TE AROHA. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1866, 21 June 1884, Page 3

TE AROHA. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. ]

Te Aroha, Wednesday. At the Police Court held heie yesterday a case was heard in which one of the prebiding justices took occasion to animadvert in strong terms upon the culpability of hotelkeepers in allowing drunken men to lounge about and sleep in their outbuildings. In the case referred to, Mr Brown, of the Nottingham Castle Hotel, Morrinsville, charged an inebriate named Russell with attempting to set fire to the stables belonging to the hotel. It seems that the man had been drinking hard on Saturday night, and wishing to continue hi? debauch on the Sunday demanded more liquor, but was refused. Being in a stupid state the landlord had him put into a loose box in the stable in order that he might there sleep off the effects of his carouse. Partially recovering after some hours, and probably feeling cold he collected some straw and set fiie to it, evidently, as was stated, for the purpose of warming himself. The sight of smoke issuing fioin the building caused some alarm, and the landloid rushing to the spot found the man still half stupid on hands and knees beside the blaze. The five was promptly extinguished without any injury being done, but if the floor had been a wooden instead of an earthen one the consequences might have been much more seiious. The case was dismissed, as thcie was no evidence to suppoit the chaige, but the incident shows the folly of allowing drunken men to hang about hotel picmises, and points to a probable cause of many ot the files by which so much piopeity of the kind is destioycd. The accused man has long resided here, and when sober is of honest and jndustiious habits, but his insatiable ciaving for diink has caused the issue of an order piohibiting publicans fiom supplying him. A previous order had only shoi'tly expiicd, and this has now been issued forbidding all hotolkeepeis in the Puiko county fiom giving him lifjiioi for twelve months to come. The alterations and nnpiovements which ha\e for sometime past been in progi ess at the baths are almost completed, and our Hot Spiings now present atti actions w hich ought greatly to extend their fame and their usefulness. _ A commodious galvanised iion building with all the conveniences for a comfoi table dip has betu elected at the noithoin bat 1 ), and the weatherboard cottage near the centre of the icsonc, and which has so long stood useless, is now also being utilised. Water, both hot and cold, is conveyed to it fiom the reseivoiis in pipes, and the interior arrangements of the building aie of a very complete desciiplion. A cuetaker has been appointed to Keep the baths clean and in older, and a small charge is now made for admission, but no one who piizea comfort and privacy will piudge the tiifling fee. The domain boaul ha\e detei mined to put a stop to the lanikinism, which has at times made a \ifeit to the springs the reveisc of agreeable, especially to ladies. An information has been laid against certain individuals for making a foicible entry into one of the buildings, and the case will be heard in the R.M. Court at next sitting. It is not likely that a heavy penalty will be inflicted, but at the same time it is to be hoped that the lesion taught will be such as to put a stop at once to the lowdyism which has been so prevalent in the past. The proceedings of the Auckland Presbyteiy at their iccent meeting have not tended to strengthen the ties which should bind to the Chinch the membeis of the denomination lesident heie. These ties wcie sufficiently strained by the haish ami unchruit.ible manner in which on a previous occasion, some membeis of that Piesbytery heated the former minister of this distiict, and they have been still more weakened by the action taken with legaid to the cleigyman now in charge, whose only otteuce seems to have been that he was sent heie by the Church Extension Committee instead of having his appoii tment from the Presbyteiy The inteifeience of the latter body in the church affairs of a distiiet which they have hitherto altogether neglected is not \iewed with much satisfaction by adheients of the chinch in this quarter. The result of the football match between the playeis of Hamilton and Te Aioha last Saturday gave satisfaction here. The excellent play of their opponents at the opening made our men exceedingly doubtful at first as to the final issue, and had the Hamilton team been able to keep up all through the lively game with which they commenced, the victory might have been theirs. It is to be hoped that arrangements will be made for another match or two during the season, so that the defeated may have an opportunity of retrieving their lost laurels. Amongst the items of mining news the most important is the finding of payable gold in the Colonist Company's new low level. The claim is at present second only to the New Find, and the discovery of good gold-bearing btonc at a depth which ensures a lengthened peiiod of prosperity for the company is just now a matter of much consequence to the whole field.