KIHIKIHI NEWS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1966, 12 February 1885, Page 2

KIHIKIHI NEWS.

Mil 15 \M vnck ha«, it is cunently repoited, and f believe with truth, testoicd Rewi's puiMoii fnmi tlit* date i»i winch it was stopped by Mr Biyce. This is an act of justice th.it will inert with the a|>pro\.il of everyone. Kewi, in the oidm.iry coiiim* of nature, cannot last in.my yeais longei, and foi a long time he his shown a decided 111chn.ition to ussist the ( Jovernment in tlien dealings with the natives. Tin- hitter e\ pie---* themselves \eiy well pleased with the Native Ministet ; he has a h i[ pv kn.ick of sending .iway deputationists highly pleased with thu icsult of then meeting, and profoundly impressed with his comtesy and atfubilitj. When Mi BrycoV meetings ended we thought we were on the eve of having the King countiy opened, but we seem its far off a» ever, for t!:e old l.iugathas show as little desire as ever to lease or sell their land. Whethei that would be an advantage or not is a m.itter of opinion, as many declare that such an event would help to lower the already low price of farm produce, as them are not maikets enough now for the product) raised by the farinei*. The lepoited gold discoveries aie not authenticated, the wish, I fancy, being the f.ithei of the thought; however, I have been told by certain persons who have been there that there is every indication of gold in the Tulma connliy. If such is th« case the sooner it is opened the better it will lie both for natives and Kumiieaiw. The foitiier will derive a handsome revenue from miners' light*. The income for the natives on the West Coast for lands leased to the pakehas is £7000 per annum ! What »|>leudid incomes the owneis I «f this country would have if they had the | sense to lease it also. What a c mtiast thuie is between the kingitos, and the natives living :nn->ng the Europeans • Take foi example the Wan arip i natives. There they have leased, and draw lents sufficient to keep them not only m comfort, but in luxuiy ; they h.ivu land of then own which they cultivate, they me to be seen every day, diiving about in well-appointed buggies, anil riding decent looking hacks. I nevei s,iw any squalour or poveity a'nong them, ami, ceites, they h.ive a good opinion of themselves. They have cipied the pakeha vui y closely in some in.it tins, especially with legaid to paying "that little account you know." One langitira who had been m Kngland, was sued b> a tailoi same little time after Ins leturu to tlie Liiid of his foiefatheis ; wlien in com t, he slid by way of excusing himself, that he had l.itelv h»on in England, and theie no "gentleman" paid his tailor. Thesoulid magistrate, liovvever, could »>»t see it m th.it light, and gave judgiueutfoi the tailoi. Some people have queer idea'? as to what constitutes a gentleman. The objection to pay accounts chimes, as a i ule, with John Maoi i's idea of lesponsibility. The race committee has di awn up a nice little programme for the annual meeting, to be held on the 17th Maich. The Cup is vvoith -MO. This should attiact some of mil local cracks whoso owners aie on the look-out for a chance to imke winter oats. I was rather amused at your Raglan coirc-pondent's mild protest at our meeting being held on the 17th, as it clashes with Raglan. It has been our iegul.ii custom to hold a meeting on that date, and if it clashes with theiis, wo aie not to blame. The days' amusement will wind up with a conceit m the evening in .iid of the fund* of the Catholic chinch. As the committee are already on the look out foi singei-«, there will be a good piogramme. The concert on the l'ith of this month in aid of the Anglic in chinch will also be a good one, no trouble being sp ired to make it a success. We are veiy well off in the matter of amusements. An exceedingly ple.vs.ant ball was hold here on the 27th of last month. The liiyht being fine and bright, alaige number of visitors attended from the v.mous distiicts. Every effoit was made bv the .stewards to make the evening a pleasant one, and I am pleased to say eveiy one was highly satisfied. Mr Sibley's bind contubut'tl the music. Mr Landers' application to have the tax on his dogs reduced wa,s a most reasonable one ; indeed, tin* board might go farther and remit it alt igether, for he has kept down the lahbits in this district. we huve him here we will not require any weasels or stoats. I hopo the Oovernnient will cmiliue the impoitatiou of these to the other is] mil, 1 fear the cute will be as bid as the disease. What aie the weasels to do whon the rabbits ,uo killed out '! For killed out they will lie, The conditions of climrtte hoie. aio onuneiitly suit.iblo for aijfinal life, They williucroaseonoimou-dy. Theio nro no vigoioiis vv inlets oi hostile gainekeeperatocontt ud against, thebieednig soasrm will be like the landloid season in Ireland, for theie laudloids me game fioin the first of Jiimuiy till the thiity tiist of December. Every gauiekwepei at Home wages incessant war against stoats and weasels, for if allowed to increase, featheied as well .is ground game would disappeai. ( )f course squatters tried cvoi y other vie.vis to destroy tl)e rabbits nnd all h.iving failed they wero oompellod to iesoit to the little veiiuin, but I hope they will bo kept on the other sid 1 ) of Cook's Strait. Nothing seems to disconcert a weasel ; he is always nt home. Nomitterin whnt position, ho is ready for a feed or i cady to kill, for oven when his hunger is satisfied the insatiable desiie to kill remains. A fiiend told me he was ono eroning lying in wait for widgeon on the shore of a luku, when ho a lugo hawk, yeuuially booh ou thu wa coast, and known as the eagle hawk. As Miey are very destructive on laiubd he lay do>e with the intention of having a shot if it came close enough. It soon swooped | down on something, and pretty noon it indulged in gyrations that no respectable haw k would indulge in. Presently it rose highei and higher, until it lookod almost like a speck, when down it oa mo by the inn, and fell olosc (so where my friend was lying. Ho ran towatds it to see the cause, when ho siiiy n weasel running away. The hawk h. id picked it up, and no sooner had it done so than tho woascl fastened on its throat, and Rucked its blond. The quantity of feathers on the bird kept it from falling too quickly. I have henrd of infants in the ciadle being killed by them ; that may not bo tme, but fioni wh.it I know <>f them Inm inclined to believ n it They have as keen a scent as a blood hound, and once on tho tiack nothing will turn them aside fiom their piey. They have one nieiit however, they will soon cleai a barn or stackyard of iats. T fe.u if they aro intioduced into this island that as soon as the labbitsaro cleared out, which would not tako l»ug, <is wu ha\o not as man)* as me in tho other island, they would turn their attention to the lamh<t. l'oultiy would go to a ceitainty, foi they me paiticularly liked by both weasels and stoats 1 should, however, prefei the foimer, foi bad as they aio, they we not so fieice oi distinctive as the latter. They will kill «s long as they havu stiongtl) to do m>. \ v\e.isel will stop sometimes to take a iest and amuse them selves. I have seen them playing about like kittens, but T hope we will have none of the playful little things hero.T-(Own CorlOspimdout )

Mr I. S llucitliiul will hold his next Oliaupo I.ucJS o( k Saloon lucmlj) nc^t. Messrs \V. J Hunter md Co will sell at the Cambridge jArds on lhursiiiy nc\t, the l'lih msl , prime cows and liciCits (spc)ed), fat heifeib, btote rattld, dairy cows, sheep, &c On Saturda}, the 21«t uiit, they uillsrllat the Cambridv* y^rds, 40 awful hors«>., heavy draught uolti, d.f, plough) lumen, *c, &c.