The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1500, 14 February 1882, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Kqiuil and exact justice to .ill men, Of whatsoever state or poiMiaMOH, religious or pclitic.il. Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence .nut unbiibed by gnin.

TUESDAY, FEB. l> h ISS.i.

The principle of local sclf-govorn-ment, which forms so proniiuenl a plauk in tho platform of men of advanced opinions, has, us everybody knows, been extended to the appointment of licensing commissioners, and in a few days an opportunity will be afforded us for observing in what manner the people will exercise their now-born privilege. Henceforth the number of licensed houses is to be determined, and their conduct will bo under the supervision of tho majority of those living in the district in which such houses arc .situate. Tho measure which has brought about this change can only be said to bo tentative, and its success or failure can only be determined by timo. It is not to be supposed that it will fulfil tho expectations of its most ardent friends, even, at the outset, while we may bo sure it will bring down upon itself the heartiest condemnation of its enemies. All this is to be expected. At tho outset there is little doubt that the power which the Legislature lias thus placed on the hands of tho groat mass of the population will be groviously, and in many cases grossly abused. It will, no doubt, in some instances prove a tool in the hands of interested cliques for the f urtherenco of their own petty, personal ends. These we may be sure will study its provisions, because they are concerned, and to that extent will liavo an immense advantage over those who either though carelessness or indifference, will neglect to so inform themselves. Unfortunately, too, the measure facilitates the fusion of the two sections of the community who arc most naturally supposed to be averse to the multiplication of licensed houses. This may seem a blessing : were proper care and discretion only exercised it would le one : But there is just a possibility of its turning out something different. Assuming that the liquor traffic has attained to such proportions as to call for the application of the pruning knife, wo must be careful that the operation is judiciously performed. "We must take care that we do not create monopolies. If wo are to have hotels, let us have the best procurable. It is rather late in the day, we know, to discuss the provisions of a measure which has passed into law. and too early, as we have hinted, to judge of its merits im- 1 partially. Our reason for introducing ifc to the notice of our readers now is that we might impress upon them, individually and collectively, the necessity for their paying close attention to tho act. It is of the utmost importance, if they desire to see the traffic in intoxicating liquors placed in a position satisfactory to all, that all should narrowly watch the means used for the purpose, and not allow their functions to be usurped by those who, unmindful of the public interest, are pretty sure to keep a sharp look-out after their own.

We have repeatedly adverted to the necessity for establishing in this colony industries other than that of agriculture. The increase in our powers of production, and the growing difficulty of securing profitable markets, point to this course as one of the highest importance, and it is cause for wonder that our moneyed men are.speaking generally, so indifferent about the matter. The growfch'Of sugar-beet, and the manufacture of sugar are subjects -which have been brought very prominently before the notice of the community for some time past — what degree of attention they have received is pretty w&H-kno wn « With a climate and soil'/ unsurpassed for the cultivation of the beet, with a fair market. -at, hand, for. th^jpijp.duce^and^withtjiis the ab- , solute peed for somo such industry

a luke-warnmess, nay, an apathy lias been displayed, which, is distressing in the extreme. Wo will not pause just now to further examine this subject, but in pursuance of our object in indicating what seem to us to be profitable industries, suitable to this portion of the colony, we draw attention to a valuable article, in another column from the JYew Zealand Industrial Gazette, bearing on the subject of silk culture, and narrating the steps taken towards establishing the manufacture of silken fabrics in the provincial district of Canterbury. We commend the article to the careful consideration of Waikato settlers. In the course of enquiries, we have he'ird it stated that silkworms would not thrive in this province, on account of the warmth of the climate, and that further the mulberry could not bo got to grow to perfection here. The first of these objecI tions is, of course, absurd, seeing that many varieties of the silkworm are cultivated under the scorching rays of the Bengal sun. In Europe the only countries where the industry has attained to any proportions are Italy, Turkey, and Greece, and to a limited extent also in the south of Prance, Spain, and Portugal. Attempts have been made to introduce it into England, notably by Mrs Wiiitby, of Newland, Mr Masox, of "Yately in Hampshire, and Lady Neville, of Dangstein, also in Hampshire, but without any tangible success Looking at these facts, the most obvious conclusion is that the climate of this part of New Zealand is iv the highest degree suitable for this industry. We have, indeed, something like demonstrable proof of this in the success which has attended the efforts of Mr Spencer, at Tauranga. The second objection is equally weak, for we have ascertained that a healthy specimen of the white mulberry (morus alba) is to be seen growing in a garden at Hamilton at the present. Unlike the black mulberry, which thrives even in the north of England when trained to the wall, the white species is impatient of frost, and will not succeed in America, where it has been introduced, further, north than latitude 43. It has, however, been cultivated in the south of Europe since tho year 1540, when it was introduced for the purpose of feeding the silkworm. Added to this, we know that in the South Island the cultivation of the tree is regarded as thoroughly practicable, so that all doubts about the adaptability ' of the province for rearing the silkworm may be put aside. We may assume with confidence that the means ai'e to our hands ; what is wanted is the will to initiate, and place the enterprise upon a substantial basis. Every day 'we sec stronger reason for regretting the demise (for it has shown no signs of life this long time past) of the Cambridge Farmer's Club. Such an institution, properly and efficiently conducted, might just now work an immense amount of good. There was much in the old society that thoughtful men might take exception to, but with all its defects it filled a place which has become painfully vacant since. Under better and more liberal auspices we tru&t the settlers of this important district will again combine together to forward their common interests, and when they do they can devote their time to no better objects than the consideration and discussion of those industries we have referred to in these columns, with a view to devising means for their establishment amongst us.

The fact that a new road — in a sense — has been opened from Taupo to Cambridge by the enterprise of one or two individuals, and that the distance can be traversed in one day, is a matter of considerable interest to that class of people whose business leads them far into the interior of the country, as well as to the tourist and traveller. Up to the present the journey to Taupo took three days in the ordinary way — partly riding and partly driving — and then the road is not of the best possible character, as it leads for a considerable distance through a very swampy piece of bush land ; but now Mr BuitT, one of the gentlemen above referred to, informs us that if that part of the road between Maungaiti and the new Waipa township, a distance of some 38 miles was constructed even in a mere superficial way, the journey to Taupo from Cambridge could be done easily in one day. Now as everybody is looking towards the interior of the country, and the eyes of business men are tending in that direction, it would be wise to have this new highway kept steadily in visw, and put in condition for practical traffic as early as possible. Of course the necessity for a road in this direction, so soon, will have to be shown befpre thei matter of constructing it can receive anything like serious consideration. As the land through which the road passes is gradually finding its way into the market, and the interior country beginning to open upj the necessity anc[ desirability' * will soon be obvious. This is another, matter which the attention of the Minister of Public Works should be drawn to during ,his approching visit. " . * . "- .

Nominations of candidates for the Licensing Committees .of Ran^iaohia,Mangapiko, and 4 Hamilton 5 "-' (coimtt^) must t>e' deposited at ihe respective polK; ing places ; to-morrotv., ',- Tl^ie^iqv/^hl, Xpmaining 4. districts' -iu 4,the;C|ouiiij^a *df Waikato, -Wdipa>

From certain indications, which we are not permitted to refer to more explicitly, there can be little doubt that work on the Thames- Valley and Rotorua Railway will be commenced at an early date.

Our Alexandra correspondent telegraphs last uight : — Wahanui is very unwell. He is "suffering from fits and pains in the head.— Taw liiao's meeting will not take place next mouth, as the potatoes will not be ready!

We understand that it is the intention of a number of the more prominent native interpreters to start a Maori newspaper in Waikato, which will have a colonial circulation. The object of the promoters is avowed to be the affording information to the natives upon general topics and the advocacy of their interests. The scheme lias been, we arc assured, warmly taken up, and a prospectus is likely to issue in a few days.

At the R. M. Court Hamilton, jresterday, before Mr North croft R. M., George Hawkins pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a clock from the Piako schoolhonse on or about the Ist inst. The Bench sentenced him- to two mouths hard labour in Mount Eden Gaol. On the other six charges of petty larceny he received a. month for eacli offence, the sentences to run concurrently.

There vas a fair muster of the members of the Hamilton Cavalry Troop at the Volunteer Hall on Saturday night. The men were exercised in sword drill by Lieut. Johnson, and afterwards engaged in single-stick practice, fencing with foils, &c, all entering with spirit into the exercise. Captain Whi taker was also present. On Sunday morning the troop, under the command of Lieut. Johnson, paraded in uniform at Hamilton East, and headed by the Hamilton Band proceeded to .S. Peter's Church, where they attended divine service.

As the departure of the Rev. Henry Bull of the Wesleyan Church, Cambridge, is near at hand, at the expressed desire of his many friends he has consented to deliver a lecture in the Public Hall on Friday evening next on .John Knox and the .Reformation of Scotland. The proceedings will be something of a farewell character, and together with the lecture, songs and other entertaining items will be contributed. As this will be the last opportunity we will have of hearing one of Mr Bull's very entertaining lectures in Cambridge, the general public will doubtless throng to the hall on Friday night.

An extraordinary accident occurred on Friday afternoon, near Southbridge, Canterbury. The wife of a farmer, named Abbot, was sitting in the front of her house with three child ten watching the men at work, when a horse bolted with a dray, which capsized right on to the unfortunate woman. It was speedily lifted, but not before terrible injuries were inflicted on those underneath. Mrs Abbot received a compound fracture of the right arm, and a wound across the temple. The baby, which she held all the time, had its leg broken. One girl was much bruised about the body, and a little boy had his skull laid open, and the lett side of his body apparently paralised, and another girl, who was under the horse, appeared in danger of instant death, but strangely enough was rescued with scarcely any injury.

Those who have so far interested themselves in the sugar-beet industry as to devote a portion of ground this year to the growth of the roots, are reminded that the plants should be earthed up this month. Roots exposed to the air lose so much of the sugar producing quality in proportion, so that the importance of moulding up the diills will be at once seen. Very little trouble is necessary ; all that is required to be done is to run a double moukl board plough between the rows. Those who desire to see the roots growing in the field could not do better than pay a visit to Messrs Graham's Tamahere Estate, where the crop is being subjected to a fair test. At the proper time we shall be glad to receive at this office samples of roots, which will be forwarded to Wellington by Mr XV. A. Graham, for analysis there by Mr Skey, the Government analyst.

Mr Kennedy Hill submitted to auction at his mart, Hamilton, on Saturday, the privileges in connection with the forthcoming Ohaupo races. The prices fetched were as follow :— Gates, £83, Mr Ellis ; publican's booth, £43, Mr Camp ; temperance booth, £5, Mr G-ranville } cards, £8, Mr Adams ; saddling paddock, £3, Mr Jones. These amounts total up the respectable sum of £142, and the Turf Club may well be congratulated on their good fortune. That the races will be successful we have little doubt. With good fields and the promise of good weather, the country people, who have now pretty well got through their harvest work, will take advantage of the brief leisure afforded them anrl take a day's outing.

Harvest thanksgiving services were held in S. Peter's church, Hamilton, on Sunday morning and evening. Voluntary contributions of fruit, flowers, j grain, and evergreen, had been forwarded I by members of the congregation, and the work of decoration was tastefully performed by Miss A. Lush, assisted by a number of the lady volunteers. The appearance of the interior thus decorated was very striking. The Yen j Archdeacon Lush conducted the ser- J vices, and preached two eloquent and impressive sermons, taking for his text in the morning, Genesis, chap. 8, last verse, " While the Earth reniaineth, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease," and in the evening, Genesis, chap. 28, verse 22, "And of all that thou ohalt give, I will surely give the tenth into thee." The con- I cremations were large at both services.

The Annual Intercolonial Cricket Match between Eleven of Victoria, and New South Wales, commenced on the ground of the latter on Friday. For the past few years Victoria has scored a win, j but judging from the two days' grand innings of the .New South Welshmen, the j Victorians are likely to suffer a defeat. When the stumps were drawn on the first day the local team had put together 350 runs for the loss of only three wickets — Murdoch not out for 183, and Jones also not out for 91- The lattter resumed their first iuniugs, and again remained at the wickets until the stumps were drawn, when they had put together 640 runs f qr th§ }qss of only six wickets. iMurdoch $core 4 §21, 0, J/ones,is not out for 109, and Qarrett not out for. 7S; At the close gi the day's pjay, Murdoch was presented with 100 guineas, whiclt h*d been subscribed upon the ground. .

The following decision of District Judge* Macdonald, at Auckland oii |iaturday, in, the crise against Joseph Byers for a breach^'of the Sheep Act, 1878; will be tof interest to/sheep-breedera :— The , defendant is eharge'd witna";breach, of section 4:s 'of ihe Sheep Alcß, 1878, irithaying t . " negligently guffere'd five infected lamb$ t to stray." Defendanii replied (a) that if the straylng^had beefa frdrn h|n| at 1 aU ij; was' nofi.through'anymegligenjeein ( b) |;^at th^ animals-neverihadlbelongedtoVdefen- - dant or b^eniii'hisor his servant's charge,, 1 ) i,e., ini}^:en ( i<lentity of.the sheejk s?he/ prosecation- their * evidencerdi^ I notiest^^sH'iHipj^e^tfban thatriUeifsheept h'^d ,stray| 3H)>%t^y j&p^tendeajtfiat . .bTy ? 'M^63r"dts*||otibn,4]i«|pnus-^as^^ upon-|deftodaß^^g^rQye^:tne iifiircum- -

interpretation was disputed by defendant, but not having the courage of his opinion he elected to appeal to further facts, not relying on his law, and proceeded to give evidence. That evidence was, I think, sufficient to negative an unsupported presumption. As to the second point, it appeared that defendant had. some five weeks ago, lost five lambs, and hearing five stray Jambs were in a saleyard, he set up a title to them, 'quite willing to take the benefit, to take the doubt, as to their identity as his property, till hearing of the intervention of the cheep Inspector he altered his views. The circumstances here were eertaiuly such as to raise a presumption against defendant, but not strong enough to carry conviction. On both the grounds, therefore, the case fails ; but if the sheep be not defendant's, his action in seeking to gain them was such as to mislead the Inspector into the prosecution, and therefore I shall not allow any costs.

Locking the door after the horse has gone would seem to be the principle pursued by the body in charge of the piece of road between the Karapiro and "Waikato bridges at Cambridge. Some time ago Mr liirkwood, as a member of the Cambridge Town Board, drew attention to the dangerous and unprotected state of this road. He showed his colleagues the risk persons were exposed to when driving on to the Waikato bridge in the dark, there being no rails or fencing of any description to prevent them from driving into the river. The bank at this place is very precipitous; an error on the part of a driver or a rider would cast him and his charge into one of the worst holes in the Waikato river, without the slightest possibility of escape. The other day Mr B. Garland, of Cambridge West, was driving a valuable mare in a dray into Cambridge when the animal, wanting to go across the bridge towards home, became restless, and backed the dray and driver over the bank. Mr Garland, who fortunately did not lose his pi-esence of mind, jumped out and caught the horse by the head, and with much difficulty succeeded in getting his property extricated from its perilous position. Those who have seen the marks of the wheels in the bank consider the escape as almost miraculous. No doubt had horse, dray and rider been lost in the river something would have been clone by the authorities by way of prevention in future, but as there was nothing but a mere warning, the road may be allowed to remain as it is, until life and property set another example. The Cambridge Town Board meet to-night, and we would recommend Mr Kirkwoocl to again bring the matter forward, so that the work might be done.

A concert will be given on Friday evening next, at 8 o'clock, by the choir of S. Andrew's Church, Cambridge, in the Sunday school-room. Special attention is directed to an advertisement by Mr T. Wells, merchant, Cambridge, notifying the .arrival of a large and varied stork of hosiery. The Waikato Steam Navigation Company will run the Delta on Thursday and Friday next between Ngaruawahia and the Narrows, taking visitors to the Ohiiupo races. An advertisement in another column gives all the particulars. Harvest thanksgiving services will be lield in S. John's Church, le Awamutu, on Sun day next. Offerings of grain, fruit, vegetables, and flowers are requested, as also assistance in the work of decorating. Horsemen attending the races can leave their horses in charge of Air T. Jones, at the saddling paddock, for is. Feed and water supplied at is 6d extra. The new pure cash system now being initiated by Or. and C. will certainly prove a benefit to the public. It has been a great success in Sydney and Melbourne, and when strictly carried out the customer who bii3s at an establishment where the goods are marked low to ensure a rapid sale must be a groat gainer. G. and C. sell their draper)-, millinery, and clothing- at such prices for cash as gives the buj cr the advantages of a shareholder in a co-operative society, without the risk of being called upon to bear a portion of the loss should the 3 ear's business prove unsatisfactory. Garlick and Cranwell will aim to retain the confidence which the public have hitherto shown them, and are determined to givu the pure cash system a. fair trial; whether they gain or lose thefirst year Country buyers on remitting cash with ordet will be supplied with goods at co-operatve prices; iust the same as though they made apersonal selection. Furnishing goods, such as carpets, floor cloths, bedsteads, bedding and general house furniture, the largest portion of which is turned out at our own factory, willbc marked at the lowest remunerative prices, and a discount of five per cent, will be allowed to those who pay at the time of purchase. G. and C. having realised the entire value of their stock during: their late cash sale, the present stock is new and chlaply nouGHi. — An inspection invited. — G\ruck and Crvnwcll, City Hall Furnishing Arcade Queen street, Auckland.