The Waikato Times THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1737, 23 August 1883, Page 2

The Waikato Times THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

J'(|ii i! mil l > u I jnslif i to .ill nil n, Ui uli iisoi \u bt.itc 01 pLibiiasion, religious 01 politic il. IK-ie <h ill tin' I'ii'ssthc IVopU-X i iljli*- m.unt.iin, L T n iui il by mlliicni i iind unliribcil by;,'y ;,' mi.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 'I 'J, 18SS,

Tun splint; season is now giadually setting in, l.iiiiicis ha\e ploughed their land .uid sou n tlioir wheat, and are about to put in their oats, and ate now in daily (head of tliiit greatest and niObt costly of pests, known as the ninall biid nuisance, the lavagcs of w hicli have I been experienced for many ycais past in this district. Experience has gnen us one good remedy w Inch, when used m a pioper business like manner, has been known to be most effectual in working a cine, though probably only of a temporary nature. Still the evil, if only remedied temporarily, means a great I relief. In Canterbury and Otngo we have heard of whole ciops of oats being ruthlessly destroyed, but when poisoned ginin was brought into use, the damage- experienced was not halt extensive and i unions as hithcito. But tlieie ate many ways of effecting a cmc even with the one means ; there are the perfect and the impci fecfc ways, the former being attendant with complete success, and the latter, though in a sense successful, still incomplete in effect. When the poisoned giain idea was fiist canied into execution, the effottb of the farmers in exterminating the feathered pests ■were individual, and as might ha\e been expected, causing but a pai ti.'iliemedy. But in the South of Kite the fai inei s m ho are united undei the happy influence of farmers' clubs scattered here and there at intervals acioss the country have been consistent in their efToitsof extermination ; and instead of one scattering poisoned wheat broadcast to-day, and another to-morrow, and so on, days are appointed upon which all bally forth on tlie mission of desti action, and these expeditions are always attendant with the most satisfactory results. As in everything else, it is thus shown that theie is nothing '.like combined effort Mr Sloane's suggestion in our issue of Thursday last, which was supported by another letter from Te Awamutu in our last impiession, is a most valuable one, and we hope the faimcis of Waikato will no longer manifest that supineness in giving effect to the suggestion which has* characterised their action in regard to this impoi taut matter in the past. In the South tlio iannus' clubs generally tike the lead in these matters ; but here, unfortunately, we are not fertile in such institutions, so the various district road boards, as lepresentathes of the agriculfciual iutcicst, aie the proper combinations to st.iy the small bird pe&t. It is to be hoped the boards will give tlm matter their earnest consideration when they next meet for the despatch of business.

The Te Awamntu district may well be pi-oud of the quota which it contributes to the internal defence of the colony, and the province generally may take pride in the Te Awamutu Cavalry Troop. While the other troops in Waikato have dwindled out of existence, leaving nothing but a name and memories of an unsatisfactory financial career, the Te Awamutu troop has flourished, its ranks have increased, and its financial condition lias gradually improved. The organisation as it now exists surpasses any previous stage of its existence in general prosperity. While in other parts of the district volunteer enthusiasm has been gq tlio wane, and troops, through the wretched attendance and indifference of its member?, h;aya passed into oblivion, the enthusiasm in the volunteer movement seem"a to have sejjjgetd the mind of "the,; Te, Awamutu district■settlers. The" iuterestixVju&H tfyey.tak^ ♦}», ■

the result that they boast of one of the most efficient volunteer corps in the island. The appearanco of the men on their last ; drill elicited the eulogy of their commanding officer. Col. Lyon, who, it is needless to sn,y, ia not in the hain't of paying undeserved compliments, but, on the contiary, never omits to spe.ik his mind when any abuse, unsoldicilike appearance, or lack of proper order and discipline is tnanifi'tt among the men under his command. The settlers of the district have caused their sons to swell the ranks, and though the roll at the present time boasts only of some fifty members, there is evwy reason to believe that this number will be considerably augmented before lonj;.

The Hamilton Choral Society will hold the first concert, of the season at the. Public Hall on Wednesday! the 29th in.'t., in aid of the funds of the Public and Volunteer Hall. The programme will appear in Saturday's issue. At the E.M. Court, Hamilton, yesterday, before Mr Northcroft, R.M , only a few civil cases, chiefly actions for the icco\ery of rates, were determined. An action for the recovery of a debt, in which the parties are Maoris, occupied the gi eater part of the day, and will be continued to day. The iEsthetic Minstrels repeated their performance at the Volunteer Hall, Te Awamutu, ou Tuesday evening. Owing to counter attractions, there was a very small attendance, but the performance passed off smoothly and well, and those who did attend thoroughly enjoyed themselves, The usual monthly meeting of the Taotaoroa Road Board was held on Tuesday, but the proceedings were not of much public importance. The tender of Mr Bruce for the erection of a bridge, £39, was accepted, and a number of small accounts were passed for payment. The Kirikiriroa Negro Minstrels gave a very successful entertainment on Tuesday night in the Kirildiiroa schoolhouse, for the benefit of the school funds. The settlers in the neighbourhood turned out *eiy well, the house being crammed in every part. The proceeds amounted to somewhere over five pounds. Employers at the present time complain of n great scat city of labour in this disti ict. This is doubtless owing to the fact that a number of extensive railway foi illation contiacts, upon which good wages are given, me now in progress tliioughout the countiy. Now as the skiing is beginning to set in there is sure to be a very largo demand for farm lcboiueis in Waikato. At S. Stephen's, Tamahere. there will in futiuu be three Anglican services in the month instead of two. On the foiutli Sunday the church is at present used by the Weslcyans at the same hour, so that there will now be sen ice e\ cry Sunday at 3 o'clock. It is hoped aiiangements will scon be made for holding Sunday School e\ cry Sunday. It is at present held fortnightly at 2 p.m. The Rev. hi. O"C Biggs' will officiate at the service on Sunday next. The football team to represent Hamilton m the return match against Cambridge on Saturday next will be chosen fiom the following : — Messrs Allliglit (2), Buidon, Beale, Bannatyne, Giaham, JTauis, Hintou, Irwin, Odium, Osboine, Peaison, Pilling, Palmer, Sedflon, Stewait and Yon Stunner. The Cambridge team will be selected fiom the following : — Messrs Barton, Bleazell, Blah, Bieakell, Cainnchnn, L. Cain.ichan, W. Cuitns, Ciaig, Da\y, Pianklyn, FiUgurald, (iicy, llaimona, Hardy, Mallaid, l'litcr&on, Pearson, Richardhon, Swims and Wilson. Mr John Sheehan has given notice to move in the House, that the next Session of Parliament be held at Chiistuhureh, and in the e\ent of the motion being uu lied, he will mou that a suificientaum of money bo placed on the Intimates to co\er the e\ponces involved in the chaiige. The Southern me.mbe.is aie woiking haul to secuie a majority for the motion, though it is not piobably that e\en if it be carried the money rcijuiu'd will be voted, as upon that point the (jo 1 eminent will doubtless make a determined stand. A very serious loss has been sustained by Mr Taylor, of (heenhill Farm, Te Awamutu, bytheauddendeathofavery valuable pedigiee shorthorn bull, gob by the impoi ted bull "Oxfoid Eoyal," the property of tho Auckland Agricultural Company. The animal was apparently in good health on Saturday night, taking Ilia feed in the usual way. On Sunday moi mug last he was found dead in his house, and horn there being no signs of any btrugglc death must have been very sudden. The animal was highly prized by his owner, who estimated his value at fully £300. He took first prize at the Auckland show as a two-year-old, and from the quality of the stock he lias lett it is a matter to be generally regretted, looking at it from a district point of view, when animals of so high a class are so acarce. Our correspondent "St. Mungo," writes : — We are much exercised just now by the proposal to cut down Emily Place, so as to afford another outlet from the harbour. It is generally admitted that it will be a great advantage if this work can be carried out so as to have an easy gradient. The great stumbling block is St. Paul's Church. The \estry have taken the advice of a competent civil engineer, who has expressed his opinion that the proposed cutting would endanger the safety of the church. In order to obviate this difficulty it has been proposed that the church should be lcmoved, the City Council receiving the site and giving in return another, and a sum of money to be expended in the ie-building of the clnuch. The vestry are agreeable to this course, provided they receive a site which will suit them as well as the present one, and £,'>ooo in cash. Many people say that 'the parishioners of St. Paal's want to drive as hard a bargain with the city as the hon. J. Bryce did when selling the old armoury, that hideous building which disfigured our beautiful park. I suppose the same excuse applies in both cases, that they are simply protecting interests which they hold in trust. However it is managed, it is to be hoped that some means will be adopted for providing another outlet from the haibour, as Queen-street, the only one at present, has as much traffic as it can carry. It is with regret that we have to record the demise of one of the oldest and most lespected pioneers of settlement in this, distiict, Mi Thomas Aitken, who died yesterday morning at the residence of his son in-law, Mr C. R. Johnson, Hamilton. The deceased gentleman was bom at Khkintillosh, near Paisley, N.8., in the year ISI7. He entered the army at an early age, and saw service in the Kaffir wais in South Africa, first in the 71th Highlanders, and afterwards in the Cape Mounted Rifles, in which regiment he held the appointment of dispenser. He remained at the Cape for some years, and then paid a visit to the Mother Country, which he left for New Zealand in 1862. Almost the first thing he did in the colony was to join the party under Messrs Gorst and Mainwaring, who came to Te Awamutu before the war with the object of speedily civilising the natives. The result of that expedition is well-known ; the Maoris did not appreciate the philanthropic efforts of the Government, Mr Gorst's printing-press, which was justly considered an important adjunct to the mission, found a watery resting-place, and the ' party received notice to quit. Mr Aitken and his family escaped after a somewhat adventurous voyage down the river m a canoe. When, on the outbreak of the war, the Waikato militia regiments were raised, ,Mr Aitken was appointed dispenser to the '4th Regiment, and in this capacity remained in the district until the, year 1868, when he-, was'' appointed' dispenser' to 1 the, •T- hajneji < fio'spifcaL ;/.He- helcl > this- latter office uj) te&

months ago, while on a visit to Hamilton, he fell from a horse, and from the ellects of this he never seemed to recover, though his medical attendant, Dr. Benle, attributes the cause of death to cancer in the stomach. About three mouths a«o he lett the Thaires, and came to Hamilton, and ever since that time he continued to sink, his life being prolonged for weeks' solely by the use of stimulants. Mr AitUen leaves a widow and four children, two sons and two daughters. The latter are married, tho elder to Mr C. 11. Johnson, and the younger to Mr W. Price, builder, formerly of Hamilton, but now of Auckland. The iuneral takes place to-mor-row, leaving Mr Johnson's residence at 3.15 p.m., tor the Hamilton West Cemetery.