The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1510, 9 March 1882, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Equal and ex.ict justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain.

THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1882.

The Gaming and Lotteries Act stands an excellent chance of being attacked at all vulnerable points next session. We are under the impression that few of its friends can claim for it that it has fulfilled their expectations. That it was an honest offort of legislation will be generally admitted : The spectacle of a gigantic swindler quietly departing from the colony with a booty of four thousand pounds, while he coolly snapped his fingers as his dupes, produced, naturally enough, in many minds a desire to find a remedy for what seemed an extremely virulent disease — one which, for aught human intelligence could devine, might be inherent in many natures, or if not that, at least infections. We do not say that out of this alone the present legislation grew, but it is not too much to say that it thereby received a strong impetvs. The public press in various parts of the colony united in deploring the fact that such gross violations of right could not be reached by the hand of justice, and a very general desire for an alteration in the law was expressed. The result was the passing of a measure, which was not only too stringent in its provisions, but which also can, it has been shown, be evaded with comparative case. To what other conclusion can such advertisements as one might see almost any time in the Southern papers point? A person advertises that tickets re the Dunedin Races can be obtained on application at a certain place on certain days. Another notification has reference to the doings of a certain Fidelity Company which is open to sell programmes on the Dunedin Cup, and so on with many others. We suppose these things are illegal, but the difficulty is to sheet home a charge. The consequence is that a premium is placed upon duplicity : In the effort to make our fellow subjects moral, we are leading them towards the worst kind of dishonestly. It may be said, and with justice, that it is the duty of the State to protect its people from those who would rob them; but it is not too much to say thab they who allow themselves to be swindled by the organisers of "consultations" richly deserve it. We have little sympathy for the losses of a man who neglects to inform himself $of the reliability of the person to whom 1 ; he, in common with others,' entrusts, large sums of money. We question

very much whether, as a general thing, much care is not exercised. Nor does it seen just that the sweep promoter should be incontinently branded as a swindler for the reason that one of his class has played the rogue. On the same principle it appears to us that certain kinds of public companies, and, indeed, trades would have to be stamped as illegal. On the whole it must be admitted that the ac has been unsuccessful ; first, because so far from checking speculation in sweeps ie hds diverted a considerable sum of money into other colonies, where the speculative genius enjoys a wider scope, and secondly, because the real spirit of gambling, so destructive to the morals of the youth of this country, remains untouched. If speculation in sweepstakes be an evil, so is betting, and of the two the Legislature has chosen to allow the greater to remain.

The step taken by the gentlemen who have set on foot the Farmer's Co-oprative Association is a timely one towards combining the individual and general interests of the farmers of this district. Nothing could be more conducive to the general welfare and prosperity of the settlers than the success of the scheme propogated by the association, assuming, as we have a right, that combination is the true keystone to successful enterprise. Individuals may achieve much for themselves through mere personal exertion, but, to ensure the general prosperity of a district — the universal advancement of the settlers —combination is necessary. The object of the association is ostensibly to foster the wheat growing industry, but he successof this object will doubtless be attended with continued enterprise in other matters. The objects which the agricultural classes of the Waikato are capable of achieving for themselves, are mainly indicated by the neglected capacities for improvement which we have already endeavoured to point out. Attentive industry, skill, a spirit of enterprise, and a discreet reliance on their own resources, are the instruments by which they can raise their condition, and to make these effectual in the promotion of their object, combination is necessary. A certain amount of capital is required, which is to be subscribed in shares, the shareholders being the farmers themselves. The finding of a suitable market would be one of the chief objects of the association; and when it is considered that a large amount of flour is imported annually into the district, a ready demand ought to exist in the district in which the article is raised without paying the exorbitant rail charges. As we have already said, upon the success of this enterprise depends the introduction of others equally important, and therefore we hope that the object will be favour ably considered by those upon whom the promoters depend for support.

Colonel Reader, the Under-Secre-tary for Defence, is at present in Auckland. He will pay a visit to Waikato in the course of a tew days, his object being to inspect the Armed Constabulary in this district.

In the cricket match between the Englishmen and the Australian team about to visit England, the Australians won by six wickets.

Tke following is the latest betting on the Australian Oup : — Sweet William, 5 to 2 ; Suwarrow, 7to 1. Newmarket Handicap : Larpent, 10 to 1.

A meeting of the Cambridge Jockey Club is called for Tuesday next, for the consideration of important business. Members are requested to attend.

An interesting cricket contest is arranged to come off at Cambridge on Saturday next. Eleven of the Armed Constabulary have challenged eleven of the local men, who have agreed to play. A good team is being chosen, and, no doubt, the match will be worth witnessing. Play will commence at 10 o'clock sharp.

The Messrs Graham. Tamahere, with a view to fairly testing the suitability of the district to the growth of sorghum, devoted about an acre of land for the purpose. The result is not very gratifying. It is only right to say that although the ground was carefully prepared and manured, the seed was very inferior.

At a meeting of Auckland Volunteer Officers, held on Monday night at the invitation of Major Withers, a committee, consisting of the paptains_ of companies, was appointed with a view to testing the feeling of the volunteers on the subject of a review at Auckland at Easter. It was determined that as soon as the preliminaries were settled steps should be taken to invite the Waikato Cavalry and such other corps as would be likely to attend.

The tenders for supplying the Alined Constabulary on the Rotorua Road with rations closed at Cambridge at 12 o'clock noon, on Tuesday last. Much interest was taken in the matter. The following are the tenderß for each per day :— A. Isaacs, 7d ;T. Wells, 8f d ; Goodfellow and Evans, 10£ d; Rhodes and Kay, llfd ; D. Campbell, Is ; Jno. Stephenson, Is ; Houghton and Sons, Is Id ; Clark and Gane, Is 5Jd. Mr Isaacs tender being the lowest was accepted. The successful tenderer is privileged to run two canteens, one at each camp.

A meeting of the Waikato Cricket Association was called for Tuesday, at 5 p.m., at Delaneys Hotel, Ohaupo, but at the hour named only the President (Mr, Northcroft) and the Secretary (Mr Palmer) were in attendance, and after waiting about an hour, no others turning up in the meantime, these gentlemen left. It is-^ a, great pity that so little interest should s be taken in cricket aa this circum* stance indicates. .

Our Auckland morning contemporary writes yesterday :— The > Government has determine^ to have the report of the . interview between, the Natiye' Minister and Rewv translated into Maori,, printed; and circulated , arophgst .'the, Wallsato natives and Jawhiap&followgW, T^het-nativesi-willsthus be able to .read/in^ their own language, the stateniente\ r of -ErinSb Minister mregara^to^lie ''iigssk' question, ind,.from^ these. ste^nleiits^; ju^ge'dfMiis futu're'poUcy^ Messra^Wsv

J. Butler and George Brown were engaged yesterday in the work of translation. The printed copies of the report of the interview will be forward to Waikato today or to-morrow.

It appears according. to an Auckland contemporary, that Henare Kaihu, the well-known native chief, has been visiting Tawhiao with a view to induce him to invite the Native Minister to a meeting. The following translation of Tawhiao's reply has been published :— ' ' Some time ago the intelligence in relation to Mr Bryce's visit reached [us], and the Europeans and the Maoris are awaiting his arrival here ; but I have not strength to fully say that he shall come hither, on account of this place not being my real settlement, where he could be received as [my] guest. Another point is this : The right period for his visit here will be the time of the meeting [the announced meeting in May next], when all persons, both Europeans and Maoris, will be able to hear our speeches ; and this town, Alexandra, being his (Mr Bryce's), he can visit it [without invitation]." It is stated, and we are quite prepared to believe it, that the visit of Kaihu was not made at the instance of Mr Bryce, but waa purely on his own responsibility.

The sale of the Rotorua township, suburban and rural lands, under the provisions of the Thermal Spring Act, at the Crown Lands Office, Auckland, on Tuesday, was very satisfactory. Buyers attended from all parts of the colony, and the interest taken in the sale may be partly gnaged by the fact that only three lots failed to find purchasers; while in some cases the upset price was doubled, and even trebled. The total of the upset put on the town sections was £1341, and the amount realised £1950 10s ; on the suburban lands, £! 44 and £391 ; and on the rural lots, £,126 and £398 respectively. The total \ipset price was £1611, and the amount realised, £2735 10s, which latter represents the annual income which is derivable from the lands. The leases were for 99 years. The result of the sale may be regarded with satisfaction, no less on account of the evidence which it affords of reviving prosperity, than because it indicates that the value of the Lake district as a sanatorium is steadily forcing itself upon public attention throughout the world.

The New Zealand Drug Company has recommended a dividend of 10 per cent. The net profit available for distribution, after paying £3,604 4s. for first half-year, amounts to £10,07S 19a lOd. The dividend will absorb £3,877, balance carried forward. The Government bonus is to be paid to the company immediately tor the manufacture of 500 tons of sulphuric acid. The company also manufactures muriatic acid, and has plant ready to produce nitric acid. The directors intend also to manufacture artifical manure.

A Dr Frankish, member of Ohristchurch Acclimatisation Seciety, and who, if not frank, is at least outspoken, advocates the formation of a zoological collection in Hagley Park, one of the good effects of which, he says, will be a diminution of larrikinism. In speaking on this proposal at a recent meeting of the society he objected to certain unfavorable remarks made by the local Press, and said that in the zoological collection of the future he would, if he were alive, have a special cage provided for the incarceration of erratic editors, and have it lined with extracts from the leading columns of the Lyttleton Times, to show the utter depth of degradation to which journalism had descended at the end of the nineteenth century.

By the Orient in July last 4000 carcases of mutton were conveyed to London, cool and comfortable. A leading official of the Frozen Meat Export Company placed a private market on six of the carcases, and asked one of the engineers of the refrigerating room to look after their disposal. He did so, and saw them sold to a retail butcher in Oxfordstreet at s^cl per lb. Next day (says "JLgles") he paid a visit to the shop, and saw the marked carcases hanging up. He inquired how they sold this mutton. The reply was, "Best Scotch, sir, 13d perlb." That Scotch mutton was bred and fattened at Cocketgedong, Urana, N.S.W. !

•'The Times" says that in an autograph letter to Mr W. Self Weeks, of Newport, Isle of Wight, the Right Hon. John Bright, answering certain questions put to him in reference to the recent agitation on the question of free and fair trade, writes :: — • ' If you keep a particular trade employed at the cost of taxing persons engaged in other trades, what is it but a system of relief, or like feeding a dog with its own tail. Our people are not turned out of work by foreign imports. How do we employ and feed the ten millions increased population of this island since the free trade era — i.e., since 1840 ? They are far better employed, and paid, and fed now than they were forty years ago, when they were ten millions less in number. The present state of things is one of steady and general improvement. Poor-rates are decreasing everywhere. "

The Dunedin "Echo," (Mr R. Stout's paper) reviewing the New Zealand religious and criminal statistics says :—": — " If we look at the result of secular instruction we find that crime and ignorance are oftener associated than crime and knowledge. Of all the criminals in gaol in 1880 only 52 males and one female had received a superior education. There were, however, 679 males and 207 females of the prisoners who could not read, and 254 males and 104 females able to read only. If these had had a good secular education, may not some of them have been reclaimed from their evil ways ? Then there is another test as to education that we can give. There were 412 marriages solemnised by the priests of the Roman Catholic Church. In 8 of these marriages neither bridegroom nor bride could sign their names. Of the 679 marriages performed by the Church of England ministers, there were only 4 where both parties could not write. Of the 877 performed by Presbyterian ministers, not one where both were illiterate ; and of the 658 performed by registrars, only 6."

When the legislator moves in advance of public opinion (observes the Fall Mall Gazette) his laws are apt to become a dead letter. This truism has received a recent illustration in the State of Kansas, where the temperance men have succeeded in carrying a prohibitory law drastic enough to satisfy Sir Wilfrid Lawson himself. , In* some cities, where the publicans are strong and the temperance reformers comparatively few", the law is " defiantly yiolate'd," much to the disgust of the' prohibitionists. In order to cope with 'this determined opposition to the law the Governor of the State has issued an • extraordinary proclamation aimed at' those persons who •• defiantly trample under foot the will of the people. " This proclamation offers a series of rewards — 1. Of #20^for»the arrest, and conviction of ejjery'pe&oh selling intoxicants. 2. £60 forj*' 1 tHe^arfest, conviction, and remoyaltfrom office 'Vof ,the'> ,city i marshal ••■who J fails>mlhis (> duties.« ;3. £20 for' 'the* .arrest, -^conviction, |l,and removal , of ; every *;- policeman, ,whb ,i offends^ in,?like ■ .manVer ;^t^£^'for|tHe,arresf ,bf .default-- ' jMg^>|n|||and|^eJu^4heriffs^ %j£,M yb^wer:oridi&ffllejr.:ffttfdfe7t?fiSo^or4thel

themselves in connection with prohibitionists prosecutions. It remains to be seen what effect this proclamation will have upon the constables, sheriffs, and county attorneys, who appear to have leagued themselves together, with the publicans to render the law abortive.

A poll of the ratepayers of the Licensing District of Waitoa, will be taken on the 27th March inst., to determine whetherjthe number of licenses in the district shall be increased or not. Mr Kennedy Hill will sell at his Mart, on Saturday, at 2 p.m., valuable house and allotment in Hamilton East. At the same time and place, he will sell without reserve, oleographs, organettes, potatoes, chaff, bran, &c. Mr W. Reid, West End House, Cambridge, invites tenders for the lease or purchase of his farm of 50 acres at Hautapu. A meeting of the Piako County Council will be held on Friday, the 3 1st inbt., to confirm resolution re slaughterhouses. Messrs VV. J. Hunter and Co. will sell at the Ohaupo yards on Thursday, 16th inst., choice steers, fat and store cattle, dairy cows, sheep, etc. ; also, on account of whom it may concern, horses. Nominations to fill the vacancy in the representation of the Cambridge riding, Waikato county, caused by the resignation of Cr. Fergusson, will be received by the retuining officer (Mr J. P. Thomson), Town Board office, Cambridge, up to noon of Monday, 20th March inst. Tenders for fencing the Hamilton Cart Bridge embankment will bo received by the town clerk up to 7 p.m., Monday next, at his office. The town clerk notifies that proceedings will be taken for the recovery of all arrears of rates unpaid after the 16th inst. Alexander Bremner, presiding officer under the Licensing Act, 1881, appoints the teacher's house, Morrinsville, the place where the poll of the ratepayets of the Waitoa Licensing District will be taken on March 27th inst. Mr T. G. Sandes calls for further tenders for works on Jtho Hamilton -Whatawhata road, and at Rothwetl's Hill, Ohisupo road, as per advertisement. The new pure cash system now being initiated by G. 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 buys at an establishment where the goods arc marked low to ensure a rapid sale mubt be a great gainer. Or. and C. sell their di apery, millinery, and clothing at such prices for cash as gives the buyer 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 j car's business prove unsatisfactory. Garhck and Cranwell will aim to retain the confidence which the public have hitherto shown them, and are determined to give the pure cash system a fair trial; whether they gain or lose the first year Country buyeis on remitting cash withordej will be supplied with goods at co-opcratve prices ; just the same as though they made apersonalselection. 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, willbe marked at the lowest remunerative prices, and a discount of five pei cent, will be allowed to those who pay at the time of purchase. G. and C. having realised the entire value of their stock dm ing their late cash sale, the present stock is new and cheaply isouonr.--An inspection invited. — Garuck and Ckanwkm., City Hall Finishing Arcade Queen street, Auckland.