THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1650, 1 February 1883, Page 2

THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Equal and c\;ictjustii_c to .ill men, 01 whatsoever state or pon>uaVion, religious or political. Hci c shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by inlluctiLc and unbribed by jfain.

THURSDAY, FEB. 1, 1883.

Wb do not remember a season in which grain-growers in Waifcato have liacl such a favourable opportunity to .save their crops in good condition as they have enjoyed this year. The rain which unfortunate graziers and dairy farmers have been hoping for has steadily declined to fall : for we need take no account of the Scotch mists which have been experienced once or twice during the past month : and yet we make bold to say, some, if not much of the grain will be spoiled. Weeks have elapsed since the corn became ripe, but the work of harvest has dragged so slowly along that a great portion, of the crop still remains to be garnered. The reason for this is, of course, to be found in the condition of the labour market. When unskilled farm hands are asking eight or nine shillings a day farmers may well pause to consider whether the game is worth the candle. Unless the crop be an exceptionally heavy one, grown on 'land which lias entailed but little expense, we really cannot see how such high wages are to be paid, keeping in view the fact that the employer has also to feed and clothe himself. It is not only that labour is dear, but there is so much of it of indifferent quality, and the 1 worst expects to be remunerated i equally with the best. The value is put on the two arms which all vendors of labour possess alike, and not according to the skill and cunning thereof. The useful and the ornamental row in the same boat, and the strong oar has to back water while the weak one pulls round. The introduction of laboursaving machinery has removed the farmers' disabilities to some extent, but in a country where comparatively little grain is grown the saving is not so apparent as it would be in such places as Canterbury and Otago. The effect is injurious to the district in many ways. We do not impute any particular blame to the purveyors of labour. So long as a demand exists for work they are justified, we suppose, in doing the best they can for themselves. They are obeying the injunction to mako hay -while the sun is shining, and no one need quarrel with them. Wo could wi.vh, perhaps, that they put the proceeds of their work to better usos than they do; that they laid something 1 by for the inevitable rainy day; but for that we must, we suppose, await tlie advent of tho millenium. So long as tho present high rate of wages continues, farmers niut>t direct their energies to the prosecution of those branches of their occupation which require the minimum of labour, to tho rearing and fattening of stock, and the manufacture of cheese and bacon. As tho population increases tlioy may bo able to gO in for the growing of grain upon a large .scale. At present, however damaging the efiect upon farming, they cannot do it without risking losses they are unable to bear. In treating of this subject a few days ago, we pointed out that a remedy for the ills to which tho agricultural community are subject is to be found in the active resumption of immigration. This, wo are glad to observe, is likely to be the case. In our last issue we published a telogram containing information of a vory encouraging nature on this subject. There is plenty of room in this country for labour of a fairly good stamp. There is much work remaining undone that would be commenced f ortliwitli were tke price of labour at all reasonable, independent altogether of the ordinary work of tillage, which just now is in a sadly languishing state.

At the meeting of the Cambridge Town Board held on Monday evening last, Mr Wells, chairman, expressed his intention of severing his connection with the board at the end of the present term of office. A meeting of the committee of the Cambridge Cricket Club was called for Tuesday evening last, but lapsed for want of a quorum. This is the second, meeting of the committee which has lapsed through the same cause. , „ , The Whakatutu perjury case, in < which much interest has been manifested by the Cambridge public, conies^ on for hearing again to-morrow, at the >R,M. Court. Mr F. A. Whitaker will conduct the prosecution,' and Mr.\y. MyJJay the defence* • /,,,,■ The tenders for the construction of all the horse ' grades • connected 5 with the Te Aroha tramway at Waiorpagomai haVe been let 1 to &168srsi Darrdw and Fonghey by-the erigiiieer,<M#Stew>irt. . / The young man Smith;!, who recently ' met 1 "with' 'to ( seriou"s'ftccideu.t s-t Maiuni'ata w ( hfen' 'drawing "4 Roller, ;is fl we( are glad' tb'h'ave io Bay ■"'sieadUy,, recovering under' the' catetof'Dr Ctrehny of Cambridge.; '""i " ' >'• '»'l»^ • ftisrumourMthkt^, yili^'nown ptoipkeeper,; ng^ a.jhuudrpd pules, from Hautapu, Has gpnefor^a'trip wiflio^t'qpntj sul,tuig ?l h^ 1 ;c i re^toifs ft^a ; n^ inti-' m'^ting^thp.d^ije.oi'^iil'rel^n.^ ,p.„p ''.„ < t iA^i ! j^)iie^%%e]^^ftd^l^mh ' the, '■attention otall members:of/tb^^bL6pp ■,'s'

that thore is "a general disinclination te enroll under the new Volunteer regulL tions.", „ »< •' „ t The attention of the- Cambridge Road' Board should lie < directed' 1 '! to a v ery dangerous landship' 1 which has occurred, oorn r the west sitter of' , Crawford** gully, iiiul which,' unless imm«diat t elrem'edial meaSines are taken, aiay cause a s>eiious accident. A Maori chief of considerable importance, named Henare Ngatai, belong; ing to Kafjlan, passed away a few weeks ago at the age of Gl. Ngatai was. a man much respected by botli races, and during the troublous days, now happily gone for ever, lie proved himself, like Naylor, the dtiuuich friend of the Europeans. A few issues ago we had a descriptive account ot Mossis., Karl Bros, api.iry at Ohciupo. As evidence of what practical lestilts have followed this enterprise, we hear that they have disposed of this season's product in one line of lour tons to the, Auckland Agricultural and Mercantile Company, and at a satisfactory price. We are in receipt of the current number of the lUmtralvd New Zealand Herald. It is rather a good example of its kind, though we could wish that some of the woodrcuta illustrative of the Oreswick mining disaster had been omitted. Nobody would have regretted their absanse. A branch Post Office has been opened at the stoic of Mr Morns, Cambridge West, for the accomodation of settlers about Pukekura and Pukerimu. The want was previously much felt, and the settlers are pleased to know, their agitation has been successful in the end. Probably a telephone will shortly connect it with Cambridge East. We are glad to learn that the local authorities have attended to the weak places on the Raglan- Waipa road. The approaches to the various bridges, about which complaint was made in these columns a short time ago, have been repaired, and there is no longer danger to life and limb, though much yet remains to be done before the road cm be said to be in good condition. The civil sittings of the Supreme Court, Auckland, commenced on Tuesday, before His Honor Mr Justice Gillies, lv the cises, Lyttle v. Lyttle, Wilcocks v. Wilcocks and Porder, and Snowden v. iSnowden, actions for divorce, decrees nisi were granted. The case, Hammond v. Wayte, an action to lecovcr AIoOO damages for malicious prosecution, was partly heard. It was resumed yesterday, and concluded, when judgment was given tor the plaintiff, damages £100. A very pleasing little ceremony fook place at the Hamilton West School on Tuesday. Miss Laura Salmon, who is leaving the school to fill the position of pupil teacher at Ngaruav, ahia, was presented by her class- mates with an address and a silver locket in token of the respect and affection entertained by them towards her. The presentation was made by Miss Minnie Bradley and the address was read by Miss Kate Davy. Miss Salmon leaves for her new sphere of duty to-day, carrying with her the good wishes of all her former fellow pupils at Hamilton West. Active steps are being taken by the Hamilton West School Committee to obtain the names of scholars who would attend a District High School if established in Hamilton. Ihey have already obtained the names' of 38 pupils, and it is expected before the canvas is finished close on 30 names will be forwarded to the Board of Education, and, as the committee have been informed that a guarantee of from 30 to 40 pupils would be sufficient inducement for the establishment of this school, there is every probability of the application being favourably entertained at head-quarters. A Press Association telegram, dated Dunedin, Tuesday, conveys the following intelligence: — The sale of a large block of land in the Noith Island, known as the Kingaroa No. 2, between Taupo and Waikato, has just been completed. The property consisted of about 47,000 acres of good grazing laud, nearly one-third of which is level, aud possesses a frontage of fifteen miles to the Waikato River. Messrs Whitaker and Russell, of Auokland, solicitors, are, we understand, the "purchasers. The price is, we understand, about ten shillings per acre. Negotiations were all but completed for its purchase by a well-known resident of Dunediu. The seller is Major Wilson, of Cambridge (Waikato), at present on a visit to Dnnedin. The .Cambridge water supply question is at present occupying the minds of the Cambridge ratepayers. At a special meeting of the town board held ou Monday evening last, the formal resolution re the water supply passed at a special meeting on the 29th December, was confirmed. A public meeting is called for this eveniug at the Public Hall, when ratepayers are expected to turn up and discuss the scheme before anything further is done in the matter. Shortly after the public meeting a poll will be taken, when, if 119 votes are not recorded in favour of the scheme, it must fall tin ough. Wo hope all who are concerned in the matter will turn up at the Public Hall this evening and give vent to their feelings on the matter, and express their dissent or approval as the case may be. Cruelty to animals, particularly horses, 3eems to be a very prominent vice among the Maori people. From time to time we have drawn attention to the cruelty exercised by natives on their unfortunate animals, in the way of starvation, over-riding, and numberless sores and nlcers, but, strange to say, no punishment is ever meted out to them by the law. On one occasion, not long since, a native was brought before the Court, at Cambridge, charged with an offence the nature of which was that having broken his unfortunate horse's leg by hard riding, he left it to die of starvation on the road-side, aud cleared back to his settlement. The Bench actually supported the native in his wickedness by discharging him, the charge having been satistaetorily proved against him. This seems to have acted as an encoui'agement to natives, for, ever since, we have had the pain to witness many such acts of cruelty. At present in CCarm r .bridge, when natives come in to attend' the Lands Court, they tie their horses* tofences promiscuously scattered about the town, sometimes : fov a 'whole day, probably days, without either food or water; It is not unusual to s'ee 1 about „a' dozen horses tethered in a small quarter acre section/almost as -void of vegetation as the owners are void of feeling. Native dogs arc also a source of great nuisance in Cambridge, and we are surprised a raid is not made pp them by the ranger, they being, with 'little exception, both collarless and mangy. We sincerely hope that before long an example, will be made of some of those natives who are perpetually ill-treating their horses. The Salvation Army in England sent recently three men and one young woman. to Bjombjiy. Their landing was •elebrated^yitf^ft public demonstration,, the details Jf»^J4oh have bgen sent to' England.-by^elfegraph. Each of the men. wore a yeuowVcqafc reaching to the knees, panMoo'nA 5 jysrbah, shawl, and English bpots, The .woman was ' attired -in j yelloW 'dress a' 4 Hat 'trimmed with ribbon; a Bullock 4 carte were improvised as the war chariots of the Army, ana 1 !t ,y r om§n, bating a tambouring! tfce:p i ro,cess.on.{xaraded the prmcipargtreeis 1 . To the, <;he, scene, .was a i source of considerable amusement. The^WoKllbe four missionaries fop circus p'gople^'lM possibly imagined, that the; proc^iMO^vas a "pja'geant arranged ;by the Govfrn#;»t t8 cdinmemo'rate tjje victory^

\tn!(fttted fun and whtsKyfk The4llK| became excited, a qna|rel ai*BBer.nn(l a negro was shot dead |jby a^white. A dra)natic v incident followcd.^'A \faear relative of .the* dead jnian— a ,|druoKen negWss—fell across the 'Jdead exposed Ills dentil-wound to the crowd; " as Mark Antbuy Jthe;jbody 6tJo&\" Plunging. her hand mto { "t!ic she rose erect, with the blood dripping from her fingers, and called for vengeance. A general fight commenced, and a white was shot. After ?some shooting, order/ was restored, and, a number of people, were arrested, five of whom- wore sen-: tenced to death. A curious defence was made on their behalf. To sell bad whisky ia criminal. The whisky in this case was bad. Therefore, the men who sold the whisky wevc the murderers: : They ought to suffer. ' One witness, ' indeed, deckied that "he didn't blame anyone for committing murder after he drank it." In spite of this, however, four men and one woman were hanged .together — , for the first time in the history of (jteoigia. _ A singular case of suicide has omured at Happy Valley, near Nelson. John Fuller, a man of about forty-eight years, gave information a few days ago that he had been assaulted and considerably knocked about by a man named Thompson, and he also laid an information that Thompson had threatened to do for him unless he paid £4, the value of a dog belonging to Thompson, and which he had shot for worrying sheep. On Fuller being found dead it was thought Thompson had carried out his threat, and it is .stated now that Thompson has fled in fear. However, the whole circumstances conclusively show that Fuller shot himself. He left home at five o'clock on Friday morning last to look for the cows taking with him a gun. Later in the morning his wife became alarmed, and sent her niece in search of him. The girl ultimately found Fuller in a clnmp of manuka, shot dead. A careful inspection of the ground shows no tiace of a struggle, and it is evident Fuller lay down with his gun under one arm, he having first tied a piece of flax to the trigger and having passed the fhu round the stock he placed the gun to the centre of his forehead and pulled the flajc. Death follow ed without a struggle, and a .quantity of the brains was found on the gra&s below the wound. An American, who has lately been travelling in the Soudan, gives in a private letter an interesting account of an interview he states he lately had with the False Prophet. The impression loft on his mind by the interview was that the Prophet is no more "false" than many other prophets who enjoy a character for respectability and are held in high estimation. So far as he was able to judge, the prophet whom it is the fashion to designate as false is really, as he expresses it a "genuine article." The prophet seemed to be quite well aware of all that has been lately going on, not only in Egypt but also in England, and ventured on the prediction that Mr Gladstone had in the Egyptian question "so hard a nut to crack that he would; break his teeth over it." The prophet also predicted that which has since come to pass, namely, that to Baker Paslia would be entrusted the task of reorganising the Egyptian army. This prospect appeared to give the prophet groat satisfaction. "I am ready," he exclaimed with emotion, "if need lie, to meet Baker Pasha in single combat ; but I would infinitely prefer an hour's quiet talk with him on religious subjects generally. He is a man of no mean order ; and between us both we could, I feel confident, speedily place the world upon a sound millennial footing."