The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1770, 8 November 1883, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Eiin^l .mil ci.trt justin» to .ill men, 01 wli itMH'vor state or pcrsiUMon, religious or politic-.il. Hcrcsh.ill the Press the IVonlp's ri(f]if maintain, Un.iwcd I)V influoncc .tnd unlirilieil by (f.iin.

THURSDAY, NOV. 8, 2SSJ.

A mebti.vo of tho Hamilton Borough Council will be held this evening to consider the financial position. This may mean very little, or if- may moan a gre;>t deal. In the present instance, unfortunately, it means much. The fact of the master is, the limit of the overdraft at tho bank Imb been j overstepped, and the borough's expenditure must be stopped. Fifteen months ago the Corporation owed tho Bank £4:5, now its indebtedness stands at £810. The revenue of the borough is somewhere about £700 or £800 per annum, so that the councillors have managed to run through a fairly respectable sum during the year. ! Tho worst part of the business is that there is, broadly speaking, nothing to show for it. The most considerable work undertaken during the last twelve months was the culvert at O'Neill's, and this was constructed partly out of a loan of £100 obtained under the Roadb and. Bridges Act, the balance of the cost, £20 or £30, alone coming out of' the borough funds proper. True, the main drains, East and West, have been repaired, and a number of streets have been gravelled, but the bulk of the money, it seems to us, has been frittered away in a most insane manner. When the preseut mayor, Mr Knox, went into office three years ago, his policy was retrenchment and economy, and at each subsequent election he professed to hold the sune views. How, then, is it that at the end of the third year we find the borough more deeply in debt than it was at the beginning of the nr*t? Th« reason is not difficult to discover. The mayor has done his best to keep the expenditure within the incom- ; to our knowledge, he has never left oft' protesting against the reckless spending indulged in by the council ; but lie might just as well have tried to stein the current of the Waikato. Nor is the council, as a council, at fault. The entire blame lies at the door of that section of the council called the Works Committee. This committee is supposed to report to the council upon the works necessary to be undertaken, and the council deliberates upon such reports and authorises the expenditure. But this deliberation is only a pleasant little tiction, for as the committee contains a majority of the councillors, and is, or rather lias been, a particularly happy family, it naturally carries eveiy one of its recommendations into effect. In exercise of the power which majorities confer. il> has played a very nice little game of ducks and drakes with the ratepayers' money, and, as of course ;it was bound to do, landed the borough in difficulties. The mayor and one or tsvo of the coun-jcilloi-h, notably Cr. Yon Stuimer, have made strenuous efforts to put an end to this government by Works Committees, but all to no purpose, the set aim of the majority being to weaken the power of the mayor by every means in their power. They have openly admitted that they have no objection to making the whole council the Works Committee, were it not that the mayor would thereby be their chairman. Mr Knox may not perhaps feel the indignity put upon him, and through him upon the ratepayers who elected him, but when such contemptible policy lands the borough in a mess, the burgesses ought to open their eyes.

The proposal of the Board of Education to amalgamate the two school districts within the Borough of Hamilton is a very sensible one, and we trust it will be acted upon. The Hamilton East Committee, it is true, has expressed itself hostile to the proposed change, but the question is really one for the householders to consider, and the proper coutse for the committees to take is to call a public meeting, and fully discuss the question at once. We believe that when the issues are placed fairly before those into rested, they will recognise the wisdom of adopting the board's suggestion.

Operations will be commenced at the Pateiangi Chcehe F.ictoiy on Monday nevfc.

The post and telegraph offices will lie closed to-morrow (Prince of Wales Bhthday), and all mails usually made up on that day will be closed ,vt 8 o'clock this evening.

The cricket match, Hamilton v. Alexandra, will bo played on Sydney Square, Hamilton, to-morrow. The names of the Hamilton playeis have already been pxiblibhed.

Professor Herbert gives an entertaimueut in the Kiliikihi Public Hall on Friday evening, the Prince of Wales' Biithday.

Mr F. J. White, who has occupied I the post of accountant at the Hamilton branch of the Bank of New Zealand for .some time past, has been promoted to the charge of the newly-opened .agency of the I bank at Ponfeonby. Mr White is succeeded at Hamilton by Mr Tenipler.

The supply of milk at the Wai- ' kato Cheese Factory (Hamilton) continues steadily to increase, and has now miched nearly 500 gallons per diem. By Christmas it is thought that the quantity will be considerably larger. The company have bent ' thiee cheeses, made the second week in Octobei*, to the Auckland Show, where we trust they will give a good account of themselves.

The manager of the New Zealand Tobacco Growing and Manufacturing Company, Auckland, has forwarded to thin office the printed instructions for preparing the land and the leaf, which they furnish to their contract fanners* The manager of thia journal has a small quantity of tobacco seed, whicli he will be glad to distribute to those who may desire to make experiments.

The satisfactory result of the crushing at To Aroha, a« published in our last issue, created considerable commotion throughout the Waikato , district. The intelligence of the.i'esultf, of the crushing was anxiously looked forward to at Cambridge, and was receiyedjjvitb much'featisfflJctidn. l l The ! bA&idfSpv&t', >the? ,Taina|i6r6 t creek^t!th i #f6yiMM6Pri'6^(>nVlnlli v id in a

wheel to get into, and nome .serious accident will result if the Kirilcirirnn, Koad Board do not forthwith authorise the necessary repairs.

The road at the Mystery Creek culvurt on the Hauiilton-Ohaupo road is in n very bad stato. .and requires imniodiate attention. There is a mfc on the Hamilton wide of the culvurt at least thiee feet deep, into which the wheels of a buggy arc almost certain to go after nightfall.

Some of the prizes to be given for tin- athletic contents ut Cambt idgo tnmnrrow nve wel] worth winning. Wo have been shown Mr (too. Dickinson's prize, which takes the fciim of ;v valunble aim woll-finixhod jilbuni, and sluiuld ho the mciins of stimulnting the. compctitorrf m tbo Huidlc Race. Mr Sargent'h piize i^ also woithy <>f notice.

The laying off of the subdivisions in the Waotn South Block is now about to be proceeded with. Mr Donald Stubbing .survey ]Mity left Cambridge on Tuesday morning for the block, and will cnnimi'iice work iiuincdiatuly. The Waotu .Smith is :i valuable piece of totara biibh couutiy. It is likely that some delays will be r\pmeuced m carrying out the work, tlnnugh native differences. These Me->»is Moon and Blake liave gone up to anange.

There was considerable excitement at Cambridge on Tuesday evening' on receipt of the result of the Melbourne Cup. The result of the event was anxiously looked forward to throughout the, day, and it was generally expected that the Auck-land-bred horse, M.vrtini-Hemi, would add new lauiels tohiswroath of Saturday. When Tm: WaikatoTimk* Extra made its appeaiance at siv o'clock, the satibfaction afforded by the popular win was unbounded. •

Tke Rev J. S. Hill, of Auckland, gave a veiy Micceshful ontertainnicnt to tho .school childi-en of Cambridge in tho Public Hall on Tuesday e\ cuing last. The entertainment took the shape of a series of magic-lantern views, consisting of many interesting scenes, particularly those of the Holy Land and London, which weio the best ever exhibited at Cambridge. Each pictme was greeted with a lound <»t well deserved applause. The piocoeding.s wuio in .lid of tho Sund.iy-school libiaiy of K. Church.

At a meeting of the Auckland Board of Education on Tuesday, the chairman, Mr X Laishloy, rosigiiod his p isition in view of hi.s projected visit to Emope l>y the nest mail steamer. Ho announced that lie was commissioned by the (loveinmont to make a report on the Ktnopuuu systems of education, and said he uould do his utmost to make the lop »t thoiou^h. A unauimotw vote of thanks was aocoiclud Mr Laishloy, and Mr K. Hobbs was oloctod to fill the vacant position. Mr Liishley Ihi.s also lOsii'ned liih ]>i>sition as ,i muniber of the Auckland (iraunnar School txovernoi s.

hois. The usual weekly meeting of the Cambiidge Mutual luiprnvomout Association ww held at tlu j court-house on Tuesday evening last. Theio was a f.iir attendance of members and tlio public, jmd tho chair w.i^ occupied by the president, Mr W. L. C. Williams. Mr Brooks doliveiud si vory iiitoictuis,' c^say on t.ho jiout C<i\vpei, and thU w«i>> follnw«jd bv .inohhi'i p.ipor by Mi Hyatt on "({oology." Mr Hyatt's papm ( \\as of a vory piactical uhar.ictci. Until pajioin wcio listened to with much attention, and wei c f avom al)ly criticised. A \ ote of thanks to tho os-i.iyi-~t-«, and a similar compliment to the pioxidunt, Mr William--, and the .st'cretai'v, Mi K.oe.sin'jC, foi thoir labour-, in connection with the society during the session just cloaiid, tonnin.ited the piocoediny-'.

The following " specials" to the Prosh Association, dated London, November (ith, have appealed in the N.Z. Herald : — Thi' mnming Post >>ays tli.it the settlement of tin* annexation ((motion depends solely on the will of the colonists them■,el\i!-. The Olobe att.ic.ho>. gie.it wc^ht t" to the of Nonn.inby'h jnoti^t on the subject. — M.ijoi Fciyn^-on, .i lolsitive of Sir J.une-. Feigu>->on, ha-- lcwiml .in Indian iippointment. — The Hayti.ui leiiels ha\e |irocliiinied Ktuatfemogerrech dictator. — Loid Lan>>do\sne denies having ieceived .'my menacing letteis. — The .ininiosity existing between tlie Fiencli and Knghsh sailin-. at T.un<ita\e is stated to be intense, and likely to become dangoious. - M. Eugene Rouhw, the eminent French nta.tesin.in, is ivpoiti'd to be M i uou>>ly ill.

There was a fairly large attendance at the Cambridge Wesleyan Chinch on Tuesday o\oning last to hear the Key. H. Bull* address <ny " The country u o li\ o in." The speakei dealt at considerable length on the suhantagos <>f Now Zealand as a. colony when cowpaied to the .sister colomos ; "its institutions, religions and l)ol iticiil ; it* climate, fertility of sod, scenery, etc. The lecture tluoughout was .in exceedingly interesting one, and was ovidently much appreciated by those present. The I^ . Mi Dew.sbuiy deliveied a few uMiwrkh on the .subject of the " Home Minion Fund," showing ith achiiutnges and utility, and besj)c.ikiug for it the )>i.ictical symji.vthy of all who h.ul the propogation of the (Jo.siiel at heait. Tlie evening was in-tiM-s])ei'sed with hymns by the choii, Mi' Neal piosidingat the liannoniuui. A collection in aid of the Home Mission Fund was taken up at the close.

The telegraphed announcement of Mr John Morley's' resignation of the editorship of the Pall Mall Gazette, A\hich he has held ever since it passed into Libeial hiinds in IS7JI, will (nays the Witness) be recehed with regiet. Following upon his letireinent, fiom the editoiship of the Fortnightly Review, which he assumed dining the sixties, it would .seem to indicate an intention to abandon the field of ephemeial litoiiitiuv for the purpose of de\oting his time to work of a more permanent character, unless it has been caused by his> leceut election to the House of Commons as junior member for Newcastle. In connection with this election it is noticeable that no protest a\<is made, although Mi Morley is well known to be an atheist— a proof that it is not so much Mr Biadlavgh\ athei.sni as his personality and views on moral questions which aie objected to by theHou.sc. Mr Moi ley, who was brought up at the feet of John Stuart Mill, i.s .1 philosopher, as well as a brilliant litterateur. He had studied extensively in the somewhat underrated and neglected ground of the French philosophy of last century, and it is to Fiance, also, that he chiefly owes a ehanning literal y style. It must be owned, however, that in hpite of Mi Morley '.s brilliant acquirements, the Pall Mull of the Liberals is not equal to the old Conservative Pall Mall.

The following extract from the Hawke'sßay Herald will show tint oels aie not the only enemies' which the tiout, which have been liberated in the Waikato liver will have to face. Our contemporary says :—" A most convincing pi oof of the rapacity and capacity of the shag was exhibited on 'the show ground yc-tei day. It was a carp weighing 130z.5, which was taken from the gullet of a .shag shot that morning by Mr W. H. Nelson. The fish being broad and fat, the biid could not quite swallow it, and was just ptotiuding from the shag's bill. No wonder it is difficult to stock our rivers with imported fish when shags are .so numerous.

The Oamaru Mail says: -Mr OJeminell has suffered a severe loss amongst his Ayrshiie cattle. A few days since a number of young animals were attacked with ringworm, and as he had on previous occasi ms used various kinds of sheep dips, lie again had recourse to a dip. On this occasion he used Wilson's sheep dip to the extent of about 1 in 30. But theie hcems to have been some property in the clip of an injurious nature, foi shortly after its application Novell piomising young animals died. Whether their death was caused by the animals licking themselves, or whether the injurious propertied affected them through the hide, cannot be said $ but ifc j* well that stockowners should know that Wilsons sheep- dip cannot be used on such occasions.

"I have just seen in the hands of a friend, "writes a correspondent of the Pall Mall Gazette, "a volume whose history .suggest* qu histruethe commenton the practice of rewarding military services with hereditary distinctions. It was the presentation copy, givon to the fiwt Duke of Marlborough, of the eougiatulafcory verse's recited in the Sholdoniau Theatre at Oxford on occasion of the victory of Blenheim. My friend had purchased it at the Simderlan'd sale. That an EuglUh noble J in need of money should sell his books as being that part of his property which lie lea»fc values is not surprising ; but that a Duke of Marlborough should prefer 32s — for that wag the price paid by my friend— to a volume so closely associated with the origin Of Mb wealth and honours, aTgues a cynical indifference to the 'ordinary sentiments of mankind which will surprise even a pessimist." c

„ .The 1 London correspondent of the weUiijgtb'u Tiidea thus jwritesui reference "M'tfief, SH&sra I»M.S.l »M.S. ; v TA!^ t^ 0 -^SA ly

very palpable forgeries, having been written on portions of ancient rolls of the law, to deceive the very elect. Where they originated very little matters. The Jerusalem dealer in antiquitus having deceived the world once, was not likely to do ho again. Ho must try his luck under better auspices on Home other occasion. The veracious; chronicler who recorded some time since that the ark had been discovered on Mount Ararat, now announces that documents found therein have conclusively proved that the venerable ship was insured in the Atlantic Mutual Insuiance Company, 51, Broadway New York. The Vice-President of the Company, on searching tho archives for the year 2300 jt. c, hah found the following note :—": — " An .irk constructed by Noah, pioperty of Noah and Son.-,' ; tonnage, 42,313,»00 ; length, fl2,)ffc ; width, 87ft (>in ; depth of hold, (>2ft liin— gopher wood ; destination, transport animal.s and passengers ; classed Al. "' The manager declines to reveal the professional secret of the amount of the insuiance, or whether Noah himself was insured separately f loin tho menagerio.

The Scientific American lately gave himio pal ticulars respecting the manufacture of violin striiigs. At the same time it appealed to be consideiably e\eicised legarding the etymology of the word " catgut." It says that the name of catgut, as applied to the animal fibre strings, is altogether a misnomer. The cat is no wise responsible for the (strings, and, much as the fact is to be deplored, the manufacturorh of such btringh lefusoto uth\ecats for the supply of their material. That dispose* of tlie last excuse for the existence of the cat. Catgut is no use to anyone but the cat : hence no consideration of damage to valuable raw mateiial need hereaftei .stay the hand that huils the avenging bootjack at the nocturnal serenader on the back fence. Violin string*, and all soits that coiuo under the general head of " gut," are, our contemporary correctly state.s, made from the entrails of lambs and cattle, from the delicate tin ends used for .sewing jacketball cover.-, up to theiound belts \ -inch in thickness. After the lamb is .seven month* old its entrails are no longer fit for making btiiugi> for violin*, consequently thi* blanch of the manufacture can only be canied on a few months in each year. This is interesting, but doe* not our contonij»oraiy see he has quite niNsed a capital point aueut the etymology of " cat gutV" The stiings are niiiuufactmed fioin the entiails of cattle. What i- mure natutal, then, that they should foimoily have boon known a-> "cattle gut," to be in course of time euphoniously abbreviated into " cat gut,"