The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1594, 21 September 1882, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

TRURSDA T, SEPT. 21, 1882.

Equal and exact 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 unbribcd by gain.

Tnr, Auckland Education Board, in pursuance of a practico rather usual with that august body, has been riding" rough-shod over tho Cambridge "West School Committee, a proceeding by no means agreeable to the latter. The board, we are afraid, entertain an idea that all country school committees are chiefly composed of uneducated yokels, sans intelligence, sans spirit, sans ovorytlung 1 , who aro ready to humbly acquiosco in any proposal or suggestion which the board in its suporior wisdom may see fit to make. This time, however, they appear to havo Caught a Tartar. Somo six woeks ago, the committee received a letter from the board intimating that the assistant teacher had failed to secure a certificate, and asking for suggestions. The request for advice, however, soems to have been purely formal, as by the same mail the teacher received notice of dismissal from the board. Tho act requires that, prior to the removal of a teacher tho committee shall be consulted, but in this case the board have discharged the teacher first, and conferred with the committee afterwards, a mode of proceduie which has sometimes been followed during the continuance) of popular tumults, when offenders were executed first, and tried afterwards. Of course the committee objected, and there followed a correspondence conveying remonstrance from one side and bringing explanations from the other. The board still persisted in the course they had adopted, and a petition signed by the members of the committee and all the parents and others interested in the school failed to make any impression. Singular to relate, the attendance at the school is not large enough to warrant the appointment of a certificated assistant teacher, and though this fact was pointedly brought under the notice of the board it produced no effect. In consequence the committee called a public meeting of the householders for Saturday last, whereat it was decided to forward a petition to the Minister for Education, through the member for the district. The text of the petition, together with a report of the meeting, will be found elsewhere in this issue. "We do not purpose discussing the merits of the case as between the teacher and the board j it is the paramount duty of the latter to see that the teachers

appointed to train our youth are in a'l ways fitted for the office, and the strictest impartiality ought to be exercised whenever the ability of a teacher is called in question. But, at the same time, we must strongly deprecate the action of the board in slighting and ignoring a body in every way fitted to aid them" in arriving at a just conclusion on the matter. The size of the school does not warrant the appointment of a certificated assistant teacher, and this being the case the committee ought to have been consulted as to the suitability of the present occupant of a post which could only be refilled by one equally incompetent in the eyes of the board. While on the subject of the Board of Education, there is another matter to which we feel called on to make allusion, and that is the manner in which the standard examinations are conducted. Facts have come to our knowledge which serve to raise grave doubts regarding the efficiency of these examinations. It is not prudent just yet to give names, but the committee of a certain school district in Waikato received a letter from the board the other day, conveying the intelligence that the head teacher's services ! would have to be dispensed with, the percentage of " passes " in the late examinations being so much below the average. The committee were aware of, and naturally enough were disappointed with the result of the examination, but careful enquiry ( led them to shift the blame from the shoulders of the teacher on to those of the inspector. The school, it is necessary to state, is situated in a rural district, and the children, like most country-bred children, are proportionately shy and timid. The very presence of the inspector is enough to inspire awe, while his cross-examination is | often sufficient to frighten them. That this is true may be gathered from the fact that in the school under notice some of the brightest pupils, about whose ability neither the master nor the parents entertained the smallest doubt, failed ignominiously. We do not desire to impute blame to the inspector : Mr Goodwin, the gentleman who has acted in that capacity for the Waikato for some time, is, we have no doubt, as painstaking and as conscientious as any other inspector : It is the system we find fault with ; a system which places the schoolmaster at the mercy of an inspector whose work is necessarily to some extent — we will not say perfunctory — but hurried. Too much power altogether is placed in the hands of one man. The school teacher has little if any means of obtaining redress if unjustly treated, because no sort of check is kept on the inspector, whose word with the board is law. It is quite evident that some radical change in the mode of conducting standard examinations is necessary if confidence is to bo established between employez'S and employed, the board and its teachers.

One of Mr Bryce's orderlies has arrived afc Cambridge from Tauranga with a number of horses, and will wait at Cambridge until Mr Bryce arrives there. We understand that His Worship the Mayor has determined to retire from local politics on the completion of his term of office in November next. Sir Arthur Gordon was to have sailed from Sydney yesterday for England in the P. and 0. steamer Indus. The football match, Wellington v. Wanganui, played at the former place on Tuesday, resulted in a victory for the home team by one goal and two tries to one goal. The Rev H. J. Edwards, the newly appointed incumbent of S. Peter's Church, Hamilton, accompanied by Mrs Edwards and family, arrived in Hamilton on Tuesday. It is understood that Messrs McMicken have purchased the property of Mr J. B. Whyte at Tuhikaramea, some 400 acres in extent, and intend to immediately settle upon it. Tne usual weekly meeting of the Hamilton Literary and Debating Club will be held at the Court-house this evening. Dr. Edgelow will deliver a lecture on "Health." Nebo L. Bergen, better known as " Copenhagen," brought betore the Bench 33 T esterday for being drunk and disorderly, was discharged on promising to clear out for Napier. A man named William Barton was arrested at Alexandra on Monday, for vagrancy, and proceeded by to-day's train to Auckland to serve a month in Mount Eden. Parties having to travel between Te Awamutu and Alexandra will be glad to learn that Mr Finch will run a daily conveyance in connection with the train, and starts on Monday next. An action of more than usual interest will shortly be brought forward by the City Council against the absentee owners of a certain section of land in Christchurch, the rates on' which have boen unpaid for a considerable period. If judgment is recovered for the Council, as there is very little doubt it will be, the section in question will be taken possession of, and leased for a term of years under the provisions of the Act. Mr Forsyth's rabbit exterminator, which has been referred to in Parliament, was tried at Dunedin on Tuesday. Ten rabbits were placed in artificial burrows, and poisonous gas was pumped in, and all the holes closed. In half an hour all the rabbits were taken out dead. Pro* fessor Black, who speaks well of the invention, yet asserts that poisoned grain is undoubtedly the best plan for getting rid of the post on a large scale. Oapt. Runciman returned to WWa r kato yesterday, after bis visit to the United States in connection^ with, the Waikato Cheese and Bacon Factory's affairs. He has gained an immense fund of information on subjects connected with, dairying,?- &c.,' in America, which will, we have no doubt, prove of vast assistance to the promoters v of our local undertakings. The plant for both factories has been shipped from, New liTqrlf to.save'freight, andjsiqf jthe; mpst.opnirpkte and, inodern^kiug^e. believe it is th^'inteat^n?pfj E^pt,^unc|n)ian to deliver a lecture oft his AtyS^aJl^x^en^ enccs at uo distant date, 4 '~ ",['-■'."

Several of the South§rn members of Parliament are at present on visit' to this Province. Mr Dodson (Wairau), and Mr Shephard (Waimea) were at Te Awamutu on Tuesday, and expressed themselves in terms- of the highest admiration of Auckland and the surrounding districts. They are of opinion that all Southern members ought to pay a visit to the North, and hinted pretty •plainly that they would gladly see thfe Seat of Government restored to Auckland. Mr W. A. Pearson, member for Ashley, is also at present on a visit to the Waikato. The work of stretching the telephone wire between Hamilton West and Tamahere was commenced yesterday, and will be completed in about a week. The Tamahere office will be in charge of Mr Robertshaw, storekeeper. Mr Orchiston, inspector of the telegraph department, is at present on a visit to thedistrict, with a view, it is understood to, making arrangements for carrying a line from Cambridge to Taupo and Napier direct. The remains of the late Mr John Hinton were interred in the Hamilton West Cemetery yesterday. The funeral was very largely attended by members of the Orange institution (to which the deceased belonged), in regalia and the towns-, people generally. The Hamilton Band, of which Mr Hinton was a member, headed the procession in uniform and played the Dead March in "Saul." The service at the grave was read by the Rev. H. J. Edwards, incumbent of S. Peter's. We learn it is the intention of Mr Fantham, late of Gwynnelands, who is now paying a visit to the Cambridge district, to prosecute all who crossed his property, known as the Cambridge racecourse, after the Pakuranga hounds on Tuesday, August loth. It will be remembered that Mr Fantham, previous to the visit of the Pakuranga hounds, had locked all the gates on the racecourse property, and had given orders to his agent that no trespass should be allowed, and that all cattle found on the estate should be impounded. At a meeting of the members of the Waikato Ploughing Association, held at the Duke of Cambridge Hotel, Cambridge, on Tuesday evening last, Mr Kirkwood in the chair, Mr Watt, the successful competitor at the late ploughing match at Broadmeadows was presented by the chairman with a very handsome silver cup, upon which was engraved the usual inscription. The Chairman, in a few complimentary remarks, complimented Mr Watts on the spirit which he had manifested in preferring honor to gain, by taking the cup instead of its equivalent in money. *He hoped the very existence of a cup in the district would incite the spirit of emulation which apparently had long been dormant, as far as ploughing matches were concerned in Waikato. Mr Watt having received the congratulations of his numerous friends, a somewhat convivial programme concluded the evening. The first meeting of the Band of Hope in connection with the Wesleyan Church Sunday School, was held on Monday evening last in the school-house, Hsmilton. There was a good attendance of office bearersandintendingmembers. The president (Rev. J. Dukes), in a short address, explained to the children the object for which they were asked to form this band, viz., the suppression of drinking and smoking habits among the young; and further stated that although ostensibly in connection with the Wesleyan Sunday School it was free to all children who had the consent of their parents, and would abide by their pledge. He remarked that there may be many children who do not attend any Sunday School, but would wish to join a Band of Hope, and to those especially he would give a cordial invitation. The object sought to be attained was good, and he had no doubt of its ultimate success. After the meeting had been addressed by two other speakers, the work of the evening began, viz., the enrolment of members, some thirty odd being initiated. It was then arranged that Band of Hope meetings be held fortnightly] commencing Monday evening, 2nd pvox., and the little ones present were requested to invite all their little friends, over seven years, to join in this great movement. We heartily wish this, and works of a kindred nature, all God speed. — (Communicated. ) Old England says "-ffigles " in the Australasian, seems to be short of allies in the Egyptian business. Europe appears to hold aloof. If she wants, she has, of course, one resource. If she wishes to have the Suez Canal protected let her claim the assistance of the Australian Eleven. Are they not to a man distinguished for stubborn defence? Imagine Spofforth or Palmer bowling on to the thin legs of an Egyptian army j or Bonnor driving the ball like a catapult into the pit of an Egyptian stomach. There is not a Pharoah or Ptolemy amongst them who would stand up to his wickets, A Press Association telegram dated Wellington, Tuesday, states :— The comet was clearly visible at 2 o'olock to-day, and created considerable excitement. It was a most brilliant object, even to the naked eye, when seen from the shadow of any building shutting off the sun. Dr Hectorstates that it was within five degrees of the sun, and rapidly approaching it. He has observed it nightly since the 11th instant, and expects that it will get round the sun to-morrow, when the sun also crosses the equator, being in the equinox (Libra). After getting round the sun, its course will be towards the Northern Hemisphere, and it will not be visible here after sunset. Dr Hector says the head strongly resembles the engraving of Donati's Comet. The tail is shovfc, but very fanlike The progress of Japanese, literature, at least in the increasing number of works published, is noticeable, For last year the number was 4910, as against 3,992 in the previous year. Of these works 545 were political ones published by the Government, 255 pertained to jurisprudence, 25 to political economy, 164 to geography, 267 to medicine, 116 to mathematics, 17 to chemistry, and 20 to natural history. It was in works of history, poetry and drawing that the chief increase took place, but of light literature, like movels and fairy tales, the works published numbered only 193. Newspapers did not get on at all during the year. Out of 167' published in 1880, over 100 had ceased to exist by the end of 1881. Only one of them died at the hands of Governmental violence. Many translations and adaptions of European and American works were among the total of 4910 published in the year, During the month of May there arrived in the Customs districts of Baltimore, Bosty>n ? Detriot, Huron, Minnesota, N.ew- Orleans, New York, PaSsamaquQddy, Philadelphia and San Francisco, W|sB| passenger^— pf' whom, 141,035 were immigrants, 4,099 ojtftgns qf tlje ITnited Stajfceg,roturneji fronr abroad, and. 2,453 aliens not intending to remain in the United States. ' Of this total munbW and' '$fy\jjjaffisi4tik p Ireland; \ 19,747V Scotlafid 3,015]' A'ustna* 4/290 ; Belgium, 100 j Denmark,, 2, 7oo ', Erance, 645 ; Giern}ari F ,;, «',747/j^Hung»J7; M 6jH3 ; ; Italy; j ■ 5,141 jjMblfejlan^, ulj947 u V Norway* 7, l6l%' i|fiaaS®i DM : lMi

,4,861 ; and from all other countries, 664. The total number of immigrants arrived in the above-named Customs districts from the principal foreign countries during the month of May, 1881, was 117, 269. . , > - s In Germany and Prance associations for the purpose of providing marriage portions for their members have been in ex'steuce for years past. In the social economy of modern civilization they occupy a position similar to that occujued by,, life insurance companies. The one enables a man or a woman who is working for an ordinary wage to provide himself or herself with a marriage portion far beyond what they could save out of their earnings ; the other enables the propertyless man to leave behind him an estate for the support ol thosj who have been dependent on him. In this country the marriage assurance idea is comparatively new, and,' like all new ideas, it has been abused by men lacking in business qualifications, who have undertaken to put it in operation. The result has been that many failures have taken place. Right here in this community within the past two months no less than three alleged " marriage insurance associations " have collapsed. They collapsed because they were conducted by incapable men and upon erroneous principals. On the other hand, the "Universal Benevolent Association of California for Unmarried Persons," has, from its start, been a pronounced success, because it is founded upon sound principles, which experience and mathematics alike have demonstrated to be correct, and carried on by gentlemen who possess great business sagacity and who have reputations to lose. Its systems and its tables have been examined by several of our more prominent and successful business men (who have allowed their names to be used as indorsing the scheme) and pronounced liberal and safe. This Association, with one assessment, lias paid twenty-eight marriage portions, and now has a membership of 2,600 persons. It is established and can be relied upon. The "British Trade Journal" has (says a Home paper) issued a chart showing the imports in to Great Britain and the price of wheat during each year since 1830. Throughout that period the lowest importation in any one year was in 1833, when the amount was 289,000 cwts. In 1842 the quantity reached 13,187,000 cwU ; but the next year there was a falling off to 4,619,000 cwts. From 1842 there was a steady increase, and 20 years ago the total imports were 50,042,000 cwts. — about 6,000,000 cwfcs. coming from Russia, 22,000,000 cwts. from the United States, and 8.000,000 cwts. from India, Canada, and the colonies. The heaviest importations in the period embraced are credited to 1879, when the total Avas 73,002,000 cwts., 8,100,000 cwts. coming from Russia, 45,000,000 cwts. from the United States and 9,000,000 cwts. from British posessions. Since 1873 we have always drawn our chief supply of wheat from the United States ; but for several years preceding Russia was our leading provider. The British possessions only at rare intervals head the list, which is not at all to be wondered at, considering the comparative infancy of not a few of them. In 18S0-1881 we received from our dependencies, principally India, largely increased supplies ; but there was no falling off in either of these years of the shipments from the States. We proved a worse customer for Russia, however, by several million cwts. The figures of 1 843 and those of 1861 are very striking. The total imports in the former year were 4,619,000 cwts, and the latter 71 ,000, 000 cwts. Of the four million odd cwts received in 1843 our colonies only gave us about 600,000 cwts, and Russia and the United States combined not more than one million cwts. Of the 7,000,000 cwts received in 1881 fully 45,000,000 cwts from the States, and 10,250,000 cwts from British possessions. In the second quarter of 1847 wheat was selling at 102s 5d per quarter, having steadily risen from from 45s Id, at which it stood a year before. The highest point touched since then was in 1854j towards the close of which year it was quoted at 83s Id. In IS6S it was 74s 7cl, but in the interval it had repeatedly broken to 40s. Throughout the past half century the average price has never been lower than 35s 6d, where it stood for a brief season in the closing quarter of 1851.

Messrs Glass and Co. will still continue their bakery business in Te Awamutu as heretofore. Mr G. A. Laidlaw has purchased the butchering business of both Mr Avcnell and Mr Glass, of Te_ Awamutu, and solicits a continuance ofpublic patronage. A meeting of the ratepayers of the Rang^uiri outlying district will be held at Harris' Hotel, Huntly, on Saturday, 23rd inst., to decide upon an application of road stopping, made by Mr Birss. The Clydesdale entire, Young Lord Derby, will travel thss season between Hamilton, Ngaruawahia, and "Whatawhata. Terms : £2 10s single mare ; more as per agreement. Messrs Adam I*aybourn and Co. will now be found in their now promises in Durhamstreet, next to Messrs Hunter and Nolan's. Mr Adam Laybourn notifies by advertisement that he has taken his son in-law, Mr Eyre, into partorship, and that the business in future will be carried on under the name or stylo of Adam Laybouru and Co. At Mr Knoxs sale on Saturday, at 2 ojclock, there will be offered a lot of good furniture, pigs, fowls, etc. ; also, a lot of sundries for the benefit of the Presbyterian Church Bazaar. Robert Fergusson, Esq., of Gorton, ofiers £\ reward for loit black retriever slut ; or, if stolen, £& reward on conviction of the thief. A choice little farm of 40 acres, at Ngaroto, near Ohaupo, is offered for sale or lease. Application to be made to Mr Edwin Wright, Hamilton. A reward is offered by Mr Richardson, Duke-ttreet, Cambridge, for a large gold locket, lost between Hamilton and Cambridge. Messrs W. J. Hunter and Co. will hold their first Waikato Cattle Fair at the Qhauno y^rds on Thursday, Oct. 19th. Persons wishing to sell aro rckupsted tq forvyaid entries as soon as possible, so that suitable yards, &.c, may be erected, and description of cattle advertised. The person who borrowed "British Battles" from the Dove Cot, Cambridge, is re- 1 quested to return it before ho is made to. The right plage to furnish your house from is whore you can gee a groat variety of styles, and at prices to suit you. Ladies and gentlemen just startjng housekeeping should procure one of Garlick and Cranwell's book catalogues, it contains a lot of information, enabling them to form a pretty correct estimate of the cost of furnishing and suggesting the articles necessary for each room. At the City Hall Arcade you can see the greatest variety -of iron beffcfpaqs. in Auckland. Bedding kept ready for doHvoFV, US also alj k}t)4s ,qf b,edrqqm furniture, drawing and dininffiFqam suites, pargets, floor, cloths, and kitchen requisites. Houses furnished throughout at a' short notice, and cash buyers are allowed 5 per cent discount. The largest cabinet factory in the province has just been built by Garlick and C ran well in Lomestreet, their show rooms run from Queen, street tq Lorne-strect, Auckland. Catalogues sent nqs. t ' frpp* |q jnf en^nff^gtjrcljasprs, . ; Goqds are ■ carefully packed for tqo cquntry. Fqr ft|pn|fi}rp go to Garlick and Cranweli.. ,

" You :can3r.tell me that I descended from a monkey," r said Brown. "And you wouldn't! want to wound his feelings by tgUingft *Q 'ft© 'monfeeyj" aade,d .f. f ' { YeB, " said* the gentlemen .who wanted to join the crick volunteer- regiment, £ ( I ! went all tn'rQQgli ?the th'edocuments "U> show- a y fir^ircjass^recbrdf' I'm six 'feet orieiffch^high/tfoatd'aifa^ut,-* knowjthe manual OL\arms/,fand.anTL well itne ?commandant,^ i 1i 1 ';tl6se ' walincations'