The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1488, 17 January 1882, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Kqu.il .md exact justice to all men, Of whitsoiver state or persuasion, religious or political. Heie shall tin- Press the People's right maintain, L'nawed by influence, and unbribud by gain.

TUESDAY, JAN. 1?, 1882.

IT pon the wide question of the general ])olicy which has from time to time been pursued in regard to our r,iilw,x,\s, much has been said and inuuh has been written. And, indeed, bj long as they remain fcjtate property one set of minds will claim than the railways should be. worked with a single eye to advance the personal interests of the ownei's (i.c, the people) just as the other will urgp tfi.it the system must be reg.irded in the light of a purely business speculation, and conducted upon strictly business principles. We li.ive already given some indication of our views on this all-im-portant question. We conceive it to be almost necessaiy in order to secure that the lines shall be remunerative to afford greater facilities to those who promise to be the largest supporteis — in short, we take it that it is possible to consult the welfare of individuals, and at the same time have a due regard to the necessity for making the railways self-supporting. Logically speaking, it is difficult to see how the latter can be accomplished if the first be neglected. However great the need for some change may be, we know, of course, that it must come from the people themselves, through their representatives. With questions of this nature they into whose hands the carrying out of the system is entrusted have nothing whatever to do. Little or no discretionary power has beeu placed in the hands of the heads of the Railway Department. In many respects this is a mibtake. To effect any reforms in the details of a department through the agency of Parliament requires time : the process at best is a slow one : while wei'e a little additional power placed in the hands of officials, a means for coping with any suddenly created, difficulty might be adopted on the instant. "We live in a new country, in which the conditions of life change rapidly and unexpectedly, and emergencies are continually arising which cannot under any hard and fast system be met and dealt with in a manner which wisdom would dictate. In this connection, let us glance for a moment at the tariff question. It cannot be denied that honest consideration has been given to this ; that the present system of uniform rates has only been adopted after a careful weighing of opinion. Let this bo freely admitted, and even then it must be owned that the plan is defective. Changes,' we repeat, are so frequent, so inexplicable, in a new country, as to render it a matter of the extremest difficulty to provide adequately today for the necessities of to-morrow. A rate charged upon a certain commodity in one district may sit lightly upon the consumers or producers, which in another would simply stop the demand or crush the production. The subject presents numberless difficulties perhaps, but one of the tnosfc obvious solutions is surely to place the railways more under local control. Officers who are at present mere machines, might, and, there is little doubt would render incalculable benefits were they permitted to think and act a little more on their responsibility. Let them, by all means, be thoroughly competent, but, being so, let them use their knowledge for the public good. It is becoming the fashion xo blackguard the local managers for every defect discover; able in the system, on the principle, we suppose, which actuated ,Sam Weller when he said somebody must be whopped ; but in nine cases out of ten the odium cast upon these men is altogether unjust. They' are,, not responsible, for the reason that no responsibility is placed onT their shoulders. Knowing this, we have

shrunk at all times from bestowing blame except in cases where we believed the objects of censure to be deserving of it. No clearer illustration of the point upon which we insist could well be found than in the account of the grievance which Mr Bauuoii had against the department. The case, will be fresh in the recollection of our readers, and we need not refer further to if, except to remark that the state of matters which it disclosed — the powerlessness of a.Genei-al Manager to amend a stupid blunder made by one of his men— was, to say theleast, extraordinary. The plan upon which time-tables are constructed, and the extraordinary means which are iiad recourse to to prevent the public gaining any knowledge of them, cannot surely be credited to a local officer, unless we accept the hypothesis that he is not clothed in his right mind. Some change in the working of the department is imminent, and we hope it will take the direction we have indicated. Every day brings some fresh evidence in its favor.

The parents of children attending the East Hamilton School are notified that duties will be resumed on Monday, the 23rd January. David Coombes, whose strange conduct was referred to in Saturday's issue, was brought up at the Hamilton Police Court on Saturday and remanded for a few days. The parents and guardians of the children attending the Hamilton West school are notified that the school opens tn-movjow on which day the committee hope to see a large attendance. In connection with the opening set vices of the Trinity Wesleyan Church, Hamilton, the Rev. Alexander C.irrick (of Auckland) pleached two excellent sermons on Sunday last suited to the occasion, and which were greatly appreciated by those who had the opportunity to be present at the services. On. Saturday next the goods train usually leaving Auckland for Hamilton at 0.30 a.m., and Hamilton for Auckland at 2 p in. will be suspended. Goods received at the Auckland station tip to 3 p.m. on Friday, will be forwarded the same night. All the witnesses in the Oxford murder case, numbering about thirty, returned to Cambridge from Auckland on Saturday last. This number consists of nearly all natives, with four or five Eiuopeans. They will, in all probability, have to return to town for the next sitting of the Supreme Court, which opens early in April next. Owing to the action of some stupid person, who, by cutting a drain into the Wailiou river, caused a large quantity of earth to be deposited in the river, which has impeded the navigation, the Piako County Council have given notice that no drains shall be cut to the river without the consent, in writing, of the chairman. The notice will be found in our advertising columns. Our local correspondents wired last night :— The electors of Staumore district have organised a public subscription to pay Mr Pillelt's costs in opposing the petition against his election for the General Assembly. — Harvesting is in full swing at Oamaru. The yield is likely to be better than was expected, owing to the drought. Something like forty bushels is expected. A correspondent writes to the Field on October Ist as follows: — "It may interest some of your readers to know that the steamer Orient will take for New Zealand a box containing 50,000 eggs of the true sea trout. All the preliminaries have been settled, and it now remains to impregnate and pack the eggs." The native obstruction to the occupation of the Pukekura and Puahoe blocks, the property respectively of Messrs Walker and Benn, and Grice and Parker, has now ceased. Messrs Grice and Parker liaA'e erected two cottages on their property, and have now some 300 acres of land ploughed and ready to lay down to grass. The natives will be allowed to remove the crops they have now growing on the estate, after which they will, it is believed, leave it quietly in the possession of the lawful owners. The Swamp road near Rotorangi is undergoing some very necessary repairs at the hands of the Pukekura Highway Bo.ird. The drains aie being deepened, and it is presumed an additional layer of clay will be laid on the road. During the last winter, and even far into the spring, the road was in a deplorably bad state — almost unfit for horsemen. During the ensuing session we hope strenuous effoi'ts will be made to secure a substantial grant for this road. The wheat crops in various parts of the district are looking remarkably well. 'The other day we had the pleasure of seeing a splendid field of this cereal on the farm of Mr Tucker, Pukerhnu which ought to yield at least 40 bushels to the acre. Mr E. B. Walker has also a fine crop just ripening. When it is considered that the season has not been conspicuously favourable, the results of this year ought to stimulate our fanners to engage in the growing of wheat in a much larger scale than has hitherto been attempted. The late elections, says a writer in the Western Star, have certainly added an appreciable amount of clap-trap to the House of Representatives, as evinced by the Southland and Kumara constituencies. The House was made a perfect beargarden of last session, and one shudders to think of the prospect in store for lion, members. Just fancy listening to the twaddle of the member for Invercargill, and the bad language of the West Coaster ! I think grammars and dictionaries will be just as useful in the House of Representatives as in our national schools. Honorariums ought to be doubled as a consolation for the infliction. Railway construction seems to he the order of the day in New South Wales. We have received news of the letting of another extensive contract, 126 miles in length, from Nyngan to Burke, in the interior of the colony. The tenderers seem to be well divided among the Australian colonies. , They, range as follows : — Mann and Co., Queensland, £416,000; Proudfoot, New- Zealand, £448,000; Amos Bros., New South Wales, £496,000; Robb and Co., Victoria, £536,000. ; , r A specimen was left at our office, yesterday, Which, as an object of interest; beats the proverbial "big gooseberry"" hollow, and even leaves mammoth pumpkins and 20-foot carrots hopelessly in' the rear. It takes the form of a 'slender twig, some eight inches in length; broken off a plum tree;- and' bearing some fifty- or jjixty well grown but^iinripesplums. it been possible jfcg. cram- on ."aiiy, more fruit We nave np doubt s .th*e gallantVliftl©'. braricu'^buld'havfjtofle f cffort, r ;-bW after a careful scrutiny jre have come to the wiwUiefon^tiwf'ty&l HrajM^b^fflrf 1

possible. _ The variety which has returned this astonishing yield is that known as the Russian damson, and the tree stands in Mrs Neilson's garden, Hamilton East. The curious can see the specimen at thjs office. - /■*'_ ' „ "toe would draw the attention of the Rangiaohia Highway Board to the bad state of some portions of the road between the Mangapiko and Rangiaohia.The bridge on the old Maori' dam is f in a rotten condition, one of the planks having given way, and a serious accident might" at any moment occur. While upon this subject we -would once more recommend* the board to place a finger-post or two in this locality. The number of cross-roads must be very confusing to strangers. In the Pukekura district the authorities have given a very praiseworthy example in this respect. The bazaar in aid of the funds of S. Andrew's new Anglican Chinch at Cambridge was practically closed on Saturday night last, when a considerable portion of the residue was disposed of by auction by Mr Bright. The total amount realised since the opening on Boxing-night is about £210, and there are goods remaining unsold to the value of about £100. The building fund of the church will be handsomely augmented, and great praise is due the ladies of the congregation for their untiring exertions in connection with the bazaar. On Sunday morning last Mr Thomas Spurgeon preached a very eloquent and impressive sermon in the Cambridge Public Hall before an unusually large audience, in aid of the Baptist Church of that place. The text chosen for the morning's discourse was taken from Hebrews, v. 38—" How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?" Mr Spurgeou delivered a second sermon in the evening, taking his text from Matthew vii, v, 13 — "Enter ye in at the btraight gate." The audience in the evening was, perhaps, the largest ever seen in the Public Hall, several persons having to remain in the doorway. A collection was taken up after each service. After the evening service a meeting of the members of the congregation was held, when it was unanimously resolved to ask Mr Why took to remain in Cambridge as pastor of the Baptist Communion. At the last meeting of the Waikato Cricket Association a resolution was passed that a Waikato team play the English team if possible, and we are happy to state that the association is likely to have the pleasure of sending a team to cope with the Englishmen. Mr Conway, the advance agent of the visitors, sent a telegram to Auckland asking if any team other than those in Auckland would play the Home eleven after the Auckland match, and the Auckland cricketers immediately telegraphed to the Waikato Cricket Association to see if they could make arrangements with Mr Conway about a match. If satisfactory arrnagements can be arrived at between Mr Conway and the association the match will take place early next month. The Waikato Cricket Association wish to tender their thanks to several of the Auckland cricketers for their exertions to bring about this match. The match English Eleven v. Otago Eighteen was concluded on Saturday. The two not-out men (Davenport and Alien) resumed their places at the wickets, but the bowling was changed, Peate and Midwinter taking the ball in place of Ulyett and Selby. Midwinter's bowling was again very destructive, he securing 10 wickets for 18 runs. Devonport's score of 20 was the highest made by any member of the Otago team. W. Frith and Haskell were the only other Otago men who got into double figures, making 16 and ]4 respectively. The innings closed for 74, leaving the Englishmen three to get to win, and Ulyetfc and Barlow quickly scored these. The team continued batting, however, till 6 o'clock, losing six wickets in an hour and a quarter for 53 runs. The next team they play will be Timaru. On Friday, Saturday and Monday they meet Canterbury at Christchurch. Sometime ago we had occasion to refer to the matter of a vicious cow, the property of a gentleman who resides near the lake at Cambridge, being at large, the animal having forced its acquaintanceship on a number of passers-by. Up to within a few clays since the considerate owner, acting on advice then given him took practical pains to see that his cow was prevented from doing mischief, but it appears as if lie has again piit confidence in the animal's behaviour, having again permitted her to roam at large. On Sunday evening last as two ladies were walking the Lake road, they were accosted by the cow, who insisted on going through the usual introductory formula, necessitating a very hasty retreat. We would again advise the owner to have the animal put out of the way. In an article on the result of the general election in New Zealand, the Australasian says the colony has just emerged from a very severe and critical crisis. She was suffering from a very dangerous attack of political smallpox, which threatened to undermine her naturally robust constitution. Our contemporary thus photograps Sir George Grey :—: — We could not better describe the demagogic leader in New Zealand than by saying he was Mr Berry, plus a considerable amount of intellect, the culture of an English gentleman, and the prestige arising from the higa positions he had held in the Imperial service. He was therefore a far more dangerous man than the frothy platitudinarian who went up like a rocket and came down like a stick in this colony. Mr Berry muddled our finances from sheer incapacity, while Sir George Grey brought the colony of New Zealand to the very verge of bankruptcy by the reckless extravagance of his administration. His expulsion from office was the saving of the country. Alluding to the "Distraint for Rent, Abolition Bill, "introduced last session by the Attorney-General, a southern contemporary writes: — "We are glad to notice from Mr Hall's speech at Leestou, this measure is again to be introduced. It might seem a wonder to most thinking men outside of Great Britain and her dependencies that so exceptional and oppressive a power as that of the landlord over the tenant should last for so many centuries as it has done, and that while every other breach of agreement must be decided on its merits in some law court before any action is taken in his case, the landlord, who is usually the wealthier man of the two, has merely to put his man in possession, seize what property he thinks fit, and cause it to be sold off to satisfy his claim, which, after all, may be an invalid one. But Great Britain is on the whole a very 1 conservative 'country,' and some few relics of the feudal times remain- to, the present day, even in the most democratic colonies. In thpae bygone tMeVth'e'lbrds "spiritual.) and the lords temporal^ did pretty welt as they jik'edwith wfiatthey^ considered 'their .own." yfj £/; rj^ ,'f ' ' .Theusuarfbrtnightls: meeting lot the -Hamilton BoroughjCpuricil iw'as iield ; ' at the ChambershlaBt?'ni'gh%twhen "there 1 Crs. Jones,.Gaudin,?Bradley, McGarrjgM ,Secret*ryffor y Publio|WortsiV%w»i m^ m 2

bridge, the lowest ofiwhich was £385. The total money available out of balance due. the council for bridge extras, &c, was £147. He therefore desired the council po pay, JrM th^.^Uuape,.^23S t to the Public Account at* the Bank* of New Zealand.— The "Mayor f stated 'that on receipt of this telegram he had consulted one or two councillors, -and had replied seating that the council had no funds, ,and asking what Government proposed doing. He th ughtit was the' most extraordinary telegram ever sent to a public body. — k lt' was resolved to endorse the Mayor's action, and forward a second telegram to that effect. — The valuation rolls of the borough were laid on the table, and received by the council. — The borough workman reported that the water tables in Victoria and Grey streets required to be thoroughly cleaned out, and the rubbish removed. Referred to the Works Committee. — The .Works Committee reported that they Itoul failed to see Mr Knorpp in regard to the railway crossing in Victoria-street. Regarding the gravel pit in Bridge-Street East, they had instructed Mr 'Carthy, the gravel contractor, to use the sifted sand for the roads. Mr Coombes had given up removing gravel, and had refused to sign the agreement. After some discussion, it was agreed to confirm the report, a motion by Cr. McGarrigle that the contractor take the gravel from above the pit opened by Mr Coombes being lost. — The statement of accounts was read as follows : — General account, overdraft, £420 7s Id ; special account, credit. £121 17s 5d. — The services of Mr Daley, bridge toll collector, were retained for the month of February. — On the motion of (Jr. Jones, notice of which had been given, it was resolved that tenders be invited annually for the supply of all goods, materials, and tools required by the council, specifications to be prepared by the lown Clerk.— lt was resolved that the Works Committee report on the Peach Grove road at next meeting, with a view to putting it in order before the winter.— This was all the business, and the council then rose. Speaking at Cnudleigh recently, his Grace the Duke of Somerset, said the abolition of primogeniture and entail would not benefit the farmer. The present wild talk about Land Law Reform was frightening capital away from the land, therefore injuring both landowner and cultivator. It was proposed to give tenants security by fixing them on their farms, but what did the tenants themselves say? The delegates who went to Canada a year or two ago came back and recommended tenants not to involve themselves with long leases, but to hold on from year to year. His Grace concluded by saying the landowners of England would rejoice to see farmers coming forward to buy their farms. The " No Rent" proclamation of the Irish Land League has (says an American paper) begun to bear its harvest of blood. For the past two weeks the telegraph wires have been ladened with sanguinary accounts of murders and outrages. The details of these dark deeds are simply revolting. Men and women and little children have been shot at, wounded and, in some instances, killed, simply because they have disobeyed the imperial ukase of this dictatorial, overbearing and unscrupulous organization. This imperial ukase recommended those who were in possession of other people's property, as tenants, to pay no rent therefor. The recommendation, however, was, in fact, an order, and it was the intention of those who issued it to have it enforced by just such means as those which have been adopted. These are facts which should be borne in mind by that portion of the American people, native and naturalized, who have been sympathising with this Irish land movement. It has always been claimed for the Land League that it was a libertyloving institution, struggling to relieve the people from the weight of oppressive laws and the burden of tyrannical landlords. It can hardly be contended, however, that an organization which in effect denies a man's right to pay with his own money what he considers to be an honest debt is a liberty-loving institution. In that denial there is a denial of the first principles of liberty and of individual action. But an institution which attempts to coerce people into obeying its imperious decrees by means of the midnight assassin's murderous bullet is simply a brutal combination of overbearing blackguards. No intelligent man could or should sympathize with an organization that fairly revels in horrible crimes. From all accounts the wonderful Koh-i-noor, or " Mountain of Light," the property of her Majesty, is eclipsed by a recently discovered diamond found in South Africa, and now in possession of Mr Porter-Rhodes, who is, we believe, the fortunate discoverer of the gem. The weight of the newly found stone is 150 carats. It is uncut, but from its peculiarly favourable shape is not expected to lose more than 10 carats during the process. The diamond ia as big as a very large walnut, and is described as "like a hailstone in sunlight, of a bewitching transparency, and brilliant whiteness no other precious metal can vie with." Most Cape diamonds are of an inferior yellowish tinge, which detracts from the value of the stones ; but this specimen is not only the largest ever discovered, but of a purity unsurpassed by any of its compeers. We understand that the stone was recently shown to the Prince of Wales at Marlborough House, and that his best diamonds, when placed beside the Porter-Rhodes stone, were seen to be " off color. " Offers for his property flow in upon the lucky owner from all parts of Europe. The first offer received was £50,000; the last made was £100,000. The owner's bankers, we hear, are willing to advance £60,000 against the security. The stone will not, it is thought, change hands under £200,000, which is just £50,0000 more than the famous Koh-i-noor is valued at. Mr Porter-Rhodes asks the trifling sum of £300,000, or $1,500,000, for his property, and does not seem in any hurry to dispose of it. It is rumoured that a Russian Prince is in treaty for the jewel.

P. Hopere warns persons trespassing in his orchard, Taupiri West. Mr Henry Somerville, photographer, Hamilton, makes an announcement to the public through our advertising columns. Notifications respecting the valuation list for the Borough of Hamilton and the Highway Districts of Kirikiriroa, Cambridge North, Tamahere, Pukekura, Ngaruawahia, and Tuhikaratnea, Hamilton, appear in anotherplace in this issue. Messrs Hunter and Nolan will sell, at the Durham yards, on Friday next, 45 we]l bred hacks and light harness horses. Mr J. S. Buekland will hold an important sale of horse stock, buggies, &c, &Ct, at the National Hotel yards, on Saturday next, the 21St. particular attention is directed to Mr Adam Laybourn's; advertisement 1 in;; another column, concerning bis, shipments, of nejv, seeds. j Special attention is drawn to, an iinportant^advertise'm'entc of , Messrs Oppftnheimer and Co.'s in another column. It has reference to Munson's portable mills/ and t"o"tKe£te*el \bsirb wire "fencing*, sl *' :'" * , "TV *"" *,' v t J Messrs W.^J. Hunter and .Cp^.willhbld^ their nexFsale 'at; Pra'nlrtpi^Jto-nYoiTo'w? where , there will .be^a. lafgojhumtief 01 stock yarded. jv- ■; lodijipt^HeSjtheyyplUofßßrailart^nufmberf^f' > < TMf