TE AWAMUTU.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1734, 16 August 1883, Page 2

TE AWAMUTU.

The volunteers met for drill on Monday. Thirty-nine appeared for the afternoon drill, and over forty for the evening drill in the hall. During the drill the band, under the leadership of Bandmaster Sibley, played several selections, and though they have had very little practice for some time, they played quite as well as ever. The new Presbyterian Church is rapidly advancing towards completion, and when finished will be one of the prettiest little churches in the Waikato. The committee could not have chosen a better site for it, almost opposite Mr Gresham'a private house. A considerable number of natives came into the town on Monday to meet Mr McDonald. Some say to talk over matters relating to the late court case between them and Walker ; others that they met to bid farewell to Mr McDonald before he returns to his home, but the majority are very reticent, and will not s.iy anything on the subject, or else profess ignorance. The petition praying the Government to retain Mr Northcroft in his present position has been despatched to Wellington. There were over 000 signatures attached to it, and so highly in that gentleman thought of that numbers of people came in to Te Awamutu expressly to sign it. I can fully endorse the statements of " A Correspondent " from Kihikihi with regard to our local constable, he is certainly ovcr-u orked. The business of the court alone keeps him almost constantly employed, so that he has very little time to fjive to his other duties. The country ought to be grateful to the hon. Mr Bryce for saving it the expense of keeping an extra constable. — (Own Correspondent, August 15th.)