The Waikato Times. AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1567, 20 July 1882, Page 2

The Waikato Times. AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Equal and exact justice to all men t Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed Sy gain.

THURSDAY, JULY 2O, IBB2.

The Egyptian difficulty threatens to assume a new and alarming phase. Arabi Pasha has commenced preaching a crusade, and should he be successful in exciting the enthusiasm or fanaticism of the Mussulmans, the Powers now engaged in restoring order in the country may find themselres opposed by a formidable enemy. ,The issue would not be doubtful, but the struggle would' nevertheless be a bloody, if not a protracted one. We may hope that the promptitude displayed; by^nje British Government and the Powers acting in concert, riiay avert such an evil. England's policy has been characterised no less by strict moderation than by firmness throughout this unfortunate affair, and notwithstanding the fact that it has been generally, approved abroad,, we. find it cavilled at at home. ? ,'Mt JoJjriBright's example is, it is.suppospd,' about to be followed by two, othfer members of theYGp^ernmettti'

Messrs Chamberlain and Courtney, and the Radical party, we are told, arc furious. France on the other hand is busily "ranking preparations, to join England so soon as her assistance is thought necessary by the Powers, who are already affording a hearty support in the work of restoring peace and good government to the land of the Pyramids.

In the course of a mouth or two a fearful outcry will be raised by the fanners against the sparrows. At present we hear very little about them. The reason is pretty obrious. Just now there is little or nothing of value on which the birds can exercise their fell faculty of peculation, whereas when the sowing season comes on there will be full and free scope for their operations, and then we shall see long faces, and hear solemn anathemas fulminated against the graceless wretches who, in pursuit of an enlightened policy of acclimatisation, brought the house-sparrow into New Zealand. Would it not discover more wisdom in our agricultural friends were they to "take occasion, by the hand," and proceed with the work of extermination now, at a time when the birds are, for lack of choice, fain to take whatever falls in their way, poisoned grain, or what not. As we have before insisted any attempt at destruction must be organised to prove of auy real value, and for that purpose the settlers all over the district must come to a definite understanding. Were Mr Steward's bill to pass through the ordeal this session, and become law, the work would, to a great extent, devolve on the local bodies, but even in that event much would require t© be done privately. Meantime the proper season is passing away without any appreciable effort being made to remove, or lessen an evil which is growing so rapidly that it may well cause alarm. If a certain clay were set apart for laying poison over the whole district (or, indeed over the whole province, or colony for the matter of that) a murderous inroad would bo made in the ranks of the little feathered nuisance, the effects which it would take them some seasons to repair. In regard to the kind of poison best adapted for the purpose, that generally recommended hitherto is strychnine, applied to wheat, but in some of the southern districts it is the practice to use phosphorus. The former is well calculated to fulfil all requirements, though some ingredient is required to make the grain more palatable. A correspondent suggests that sugar, in the proportion of one pound to ten pounds of grain, should be added, the consequence being that the birds would eat with avidity that which at present they take, so to speak, under compulsion. In our local columns a writer recommends a peculiar kind of trap, which he describes and claims has been very successful, but whatever its merits may be it would not be so suitable for the purpose as the other means referred to.

We have received the July number of Te iCorimako, and shall take occasion to review it in a few days.

The annual general meeting of the Waikato Turf Club will be held at Delaneys Hotel, on Monday, August 7th, at 3 p.m. Members are particularly requested to attend.

A cable message dated London, July 17th, says :—A portion of the cargo of frozen mutton, ex steamship Orient, was sold by auction to-day, ancf realised an average of 6^l per lb.

Mr Frank Edgecumbe, Government surveyor, is at present engaged surveying a block of land lying between Waitetuna and Churchill, which the Government purpose throwing open for selection under the deferred payment system.

Sydney Taiwhanga presented his petition addressed to the Queen to Lord Kimberly on Monday. He was told that it would have to be referred back to New Zealand for the opinion of the Colonial Government. Mr Taiwhanga has not therefore got much for his pams unless it is a cheap trip to the old country.

At the Police Court, Hamilton, yesterday, before Mr Northcroft, H.M., an order prohibiting the publicans of Hamilton, Frankton, and Tamahere, from supplying liquor to Daniel Dee Hyde, was granted on the application of Mrs Mary Ann Hyde.

The Nelson College Governors, after long confederation, have selected Miss Kate Edger, M.A., of Auckland, out of fifteen applicants, as the lady principal of the new Givls' College, to be opened in January. They also selected Miss Lilian Edger, M.A., of Auckland, out of thirteen applicants, for the post of assistant teacher.

Miss M. C. Young, who lately resigned the position of assistant teacher in the Cambridge Public School, has obtained an excellent appointment at Sumner, Canterbury. Miss Young left Waikato for the scene of her new duties yesterday.

The usnal weekly meeting of the Hamilton Literary and Debating Society, will be held at the Court-house this evening. The programme will consist of short impromptu speeches by the members, with the customary criticisms.

We learn that Mr Robt.. Kirkwood, of Cambridge, has given instructions to his agent at Te Awamutu to have his property in that township improved, probably with a view to building. Mr Sloane's new store will shortly be under way, and the store at present in the hands of Messrs Laidlaw and Cook is again about to change hands.

Owing to the inclement state of the weather on Monday evening last, the concert which was to be given by the Cambridge Musical Union in the Public Hall, was postponed for a week. As the members of the Union have gone Jto con>Biderable pains in preparing a good pro: gramme, we hope the public will reward them for their efforts with a good house.

We are in receipt of the current number of the Illustrated New Zealand Kerald. It contains some fairly executed sketches of the recent shipping disaster at Tnnaru, • together with a number -of other engravings.

Mr H. Allwright, architect to the Auckland Board of Education, is at present preparing plans, &c, for a large schoolhouse and teacher's residence at Te Ai'oha, and tenders for the erection of the buildings will be invited as soon as possible.

From the Aroha "Mail" we learn that good prospects have been obtained in all parts of the goldfield, including the locality of the first workings. Our contemporary, however, complains that too little work has been done, the great majority of those occupying the ground preferring to hold it until someone else developes the resources of the field. The Mail urges vigorous prospecting as the only means of ascertaining the real value of the "ground, and so turning it to profitable account.

We ("Herald") learn that to the clergymen who visit him, Winiata still protests his innocence of the murder of Packer, and says the blood that was seen on his trousers was from a number of patiki that he speared at Manukau the night previous to the murder, and which he carried to his dwelling on his back.

"The Times" in an article advocating immigration to this colony says : 1 'New Zealand, from all accounts, can accommodate a good many more, and is a very healthy, very pleasant, and extremely beautiful country. Its only troubles are that it has too much of what we want, land and produce; and not enough of the people we are ready to send them."

The culvert at Ewen's hill has now been completed, and is likely to give the local body no trouble for many years to come. The work is of a very substantial character as may be judged from the following particulars :—The foundation was made by excavating in the soft mud to a depth of six feet. Short-bearing piles, feathered andgiooved were then driven four feet down so as to include the whole of the base ol the culvert; these piles were braced together by a transverse floor of 2in timber closely laid and well seemed to the side walls j on this a longitudinal floor of inch timber was placed and the whole formed the foundation to receive the superstructure. The culvert is constructed of concrete, made in the proportion of 2 parts Wilson's hydraulic lime 5 parts gravel, and one part sharp sand. This is laid on in layers 12 inches thick and well rammed. The culvert is egg-shaped, 62 feet long, the diameter at the top, 1 foot 10 inches, and at the bottom 3 feet 6 inches, the height being 5 feet, Underneath the invert there is 2 feet of solid concrete 10 feet wide, which narrows until at the turn of the arch the sides are 16 inches, while the top of the arch is 12 inches thick. Wing walls extend beyond the culvert four feet at each end, one foot thick with a batter of H inches in the foot, and a parapet one foot above the top of the culvert with 3 inch coping. The approaches are 10 feet wide, 4 feet long, and 1 foot deep, dished so as to make the water flow in the centre and keep them clear of debris. The culvert is overall, including approaches, 70 feet long. The work was entrusted to Mr M. Walsh, who has made an excellent job of it.

At the Legislative Council on Tuesday, the Law Practitioneis J3ill was read a second time, and referred to a select committee after considerable discussion, several members objecting to go on with the bill until the measure of Sir G. Grey was brought up. The Eight Hours Bill was thrown out by 17 to 9. In the Housu the Auckland University Bill w«s read by message from the Governor. Replying to questions, it was stated that when the Government called for tenders for the manufacture of railway rolling stock in the colony the cost was found to be prohibitive; the agreement between Messrs Studholme, Moorhouse, and Co., and the Government for the lease of the Marimutu block would only become valid when ratified by Parliament. The Gisborne Harbour Bill was introduced and read a first time. The debate on the Land Bill was resumed by Col. Trimble, who spoke in its favor, but argued that it should only apply to a limited extent until its value was tested, The leasing proposal was perfect. Mr Hutchison supported the bill, because he thought it would tend to settle people on the land. Mr Peacock disapproved of the bill if made to apply to the whole colony. He would support the second reading, but in committee would endeavour to effect alterations. Mr Shephard thought provision should be made for improvements effected by clearing bush, and laying down land. He did not think the bill would get through in its present shape, Mr Rutherford supported the bill, and said it would put New Zealand tenants in the position in which Scotch, Irish, and English tenants wished to be. Mr Stevens was in favor of introducing a purchasing clause in the leases. The deferred payment system had worked well in tho West Coast of the North Island, although high prices had been given for land. He also advocated < elective Land Boards. Mr Shrimski supported, and Mr Turnbull opposed the bill, and the adjournment was moved by Mr Bracken.

The reports concerning the recent shipment of frozen meat from New Zealand by the Dunedin are of a very encouraging nature, and afford an assurance of the success of the new trade. The London Times in a leading article says :—: — " To-day we have to record such a triumph over physical difficulties as would have been incredible, and even unimaginable, a very few years ago. Had any fervid protectionist told Parliament in the heat of the free-trade controversy that New Zealand would send into our London market five thousand dead sheep at a time, and in as good condition as ft they had been slaughtered in some subburban abattoir, he would have^ brought on himself a storm of derision, and would have been otherwise than honorably mentioned on a thousand platforms. But this has actually come to pass. We seem only just now to have arrived at the certainty that meat can be brought in good condition a mere week's voyage acrosi the Atlantic in the most temperate of the earth's zones. The present arrival is by a sailing ship, after a passage of 98 days across the tropics ; indeed, for a large,part of the "voyage in heat which Englishmen find almost intolerable. The ship that has accomplished a feat which must long have a "place in commercial, indeed, in political, annals, is the DuneFdin, belonging to the Albion Shipping Company The last hope of the British' agriculturist seems to be on the wing* when the mountain^slopes of New Zealand compete , with' our own downs. But all thing Have their day. Among the sights and' sounds of tEe.pastare;the\long, streams of sheep fnowingmtcTSmifhfield^Slarketr through narrpwyapproadhes lon<a/j!3u&3ayj l**rßut eveii' •tne^Cdead>meatomir-'t

Lytteltm Times) have been anything but neglectful of the interests in their hands. Lengthy communications have passed between them and Sir Julius Vogel, whose approaching visitjto New Zealand is partly on that account. .We understand that he advises that a syndicate of English capatalists are prepared to construct the railway if a small concession can be obtained from the Government, and that he will interview Ministers to ascertain whether that will be conceded. As Sir Julius will probably arrive in the colony within the next few days we may hope to hear something more of the proposed railway before many weeks have elapsed. Work has now been commenced in erecting the Te Awamutu Cheese and Bacon Factory, and the builders, Messrs Allen and Maunder, expect to have their job finished early in September. The foundation of the buildingand the curing-room will be built of brick, the superstructure to be of the finest timber. The factory will be erected on the ground of Mr Alexander, purchased by the company, and when completed is estimated to cost considerably over £500, exclusive of machinery, which will be purchased by Capt. Ruuciinan in America. The entire concern will be built according to the plan of Mr Walpole, and Mr Gregory haa been entrusted with the carrying out of the work. Of the 4000 shares which have bpen placed in the market, about 3000 have already been disposed of. The practical manner in which the provisonal directors of the company have gone to work in carrying into effect their scheme has, we are glad to notice, been rewarded with almost unexpected success.

Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather last night there was a fair attendance at the Presbyterian Service of Song entitled "Christie's Old Organ." The very interesting and instructive nawative was read by the Rev. D. Fulton. It is descriptive of a phase of London life, a friendship formed between an orphan boy and a poor, old, and friendless organ-grinder. At intervals during the recital appropriate choruses and part &ongs are introduced. These were very pleasantly rendered by the school children, and one or tAVO solos sung by a little girl, a daughter of Mr Steadman, weie given with gieat taste and precision, and would have done credit to one of much maturer years. The benediction, by the Rev. D. Fulton, closed the proceedings. There was a very generally expressed feeling of regret by those present that so many of the congregation had been prevented, on account of the weather, from attending, as they had missed a very pleasant entertainment, and would have been gratified by the musical talent displayed by the younger portion of their congregation. '

The following Home news up to the 10th inst., telegraphed to Australian papers is to hand by the City of Sydney : The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Cardinal MacCabe, who has consistently exerted his influence towards the preservation of order and the prevention of outrages in Ireland, has recently received letters threatening him with assassination. They are supposed to emanate from the Fenian organisation. The cardinal still declines the special police protection offered him by the Government.—Anti-Irish riots of a serious character have broken out in various parts of the country. At Tredegar, in Monmouthshire, the military have had to be called out, and they are now engaged in quelling the disturbances. — Tho hostilities which broke out in 1870 between Chili and the United Republics of Bolivia and Peru have now terminated, the Chilians having evacuated Peru. —In the House of Lords the Duke of Argyll's Bill, allowing members of Parliament on taking their seats for the first time to either swear or affirm their allegiance to the Sovereign as they might choose, was rejected by a majority of 76.

The " Queenslander," in a recent issue, contains the following : "Sparrows are found to be more pestiferous than usual throughout the Australian colonies, and the greatest anxiety is now manifested to get rid of them. At the Chamber of Manufactures in Adelaide a •parrow-trap is exhibited which, as used by Dr. Mayo's gardener, has taken over 600 sparrows in five weeks. For the benefit of our readers inclined to test its efficacy, we furnish them with the following description of it: Galvanised netting with a quarter-inch mesh is made into a large 2ft 6in square, and divided into two compartments. A few live sparrows are placed in the larger compartment, on the floor of which bread crumbs or the like are strewed, and the cage is placed where sparrows 'most do congregate.' The wild ones enter through a run like that of a cheese rat-trap, and from -thence make their way into the second or larger division, and from there they can be removed as often as necessary by a side door."

The " Vagabond," in a sketch published in the Argus, is very complimentary to the Aucklanders. The impressions made upon him in the brief time allowed by a passing mail steamer are thus given :—"The difference between the colonist in Australia and New Zealand is very marked—at least, to my eyes. In Auckland I again see blondebearded ruddy-faced men, quite distinct in their type from Australian bushmen. The ' Colonial' type has not yet evolved itself in the New Zealandera I have seen. Perhaps it never will. I mean the type which makes tho colonist, especially in New South Wales, as distinct from his Hnglish progenitors as the ' Yankee' of the Eastern States. The men of this stamp are tall, lean, with a slouching kind of gait, and an appearance as if always wanting to lean against a, doorpost or a bar. From squatter to larrikin one perceives this tendency. The Nevr Zealanders I have seen all seem fresher and brisker. It may be the climate which produces strong men here, even as that of Tasmania aids in the development of lovely women. Perhaps the difference in the people, so perceptible to the stranger, is from the fact that the men I see are not natives of the island, but all immigrants from Great Britain. The next generation may grow up different, they lose some of their father's ruddiness, and become more weedy. In Australia I always attribute the peculiarities of this type not only to climatic influences, but to the enormous consumption of meat and teai>«' capitum"

The writer who contributes the humourous " Echoes from the House," to the Wellington Times,' says :—"The in*vitation to visit Christchurch was extended to members of both Houses and their families, and it immediately struck a gentleman who represents a constituency not more" than a' thousand miles from Wellington, that here was a chance not to be neglected. Although on pleasure he was bent He had % frugal mind. So' he applied" to' '• tlie Speaker • for free passages for'his wtfe^ Ms, two .daughters, •hisson, his'son's/wife,3\and-,one ,pr^two other relations. The, reply was to the effect that, as a-fleet had notetfeeir-pro r •,vided'fo?the^bnyey^nce,of^the<,LegiBla-, tiveparty; to the.'Sputh^^he^'application: could not be Wfe^inedj-b;ut;tthat room