COMMENTS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1950, 6 January 1885, Page 2

COMMENTS.

We firs told that punctuality is the soul of business, but tbete arc still a few who look upon it as one of the most inconvenient obsei vanccs that ever hampered a truly progiessive people. Sonvi time ago we had occasion to refer to the lack of this viitue in the members of our road hoards, and county councils at their periodical deliberations, but they still continue wupunctu.il Seeing that the valuable hint* which we then offered, if not thrown .iw.iy on those to whom they were in kindness directed, were a least unheeded, we ha\e not since bothered to mend the wajs of public men. But an experience which befell onr representative i few nights af?o, has induced us once more to resume the subject, and wage war .Hjainst that crime ot our public institutions, and bodies — unpunctuality When a meeting of the avernqe load board or county council is called for, say, two o'clock, it is safe to turn up about three to hear the minutes read, or perhaps it may bo still water to stay away altogether, as the clmncos are two to one that there will be no meeting at all. But for an almost entire absence of the virtue of punctuality commend us to the Tamahere Farmers' Club. A few nights ago a meeting of that body was called to consider that impoitant matter which is at present agitating the minds of the cattle laiaenof the distiict— selling cattle by live weight. Of course, it will be i thought that the great importance of the question brought together an cqnally impoitant and influential gatlioiiug, but we regiet to say that such was not tho case. Tho meeting was called for 7 30, but it was not until the clock had struck nine that u sufficient number of members had turned up to fonu ft quorum of eight, Besides our ever punctual representative, at the hour appointed only one member had put in an appearauco The number wa« soon augmented by the diligent secretary, but fiome time elapsed before a fresh addition was made to the waiting trio. At intervals up to 0 o'clock membeia continued to arrive, wijen at last, at the hour named, the quorum was completed by the arrival of tho moving spirit of the evening, whoso appearance was greeted with a sigh of relief from the longing multitude. A want of punctuality oh tha part of members indicates * ant of interest and # want of consideration for othen, and in the interests of all concerned we do hope some amendment w'lll be made.

Nhws about the fro/en meat trade continuee to improt*. Exporters have hit upon the real cause of thfl non-success of the venture, which Jay in the lukewarm ne?s and dishonesty of the English retailers, and have now done what they ought to have done long ago,— gono into the business themselves. The Hawera Star publishes the following extract from a letter Ufcely received from Home :— •' You are sending some grand mutton over here. It is well taken with, and butcher's meat ia coming down fully 2d per lb in price. The New Zealand Mutton Company arc opening shops in all tho

larger town*. In New castle they have a \eiy large *hop. They sell hundred* on .1 S.ituidny, and one c-»nnot get along the foot|unh lor the crowd standing mound. They sell li-gs (it 8d per lb, necks and shoulders nt (i^il, loins at 7d, hioasts at 4ffd and sd. They are opening out shops at (J.iteshead, BUydon, Jurroxr, and other places."

The convention of the delegates of the \.irn>ni clicufo factory compunir* \mll bo licit) at noon on Frul.»y next, at The NWukato Tiukm Buildings, Hamilton.

The Cambridge Parliamentary Union will rtiiiunp its vttniff>«ncxt Monday evening at 7 SO, when a full attendance of mouthers is requested

Mr Patterson, who sustained such shocking uijuricti on the KUersho racecourse on Now Ye.ir's D.iy by being knocked down by Mitr.wlleine, died at the hospital on S.itiud.iy afternoon.

We would remind those interested th.it a public meeting, to consider the question of estabhuhinK the beet sugar iiidn-tr.v in Witikati) in c.vlled for 2.30 p.m. to day at The WnikAto Times Building*, Hnnulton. It ih hoped that thero will bo a laige and repiet-entative attendance.

A number of people have made \eryuellout of fjonsebernes this Reat>on. One settler »t Kihikilu with about an acre of a garden, well planted, hiu forwarded hi* gooseberry produce to Auckland and has realised nearly £40 for the season* gruwtU.

The temporary bridge has been erected o\ei the creek on the nw.unp road ne<tr Monavale, Mr K. B. Walker navmg given permmMon. A road haß been opened through his property iind the temporary structure ih both iiafe and substantial. Traffics now rciumed and buggies as well as horsemen can pass over safely. The road •lso ib in capital condition.

Through the incessant ram of the past few weeks the hay crop in many places lias been altogether destroyed. On Home farms throughout the district hay ha» been lying on tho ground for weeks, and is now past saving. In several place* tho farmers have abandoned all hope, and have turned their cattle in on it, believing it better to derive a little profit than none at all.

At the close of evening service at S PeterV Church, Hamilton, on Sunday, the choir, a^m^ted by member* of tho Wesleyan and Pi osby teri.m choirs, sang several of tho carols tendered at tho festival on Christmas night. There was a largo coiißiegation, and all remained behind to hear the carol*, which weie greatly appreciated. Mr Templer conducted.

A correspondent of the Daily News at Korouko snyw : — "The monotony of the life of the three oflicera here is something indescribable. An out-«tation jn a bop in Ireland would be a paradise m comparison. Sand, sand, eternal Bind, varied by black rocks. I remember describing a fearful hole I was quartered in, in the Soudan— Kawa, on the White Nile ; but there one could only sally out ..it early dawn overgras«y plains, among brushwood, and ►eft the KUrtlcd antelope bound away, and the bustard whirr overhead. Here, outside Korosko fort and hamlet, there n not a \cstigeof life, naked savaire sterility, unleheved by a single blade of grans."

The following special messages to the Press Association, dated London, January 2nd and 2rd, h.ivo bren published :—: — Governor Brooun 1 , of Wctern Australia, lias urmed in London. — The hon. J. B. Thur^ton, C.M.G., Colonial Secretary of Kiji, has arrived here. — Wheat is one shilling lower all round. — The appointment of the Manilas of Normanby to the Grand Cross of the Order of tho Bath is announced. — Mr W. F. Forster, writing to tiie Times, adunes Mr (Gladstone to comply with the remaining claims, otherwise the i permanent union with the Australian colonies is unlikely. The Spectator says that nothing can be done while the colonies are di-uiiiited on the question of annexation. Tho Tunes admits that the Australian re sentirient is just if the New Hebrides are .vbuidoned. — Mr Murray Smith, tho AgentGeneral for Victoiia, has forwarded to Lord Dei by the protests made by f .he Victorian and Tasmanian Governments against the aimexation of the Northern portion of New Guinea by Germany.

The usual monthly meeting of the Hamilton Borough Council was held last night. Present: — Hih Worship the Mayor (Mr W. A. (Jrahara), Crs. Phillip, Freir, Tucker, Bach, Scott, Tippun, Dey, Johnson, and Stwadrn.ui. Tho C H:iuiis->ioner of Crown Land 1 ! wrote .saying that tho dep.utinent was in communication with tho Crown Lands office in Auckland, regarding endowments for tho Borough of Hamilton. —The works committeo reported on various woika in progress and finished in tho borough. — One tender was received for tho Hood-street culvert, at £21 10s, but ni it was unsigned it was deemed to be informal. Some discussion then took place as to whether it was advisable to call for fresh tendors. In reply to the Mayor, tho engineer, Mr Napper, mid the work could not bo regarded a permanent job HW oivn idea was to carry tho pipes across Angles.sa street, and connect with the pipes crossing tho Ohaupo road. By *o doing money would be saved and a lawer level reached. After some discussion it vas unanimously resolved that the engineer prepare plans, &c, of the alternative drain, to be laid before the council at its next meeting.— Accounts amounting to £21 17» 10d were passed for payment. Tho overdraft was reported to amount to £(JOl Is 3d. Tho works committee was appointed a committee to go over the new Impounding Act, and draw up a table of fees, &c— Cr. Tucker wished to know whether the council had any objection to Mr Peat, who had boon appointed ft joint trustee with him, handing ovor to him (Cr. Tucker) the lns-tru-ments of tho old Hamilton Band. It wai agreed that while the council acknowledged no responsibility in tho m.itter, it had no objection to Cr. Tucker taking chaige of the liibtrumentb.— Some other bniniefs of a routine naturo was transacted, and tho council roso,

A friend in Queensland has forwarded " Augur " of the Australasian a copy of tho (Queensland Racing Calendar for LSBO, the compiler of which wan imposed upon by the report of a bogus race meeting. It id described us that of the ** B.vcl Budgeree (no good) Jockey Club Meeting," and the convincing ground the "No Inever Plains," The placed horses in tho Maiden Plato nro givon as Alpha, Beta, j G.imtna, and th<ur ownem, Messrs Brown, Jones, and Robinson. For tho Publicans' Purse it is st.ited " a lot lan ; ho many wo could not count them ; and tho Bacl Budgoree Handicap is given ns being won by Power of X, Plus One being .^econd, and Mums Two thud. " Won by 20 length", on tho post," is tho vcidict on tho iiuish. It is difficult to understand how so palpable a fraud could havo p.umd without notice.

The following appears in the Freeman's Journal of October 23id :— " To. d.iy tho Rev. Foh\ J. Wsittors, S.M., Catholic University School, Lower Lesson «tieet; Ro\. Nicholas Gtirolan, S.M., and Rev. William (i.iggin, S M., St. Mary'a Collage, Dundalk, leave Dublin for London, whcnco tl.oy will aail on the 29th instant by the Orient lino ntoainwi for Npw Zealand. The dnty which call* tho rov. Fnthero away from Ireland U tho renponmble ono of undertaking thn direction of St. Patrick's Collpro, Wellington, New Zealand, latoly founded by the Moot Itev. Dr. Redwood, Uuhop of the I?iocese. A great development of Catholic ftduG.ii.ioi) jn tho higher a^ well as the iutenuediato brandies i> anticipated from the working of the College, and the well attested ability and •nokgy of Father Felix Watters and his rev, colloaguoH U|U«t be of immense advantage in fulfilling tho hi^li purposo for which the institution htu been founded, Tho Rev. Fathors Wattors, Oarolan, and Gaggin carry the best wishes of their numerous friends and former pupils, both in Dublin and Dundalk, that thoir long voyagp to tbo other side of the globe may be pleasant and. Bafo, and their hbouri in their new Hold of adiicat}»i)a} cnteipriso a« honourable and fiuitful M in thd Old. Country."

Mr "William Rnttrav, of AurVWnil, announces hj<i annual summer sale of drapery, &r. \ go^A graji paddock near the Hautapu railway station u ita¥cr<.'?ed te be let. Tenders are invited for tv« c^ion of a villa residence at Patcr.wgi up to January IVU«. An extraordinary vacancy havinpr occurred in the IVonjoa Road Hoard, pi. election to fill the »amc will be held on Saturday, January 24th. Dog registration notice* from the clerks of the Kihikihi Tpwn apf} Cambridge l"oirn District J)oar4s appcaf it} fltfjr advertising columns. Mr John Kno» has received instructions froijj Mr Samuel C«orhbu« to soil on the premises of Mr M. Moses, on the 16th and JT'lt January, the whole of his slock of drapery clothing, fee. A public trial of the Triumph ti-tree cuttinr maebme will bo (fiven on Saturday next, between two and five o'clock, near the Mongonui station on the Piako vjaA. and at Cambndfe on th» toHowißf Saturday,