borough of Hamilton wrote acknowledging the receipt of a communication re the dog tax, and intimating that the matter would have due consideration. > Mr Robert Ralph wrote drawing attention to the necessity for a pound at Huntley. The Councillors could not see their way to erecting a pound, but had no objection to the settlers building one themselves. Mr J. E. Smith, of Taupiri, wrote on the subject of the railway encroachments on his land. The Council resolved to inform the writer that the matter was one for the Government, not the County, to conBider. The resolution of a meeting of the ratepayers of the Cambridge Highway Board, to stop a road through the properties of Messrs Arnold, Sharp, and Maclean was confirmed. A number of accounts were passed for payment, and the Council rose.

Some very interesting statistics have been published by the society for promoting the use of horseflesh and the flesh of awes and mules as food, showing how steadily the consumption of the«e articleof diet has been increasing in Paris and the provinces since the foundntion of the society in 1866. The weight has increased fiom 171,3001b5. in 1866 to 1,982,6201bH. in 1879. In the principal cities of the provinces the consumption of horsefleKh may bo considered to have fairly taken root. At Marseilles, in 1870, there were 599 horses eaten ; 1031 in 187-0, and 1533 in 1878; at Nancy, 165 in 1873, over 350 in 1876, and 705 in 1878: at Rheims. 291 in 1874, 423 in 1876. and 384 in 1878 ; at Lyons, 1839 in 1873, and 1313 in 1875. In both the latter canes some difficulties had been thrown out by the town authorities as was the case recently nt Chalons-snr-Marne, where the Mayor fixed the (jrice of horseflesh at a higher late than that of beef. The average price of horse meat is from twenty-five cents, to thirty cent.-*, per pound. Ea^b horse furnishes about 200 kilogrammes (4cwt.) of meat, which iH capable of bein < prepared in many by no means unappetising ways, such &»pot-a-fet(, boiled, roast, hashed, haricot, jugged, fillet, &c. Frank Buckland, one of the British salmon fishing inspectors, has p epared a report, which, says a London joui nalist, contains much practical information on "s'llraon farming," which will be found extremely valuable to all engaged in the cultivation and restoration of salmon waters. Taking us through the anatomy of the salmon, Mr Buckland talks pleasantly a d at some length on the wonderful arrangements of structure of this interesting and valuable fish. We are told, for instance, how the beautifully-contrived spine gives the salmon the elasticity, strength, and power of jumping, combined with his "fan-shaped" and strongly-con-structed tail, enable him to rush up rapids and turbulent waters in which no other fish could hold its own ; and how the eye is arranged and fitted into the skull, giving tog fish greit power of vision, which wires him in good stead when wandering to and fro in the salt water ar well as in the fresh water. His sense of smell, too, appears largely developed, and forma another important element in the organisation of the salmon. When in the sea, and in a "travelliny humou ,*' he smells about till he scents the waters of his own river. This guides him in the right direction, and he hab only to follow up the Bcent to get into fresh water. From " babyhood" up salmon appear to have an intuitive fear and dread of nets. This Mr. Buckland proved by experiments with artificially-reared fiah at hid museum at South Kensinerton, where the first sight of a net created a terrible scare among the fish in the troughs. The salmon is, moreover, a capricious fi*h, not only in regard to taking flies, but also in respect to nets. At times when stake and bag nets have been fUhing, they have beon known to avoid altogether some particular nets, while others in close proximity have made large captures. The approaching season in Borne pro* xnises to be brilliant, more especially as the cloud which hung over the Quirinal last winter bas been dispelled by Queen Margherita's happy restoration to health. The other day Her Majesty gave striking evidence of that courage, presence of mind, arid goodness of hea.rt for which the house of Savoy are so distinguished. She had'blighted frfemi her carriage and was walking along the road outside the Porta Anghca wheniwo gentlemen and a lady on horseback approached "at rapid canter. Reining np suddenly) on recognising her majesty, the, lady's horse fell; and in the Qaeen-sprang+for-" ward, seized, the bridle with one hand,and with' the' Other .Helped, fch'e lady to rise befof» either of the gentlemen Could, leave their saddles or her own attendants vflfcrwwfitwwe. . ' ".. , '