The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1938, 6 December 1884, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbnbed by gain.

SATURDAY, DEC. 6,1884.

The Raglan people are in clanger of losing the greatest of the very few boons which the Government of the co'ony has ever conferred upon them. The mail coach service which they have enjoyed for the past three years will pi'obably, unless prompt representations are made to the authorities, be supplanted by a horse post. To Raglan such a change will be disastrous in its envcts, while the inconvenience resulting to Waikato prople will be by no means slight. Coach communication must of necessity increase the traffic, and under the existing system, we are given to understand, the trade was steadily, if somewhat slowly, attaining to much larger proportions. The shameful state of the road during a great part of the year, a condition of things which a little timely expenditure would have cured, has in great nißasure served to keep the district back ; but the winter's isolation has been to a large extent compensated for by the brisker trade of the summer months. Now, wUi a return to the old horse service, the dulni'ss of the summor will be surpassed only hf the depression of the wet season. Jt is only fair to say that the Postal Department is quite prepared to continue the coach service at the present rate, but tie subsidy, £200, is totally inadequate to maintain such a service efficiently. We have made some enquiries, and feel bound to say that the sum named scarcely covers the actual outlay of the contractor in wages and horse feed, leaving absolutely nothing for himself and infinitely little for his horses, who if they were sentient beings would most assuredly go out on strike. After three years' experience of this rej munerative work, Mr Johnt-on, the only tenderer for a coach j service, this year, felt conatraiued tq ask a^

his being a loser. We believe the amount of the tender is about £300, but the Department demurs, and is exceedingly likely to accept a horse service at about £180 por annum. iVow the Maoris, who before Mr Johnson's time carried the mail, got precisely the amount paid to that gentleman, for the performance of a service which was notoriously inefficient, and how then in the name of common sense can the Department expect a penn'orth of cake for a ha'penny ? We trust the settlers on both sides of the mountain will make a vigorous protest against the gross injustice which is sought to be inflicted upon them.

The Rangiaohia school concert, arranged for Monday next, has been unavoidably postponed to Friday, the 12th inst. i We are glad to hear that Mr T. A. Bell is rapidly getting over the effects of his recent accident, and nopes to be able to resume his .duties in a few days. The English mail closes at Hamilton on Monday next at 1.30 p.m. i This mail i* due in London on Saturday, 1 Januat y 17th, 1885. The subject of the new railway time-table cropped up at the meeting of the Kirikiriroa Road Board yesterday, and was discussed in an informal way. The members of the board present were all in favour of the present time-table. Considerable improvements have lately been made in the approach road to the Hamilton East railway station. The formation through the large sand-holes hat been widened, and the danger to travellers has been greatly lessened. The following additional subscriptions have bnen received to the Oaborne (Cambridge) fund : -W. M. D., £2 ; J. S. Thomson, £1 ; G. Clark, £1 ; A. Clements, £1 ; Captain Soutter, £1 ; the widow of the late Rev. Mr. Ashwell. £1 ; James Forrest, 10s. Complaints having been made regarding the cattle yards on the Cambridge railway, the Resident Engineer has promptly effected the necessary improvements. The movable foot-boards have been discarded, and hinged foot-ways substituted, while several minor alterations have been mj.de. Mr Coom inspected the yards on Thursday, and found that the work had been satisfactorily carried out. Mr D. Fallon has finished his contract on the Thames-Rotoma railway line a long way within contract time, which dues not expire till the 20th inst., and, considering that he would have been entitled to somewhere about eight weeks' entension a> a time allowance for alterations and additions to the works, it says a good deal for the push and energy for which Mr Fallon has long since earned a. well-merited ch.uacter as a contractor. All the men employed upon the work left yesterday. At Thursday 'z meeting of the Auckland Crown Lands Board. Mr Rkeat-i, Chairman of the Whatawhata Dairy Factory Company, wrote stating that the company required from three to five acres for a site, and asked whether any Crown lands were available, and if so, at what price they would be sold. — It was agreed, after the Chaii man explained the position of the lands in this district, to consult Mr Wilkinson, the native agent. Two of the party engaged to proceed to the Chatham Islands to take a shearing contract decided to remain behind at the last moment, owing to the uncertainty attending their return. One of those was Mr Kerry, the organiser of the party, who informs us that the means of communication with the island are so inefficient that six months were likely to elapse before the men could return, and then they would be landed at Lyttelton. Four of the party decided to run the risk, and sailed on Tuesday. There is one local body in Waikato, at any rate, whose tinancies are in a flourishing condition. The total revenue of the Kirikiriroa Road Board for the year ending March 31st. next, will amount to about £2,500, of which £900 yet icmains to be spent. This is the largest revenue the bond has ever possessed, and it is satisfactory to know that the increase is due to the natural increase in the value of the land in the district. The roads throughout Kirikiriroa are now in pood order, reflecting much credit on the board. A meeting of the Cambridge Parliamentary Union will take place on Monday evening next, at 7.30 p.m., the night having been altered on account of the school concert, which is to come off on the following Monday evening. As some important measures will be discussed, notably the Minister for Education's bill, involving some new principles in matters educational, and the now famous Cremation Bill of Mr Stewart, also the motion by Mr Keesing for the extension of the suffrage to women, a large and fashionable attendance is expected. Mr Kerry, of Hamilton East, has received a letter from his brother, Mr T. Caradoc Kerry, who was a member of the Age New Guinea exploration party, informing him that another expedition is being organised in Brisbane. Mr T. C. Kerry is to be the loader of the party, and he has left Queensland for Sydney to make the necessary preparations for a start. Mr Kerry is quite a young man, and is gifted with a good constitution and high spirits. It is probable, therefore, that his venture will be attended with a large measure of succe&s. • An official test of the Hamilton Railway Bridge was made yesterday by Mr D. M. Beere, Resident Engineer, Public Works Department, and Mr J. Coom, Resident Engineer, Auckland Railways. The structure was subjected to a weight of over 110 tons, made up of two engines and 60 tons of rails on trucks, and this was placed on each span, and subsequently run over at a speed of ten miles an hour. The deflection was found to be about half-an-inch, which is what, according to the best authorities, it ought to be. No swaying was observable, although the train was run across several times, and a good breeze was blowing. It may be some comfort to the fainthearted to know that the bridge is perfectly safe, and, notwithstanding all the croaking we have heard, that it is not likely to go down in our lifetime or that of our children. The following special messages to the Press Association, dated London, December 4th. have been published :— The Australian squadron will be augmented shortly by H.M. sloop Garnet, G guns, ] 130 tons, at present lying at Malta, where her furnace plates are undergoing repairs. — The Orient steamers will now call at Naples, they having ceased to visit there in September last on account of the outbreak of cholera.— The Chinese troops are claiming repeated successes over the French troops in Tonqnin.— Mr Joshua Tves, the recently appointed Professor of Music to the Adelaide University, sails on Ist of January. — In consequence of the Australian station being made an Admiral station, Commodore Erskine will bo selected for an early command. A party of Wesleyan ministers from Australia, who have beeu attending the General Conference of their connexion in Christchurch, arrived in Waikato the other day en route for Ohinemutu and Rotomahana. They have availed themselves of the opportunity of seeinc as much of New Zealand as possible. Arriving first at the Bluff, they proceeded overland through Danedin to Christchuvch ; from Wellington they passed through the Manawatu Gorge, and came on to Auckland, and having reserved the best for the last, they are visitiner the Wonderland of the Southern Hemisphere. They have expressed themselves as greatly delighted with what they have seen of this colony, and surprised at it* wonderful natural resources. -We trust our friends will thoroughly enjoy their trip to the Lakes. The usual meeting of the Kirikiriroa Road Board was held yesterday. Present : Messrs A. Primrose (chairman), W. H. M. Lovell and T. S. Runciuian. The contractor for the works at Hinton's Gully (Mr W. Jones) wrote asking for an additional sum of £3 10s for work done in excess of that required, by mistake. The board decided not to accede to the application, as a dangerous precedent would thereby be created. The following tender* were opened and dealt with :— Contract No. 2. Hinton's Gully (removing earth and CTavel)— W. Lovett, lOd per yard; Jas. Hamilton, ll£ch G. Stokes, BJd (accepted); J. O. Booth, Hjd; J. Kennedy, Is 2d; T. Cassidy, Is. , Hopuhppu Contract (road' r "f6nnation''an'd clearing^at per •chain) I—J.'''1 — J.''' i^asbey, 49f6tf*nd 1& j «.';McPJher«?n and); Ca^^^dV^ji.^^^|;^|?nd -.

Is 6d ; J.~Cassidy,~*3s IOJd and Is 6d for partial, or 2s 6d if complete : Zenas Owen, 4s 3d and 6d (accepted) ; W. .Clow, 3s Gd and Is Gd. Accounts amounting to £244 14s 3d wore passed for payment, and the board rose. A meeting of the directors of the Rnkiihia Cheese and Bacon Factory Company was held at the factory on Wednesday evening. The secretary reported that since the sale of last year's cheese the overdraft at the bank had been reduced from £721 to £200. There was on hand a large quantity of this season's cheese, for which a good market would be obtainable, when ready, which would be in a week or so. An order had been received from storekeepers at Kotorua, and this with another large order from Auckland would be e\ocuted as soon as possible. The cheese was rapidly gaining in public favour. The supply of pigs was insufficient for the wants of the factory, and the company were desirous of purchasing pigs of good quality. The milk supply was gradually increasing, as the settlers were now beginning to realise the true value of the industry. The quantity of milk received per day is now about 300 gallons, though the factory is capable of working up more than double that amount. We would remind those of our readers interested in horticultural matters that the moeting called with a view to establishing a society in Waikato will be held at The Waikato Times Buildings, Hamilton, nt 11.30 a.m. on Monday next. Referring to the efforts now being made in this direction, the Settler writes as follows :—": — " We can see nothing to prevent success in such an undertaking, and much that would be gained in the interests of horticulture and fruit-growing in the Waikato by the establishment of the proposed society. The Waikato is specially fitted for gaidenin* and orcharding operations ; the smaller fruits, such as gooseberries, currants, and raspberries, can bn grown there with far greater success than in most places close to Auckland, and for the products of the vegetable garden we have no soil between Maungatawhiri creek and this city that can rival that of the greater part of the Waikato district. _ The suitability of the soil for root rrops is proverbial, and flowers in profusion can be grown there at a minimum of trouble and expense. We therefore wish the promoters of the projected horticultural society every success. One hint we may bo allowed to give our Waikato friends — Don't start a horticultural society and an orchardist's club; the former properly worked should answer both purposes, and by concentrating the local intelligence and enthusiasm in one institution greater usefulness and success will be achieved."