The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1776, 22 November 1883, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Equ.il ami c\,u t MisLilo to .ill men, Oi wli it-sot«\ci state or persuasion, religious or politu .il. Here sh.ill the Piessllu- I'eople's ri<ch* maint.iin, Un.iucd I>\ inllucncu .md unhiibcd by },'»»•

TIIUKSDA V, NO Y. '12, ISS3.

Mr IjKACH is evidently anxious to obtain the definite opinion of the natives on the subject of the North Island trunk railway. He has been to Te Awamutu, and has seen liewi ; but that chief does not care to acb without consulting 1 Wahanui, and pending the arrival of the latter, who is up country, Mr Bryce has returned to Auckland. When "Wahanui arrives on the frontier the Minister will come up to s-e him. The importance of obtaining the approval of the natives to the construction of the line cannot be over-estimated, because if the surveys be not completed, and the choice of routes made, the million loan cannot be sanctioned by Parliament next session; ami before another opportunity shall come round a general election must take place, involving all sorts of possibilities. We do not think for a moment that there is any danger of the credit of the colony sinking so low in 18S-") as to interfere with the raising of the money: but other, and it may be more popular schemes for disposing of our borrowed cash may be deviwd, to the utter exclusion of the interest* of this portion of the colony. The trunk line is not a favourite ono with Wellington or Napier, and, unless it traverse Murimotu, is not likely to receive any support from Wanganui. To the people o( jfcho South the whole affair is a mailep ol no particular iufcere&Sand as they imainly favoured the loan last year, so they may be induced to regard tjis project from an adverse point of view next. Bat to Auckland and Taranaki, and i&e great Plains Country skirting tipx; south-west coast' of this island, the q^tion of the railway is one of tlw mojib aWrbing interest. And hem tetj us at once pronounce in favour of the Taraua/a route. A line taken aiong either of tho other routes proposed would not re.turn anything like tbe percentage on <»pital invested a* would the Taranaki tmd ; nor would it confer a tithe o£ the benefits on th« people at both termini which the Jatter would afford. To make this! jpoint clear, let us recapitulate some of ifcibe advantages of the Taranaki iw *S| compared with the others. Jp. tfcc ' first place, what are the considerations which wejgh with us, in desiring, communication wjtli'the^Sou.tp;; era portion of tthi§ , , i|)a» d ; 'sin}\V,

We wish to effect an interchange of ■ trade ; wo desire to export coal jind iron, and to import timber; Auckland wishes to supply the coast with nierchandi.se, and t> be the entrepot for the fat stock of the Wai mats Plains, whence it may be exported to Europe in a frozen .state. A railway betw en Te Awamutu and Stratford would justify these considerations, while a line via. Tulmaand Mui'imotu, or Taupo, would not. And why not? Because the country tapped by the latter is now, and will probably continue to be dependant on the \Vangamu and Wellington markets, while the. West Coast country would be too far removed from us to admit of the possibility of our securing any of the trade of that district. By-and-bye, in the nature of things, a railway must be constructed through the centre of the island, traversing the Taupo country and the rich districts lying southward of the Qreat lake, Imt the demands of tnde do not warrant the work at present; while for the railway via Mokau there is an immediate necessity. To the settlers on the Plains cheap and expeditious communication with Auckland, the principal commercial city of the colony, is of even greater importance than a means of easy access to the coast is to us. AVith their rich grazing lands, capable of fattening immense numbers of stock, they require a more regular supply of store cattle, and this the extensive country comprised in the Waikato and Upper Thames plains could easily supply. Our resourses for the purposes of stockraising are practically unlimited, and the Taranaki railway would open up a splendid market for the disposal of our surplus steers and wethers. Then again the railway would supply the Waimate settlers with coal, an article which at prosent they have to procure at a high price from Westport. If a poll of the people of the Plains were taken, it; would be found that they are almost unanimously in favour of the Te Awaiuutu-Taranaki route. Ancklanders, if we attach any weight to the deliverances of the members of the Chamber of Commerce are equally well disposed, towards this line ; the northern members of Parliament follow suit, and os these comprise the people chiefly concerned, Parliament and the Government can have no reasonable excuse for going in opposition to their views. 'Jhe natives cannot have any very pronounced ideas of their own upon the subject, and although Eewi professes to hold a preference for the Taupo route, he is candid enongli to say that if the other is deemed best, he will agree to it. If Wahnnui prove equally reasonable, we hope Mr Biyce will see to it that the survey from Te Awamufcu is pushed on with all reasonable speed, so that all the necessary data may be laid before the House next session.

Twenty years ago to-day was fought the decisiu; battle of Rangiriu, which opened the way for General Cameron V advance to the Upper Waikato.

Sports will he held at Ngaruawalna on Boung Day, consisting of hoise, foot and bicycle laces. The programme will appear in a futiue issue.

The requisitions forwarded from W.iikato and Te Aioh.i, asking foi an alteiation m the mail .service, have been foiwaided to Wellington for the consideration of the Possuiastei-(ieneial, from whom no reply has yet been iecci\ed.

The Cambridge School Committee is about to cairy out extensive improvements to the gills' playground of the school. Jt has decided to enlarge it, and fence and le\el it, and for this, purpose has already £23 in hand.

Owing to the unfortunate accident which befell Mr T. A. Bell lately, the concert in aid of the Cambiidge school libraiy has had to bi> postponed. It had been •«ranged th.it the concert should come off in the Public Hall on Monday e\ening last, and as the evening was a wretched one, it was an e\ceedingly foitunate circumstance that it was not held on that evening.

A meeting was held at Whatawhata a few days ago to anange for the annual .spoits to be held at Christina-.. Mr Walter was elected secretary, and the following weie appointed a committee: — Messrs Noble, C. K. Johnson, C. Day, C. Lunuier, T. Chaileston, K. R. Laing, R. Lamb, W. Shepherd, A. Feiguson and A. Crawford.

The election to fill the vacancy in the Ale\ancha Towu Boaid took place on Tuesday. Messrs McUmther and drarmonsway having retiied, theie were only two candidates, Messrs A. Smith and A. Helps. The polling resulted as follows :—Helps-, 51, Smith, 12. Mr Helpo was there declared duly elected.

The full programme of the Piako Tmf ClnbV races, to be run on the 30th hint, (S, Andre\\;'sl)ay), will be found ad\eiti.sed in thin issue, Entiance fee-, with nominations, ago, colours, &c M must be forwarded to the secretary, Moi riiiHvillo, oi to Mr Percival, Auckland, not Liter than 8 p.m. on Saturday next, the 24th, and the weights will appear on the 27th. Acceptance money is payable to the secretary by Thuisday, 20th before 10 p.m.

The old Whatawhata-Haniilton load ik in a very bad htate at present; it is, in fact, quite unfit for traffic. Mr Salmon has fenced in the old track at his place, and vehicles have now to traverse a very dangeious gully. As the road may be made very serviceable for £5, it is a pity the board cannot see their way to do the necessary work.

In our advertising columns will be found the programme of the Oxford races to be held on Boxing Day. The programme, which is a very extensive and scijnewhftt yaried one, contains no less than seven events, Hitheito these races have been a great huccbsb, ai»d ljavo been extensively patronised by the public of Cambridge, Matamata and othur dintnofes. We have no doubt but that the same success, both in point of racing as well as attendance, will be experienced on the coming occasion.

Mf WUkinson'snewhotel, Kihikihi, which hefW lJWjed the Star, is completed. It in very niculy fl«ifeljud, and comfortably fittedup; indued, fiwoouutvyhQielscan compare with it for comfoifc and blugf^nee, Jf contains in all 22 rooms. On tho upper floor are 12 very comfoi table single and double bed-rooms, a good bath-room, and a very cosy diawiug-ioom. The passage^ are wjjtju? i>,nfl lofty. Round the gieater portion ftf fyyq sjjdq 1* "f the house, on the upper fifcory, jh % l>a}j«.cwy; from which there is a HploudJd viw of both fcizfes of the confiscated boundary, From tfie ground fhera is a private staircase leading HP to the »n#Qify, so that lady visitors can have aoawh to the house without going through the lower paj>t of tlie building. In the event of a fire this gkqrds an easy means of escape, a thing wmfiij W frequently overlooked in planning a hotel iill ity ground floor are four private Hitting'rooffk fcjjjiard-room, diningrooin, bar and kitchen, ?fo<? fjjnmg-room, which is lofty and well lighted, eswiT^At §6 comfortably. The sitting-rooma, except pjie, have each a fireplace. The billiard-, xaoiri, ivhidi is fitted up with a view to comtw*, foft? one of the,best, and fastest jbasle& 'WraufflMft in Auckland. Indeed,' Kibi&hiyaytyeMe &WA of s.uch a build :j ing. and it ip fy) v8 i^oyd* |w J>tisij>t?ss dcine,'

The Rev. Father Noboa, 0.5.8., who has for some time past administered to the religious wants of the Roman Catholics of Hamilton and Cambridge, left this district for Corojnandol yesterday morning. His stay there will last for several months, and his place in Waikato will be filled by tho Rev. Father Fox, of Coromandel. During his stay hero, Father Noboa has been exceedingly popular among the people, not only of hi* own denomination, but of the various other denomination;) of the district. His departure from Waikato has buon much foil, and his return will be anxiously looked forwaid to.

A correspondent writes as follows from Cambridge : —Dear Mr Editor.—l have been puzzling mv biain for mime timn to discover .some remedy whereby the very annoying nuisance of clogs kept on chains, yelping and howling at night, might bo abolished, but must admit have been unsuccessful m findinj.' one. I live in Dukestreet, and so sure sis I close my eyes at night, so sure do my neighbour*' dogb across the way start to make the night hideous. This is generally continued without intermission until daylight. And not only am I, and my neighbour-., who likewise complain, toitured with this horrible music dining the night, but our .Sunday afternoons, if we remain within doois, are equally miserable. Now on Sunday last the howling of these manacled pets was something which Job himself could not .stand. If the owner has a taste for this objectionable music, would he mind my tolling him, in the hope ho will take the hint, that his neighbours have every objection to it, and would like in future to be considered.

The following " Specials " to the Press A ssocisition dated London November Oth, have appeared intheN.Z. Herald: — The third of the New Zealand Shipping Company's steamers has been launched on the Clyde, and gained the Ruapehu. —A rupture has occuned between Goneinl Maclvor and his colleague, Captain Kennelly, and the lattei is organising a new expedition to sail under a foreign flag. — The rumouin as to the destruction of Hicks Pasha's army in the iSoudan are not continued as yet.— The Morning Post hays that Lord Derby's leplios to Mr. Murray Smith on the question of annexation, are unsatisfactory and evasive, seveicly testing the loyalty of the colonists.—The Standard considers that Lord Deiby'.s latest communication^ imply a fa\oui able change in the views of tho Government.—-The St. James's Gazette considers that Lord Derby has made a distinct advance in his Liter replies, while the Globe fears that the shadow of disintegration of the Empire lurks behind the idea of Australasian federation.—The Marquis Tseng .states that 40,000 regular troops, with Eiuopean officeis, arc within easy nuuehing distance of the French forces.—The new s is confirmed that the lebols have dohtioyedoOO Egyptian soldiers at Souakim Fort, on the Rod Sea. The Biitish Consul has ,ilsi> been killed. — The death is announced of Samuel Jones Lloyd, Baron Ove'stone, long tho head of the late banking firm of Jones, Lloyd, and Co., London, aged 87.

Canon Chalmers, of G-eelong, has been pleaching against the methods of tho Sah .ition Ai mv. Ho was especially severe in his (iiscouiso (in tho A\.iy in which tho Army deals uith young cbildien. He said ; l> Children are oasily excited : many of thi'in are pleased to thrust themselves into notice, and make themselves objects of interest, and it seems to mo nothing cm can be more adapted to dostroy tho \irtues of the childish character—l mean leverence, humility, teachableness, obedience—than the methods of the Army. T know nothing more likely to iaise up in our midst a host of foiwaid, pretentious, though peih.ips unconscious, little hyprocrites, ignoi.int of the \ery first principles of true religion. By the inn city, the excitement, the chonissiiiging, tho banner-was ing, of Salvationist gatfioimgs, childien are specially liable to be atti acted, and I would in go on tho patents of this congregation not to allow their children to attend tho Army's meetings, oven to gratify their cuiiosit\, oi Milter them in anyway to come uudoi its influence. Of this they may lest assiued — no good can come of it in the long urn, 1'