The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1617, 14 November 1882, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

!£<iunl ,md c\att justice to all men, Ot \\h.itsoc\or st.itc or pcrMMsion, religious or political. Here sli.ill the I'rcss the People's right maintain, Lni.iwril l)j iniluuncc .mil unbilled bj' ij.iin.

TUESDAY, KOV. If, 1882.

Now that the holidays arc over, people who have any grievances to ventilate will take the first opportunity of doing so. It is not possible in the. heyday of one's enjoyment to make a sufficient pause for growling, but the causes arc not forgotten. Already \he Auckland ppople have commenced to have their usual fling at the Kail way Department. Correspondents to our metropolitan contemporaries have very forcibly pointed out the anomaly of charging higher rates on the railways during holiday times than the rest of the year. However unjust such a practice may be, itaffectst'ho Auckland people only in a very small degree. The extra charge cannot well exceed sixpence, and people as a rule do not grudge larger sums when they seek to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of a scion of royalty. What they really have a right to growl afcisthefactthat they are compelled to herd in cattletrucks (not always too clean), packed together like sardines. But the grievances of to^ni people fall into insignificance when compared with those of country settlers, who are on occasions such as these entirely dependant on the railway. The discomforts attendant on a;journey from' the 'Waikato to Auckland in the train are conspicuous enough, at the ,best of times, but they are intensified to • the utmost degree at holiday time, when people seek' to enjoy themselves t fjorsoojth. The resources of the * Department are totally 'inadequate to i bear the extra demand made upon them, and' they fail utterly. The number of Waikato" people 1 who ! visited Auckland last, week., was not .abormally great, probably' less 'than- jii, P§*jne former years ; yet we make bold, to

say that tho ac^oftim'odatiGn provided was of an, inferior kind. It is bad enough tlinl tho carriagps should be crowded to suffocation, but it is worse that passengers should have first-class tickets sold to thorn when it is known, that they can only bo accommodated itli secondclass carriages. But apart altogether from this, tho trains have not boon ran to suit tho convenience of visitors. With a landablo desire to enable people to visit Auckland and return in ouo day, a special train left To Awamutu at o'.lo a.m. on the 9fch, arriving in town about one p.m., and starting on tho return journey at 6 p.m. Gould anything be more absurd ? Tho ostensible purpose of the authorities was to allow passengeis to &co the regatta and show, but seeing that those wishing to witness the former could not reach the North Shore, owing to the crush, till about two o'clock, and that they had the slimmest chance of getting back before dark, the liberality of the arrangement may be imagined. Of course, many lost their passage, and had to remain in town over night, thankful if they could obtain roosting room on a spare clothes line, for not a bed was to be got for love or money. Now 'here was nothing in the world to hinder the running of a night train. Certainly cattle might be on the line, but as the slaughter of cows is a matter of daily occurrence, this need not be taken into account. The fact of the matter is, the railways should be worked to suit the convenience and comfort of those who patronise them. Only when this is done will they begin to return a reasonable profit. Were they in private hands we may be sure the requirements of the public would bo a first consideration. At present, there is infinitely too much red tape wound round the service to permit of its being of much use. It is on these, grounds that we have urged tho placing of more discretionary power in the hands of the local managers. It is upon those officers that the whole weight of public indignation falls, but in tho majority of cases the blame is by no means deserved. They have very little latitude allowed them. They cannot grant a paltry monthly ticket without sending to Wellington, and as to running a special, they are not to bo trusted. It is, of course, possible that holiday arrangements arc made under the advice of local managers, but once made they remain as unchangeable as the laws of tho Medos and Persians, and unforsoon defects cannot bo remedied. We trust to see the whole question of railway management raised in Parliament next session, and some system such as that recommended years ago by the Auckland Railway Commission, of placing greater powers in tho hands of local managers, adopted. In any event it is to bo hoped that tho wretched condition of things noticeable this year will soon become a recollection of tho past.

A report of the entertainment at Cambridge on lMday night, in connection with the Baptist Church, is un.noidably held over,

The material for the Auckland tramways has been ordered fiom Home.

Mr J. B. Whyte, M.H.R., and Mrs \Vhyte were passengers to Hamilton by i ycsteulay's tiain.

The Cambridge Dramatic Society, we learn, contemplate another performance hlioitly.

The Cambridge Mutual Improvement Association has now suspended for the feumtner months.

We are glad to notice that Lieut. Archer, iv.N. has so iar recovered from his recent serious accident as to be able to move about.

The Right Rev. § Dr. Luck, the new Roman. Catholic Bishop of Auckland, left Sydney in the Ringarooma on Tlnusday last for Auckland direct, Sydney Tah\ hanga and his fellow aml>ass<ulois are passengers hj the same boat.

The Manawatu Railway Company recently scut its chairman, Mr Nathan, to Australia, to endeavour to float a loan of £225,000 in debcntuics. The offers received were not, however, satisfactory, and he has returned without placing the amount.

The Rev. Wiremu Pomare and the Rev. Aiona te Haua will hold service for the Maoris at S. Andrew's Church, Cambridge, on Sunday neXt, at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. A boll will be rung for half an hour before each service. Prayer books and hymns in the Maoii language can be had ot Mr Hughes, chemist, Gimbiidgc.

The comet is now visible at eleven o'clock at night, and, though lacking sonic of the brightness characteristic of the stranger a month or so ago, is still a prominent object in the heavens. On our fourth pjigc will be found a vciy interesting article regarding the composition of comets.

The Inspector-General of Educatiou, Mr Habcns, announces that Dr. John Logan Campbell, the Right Rev. William Garden Cowie, Bishop of Auckland, and Mr Edwin Hesketh have been elected by the members of the General Assembly residing in Auckland to be members of the Auckland University College Council.

Mr Carter, the enterprising coach proprietor, and livery stable keeper of Cambridge, is erecting extensive additions to his present premises on the vacant corner adjoining Lewis and Simpson's new building. The new building, we learn, will be called the Cambridge horse bazaar, and will be used in connection with Mr J. S. Buck land's sale.

The members of the Presbyterian Clvnrch at Cambridge, have decided ou giving a literary and musical entertainment in the Cambridge Public Hall on the 22nd inst. It is intended to carry out some extensive impiovements to the church building and grounds, and it is on behalf of these improvements that the eutevtaiument will be given. As the services of some of the district amateurs have already been|engaged. the program me premises to be both varied and entertaining. . .

A large number of Kiwis captured by Dr Buller and Mr Liudenhaur on Pirongia some days' ago, were brought down to Hamilton by train yesterday in boxes. One could see tin pagh the smallopenings left for ihe admission of air, that some of the birds at 'any rate wore alive, though they Mere not particularly sprightly. Some doubtless have,, succumbed to the effects of their close confinement. ' -<

The Maori .War Canoe Race, postponed ''from Thursday Jape op account of the , weather,, took iplg.ce off ]thst jNorth' Shore on Saturday in the presence of a large number of ,pei^ofis. ;; The^Oniapere (NgapuhiJiWjon^y 1 iyar^s.j t £v ,>App-r-angi Iteatiog.tthe ; other Waikatq^ canoe,!j Te Atairehiaj by iOQ yards. - It isumler-; stood „that the .Qmap^reJ^Ul^ 9p l y : !geV, t

second prize, for the reason that it is not a war canoe. After the race the natives gave a wardance and several hakas in a paddock behind 4 thc Masonic JETotel.

Mr We^lls, organist of the Ohritfchuvch Cathedral, who is at present on a visit to this district,* inspected the new peal of bells at S. Andrew's Church, Cambridge, yestorday, and, we regret to say, has not reported very satisfactorily on the peal. On examination it has been discovered that one bell bears date 1877, another 1879, and the others 1882, thus showing that the peal were not all cast at the same time. Tlieie .are likewise other peculiarities of iinish which tend to show that the bells are not all of the same cast. As the money for the bells was paid under protect, we hear that the Vestry of S. Andrew's are about to take steps to have the peal, which they consider almost useless, changed for a better peal, ami one which will be made exclusively to their order.

The cricket match between wailcato and the Auckland United Club on the Domain ground, on Saturday, resulted in a draw. At the close of the game Auckland had 36 runs to make with only three wickets to fall, so that had the game been played out, it is almost certain the visitors would have won. Public opinion is strongly against the selection committee regarding their action in excluding the names of Messrs Wood and Browning from the representative team, while it is thought Mr Hyng (Waikato) should also have been among the number of those chosen to do battle for the honor of the province.

Through the success of the last annual entertainment in aid of the Cambridge Public Library, a large collection of new and well assorted books has been added to the, library. The books are of such a class ns to meet with much favour with the majority of the subscribers. The annual subscriptions now amount to over £80, which will entitle the library to a Government subsidy (out of the £0000 gra.it) of £105. When this sum is received, considering the already prosperous state of the institution, the Cam budge Public Library will be one of the be&fc of its kind in the province outside the metropolis. The local town board will shortly take over the institution, when considering the funds which will be in hand, it may be expected the contemplated new building will soon be erected.

Mr Thos. Spurgeon preached the .anniversary sermons of the Baptist Church, Cambridge, in the Cambridge Public Hall on Sunday last. In the morning he took for his text "By the grace of God I am what I am, " 1 Cor., xv, 10, and preached a most eloquent and impressive sermon. In the evening another excellent sermon was pleached, when he took for his text 1 Peter, iv, 18, "Ami it the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear ?"' Mr Spurgeon's popularity as a preacher having become universal in the Cambridge district, many came long distances on Sunday to hear him speak. In the morning the hall was well filled, and in the evening the building was crowded to excess. The collection?, the amounts of which Mere considerable, were in aid of the Baptist Tabernacle Building Fund.