The Waikato Times THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1977, 10 March 1885, Page 2

The Waikato Times THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

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TUESDA }', MA RCII JO, 1880

It is by no means an unusual thing for contractor in this district, who tender forwoik under our local bodies, to expcicnce a very material loss instead of a gain over their contracts. Indeed, thia condition of things has become quite notorious of late. Iv some cases the local body for w hich the work has been done is applied to to make {rood the deficiency on the ground that the fault was not that of the contractors, but cither of the board, or more likely the board's servant, the engineer. The

engineer they say gives them wiong i|Udiititics, 01 misrcpi events certain features of the conti acts, and proceeding on a wiont.' ba->is of calculation they are thereby led into aa.error for which they urn not accountable, but foi which the boaid in all fairness should be ru*pousib!e. In many cases, however, eontiacts are taken at :v rcihjulomly )o\v figure simply because woiK is sem'c and muit be had at any puce. L'os-sibly tlu unf<>i tmiUe contiactor, not having mule any allow - auces for ( ontingencies, h.is the nn-foi tune to meet with a i tin of bad w cither, and not being able to woik more tlian two or three days in the week the small piolit which lie calculated upon getting is made still sum' 'it. Of uonise the day of leckonmg must come sooner or later. Wa<»< 3 mint bo paid, hoi ses must be kept, and the deficiency as a inittei of course must fill upon somebody. Who it does fall upon is pictty generally ktioun, and neeii not lu'ie bo mentioned. The fact is quite evident that in letting these contracts tlie mdilVcience or oversight of our local bodies is notorious. A number of tenders are 1 eceived for 0 certain work, and the lowest tender is, as jv matter of course, accepted. The board or council in all Mich cases should require its engineer to foim an estimate of the work, and deal with the tenders accordingly. Should a tender be ridiculously low it ought to be rejected, and that which to the mind of tin boaid is the most reasonal le accepted, instead of, as is at present the case, allowing a man to undertake a contract at the cost either of his own ruin, or a loss to his workmen or his creditor.

Tiikre are some very talented people in the pro\ incial district at Taranaki As witness the following telegram from New Plymouth which appeared an Auckland contemporaiy on Thursday :—" An uneasy feeling exists among the settlets in the neighbomhood of Parihaka on account of the renio\ al of the Armed »'on stabul-uly to Opunake, and yesterday ti\ cor ei<c tclcgiams were sent to the Native Minister on the subject. The Maotis aie \ery hounceable, and the sittlns tear that if any of their cattle should sti ay there would be unpleasantness." This is very clevpr, but it is not by any means oiiginal. Theie is always an uneasy feeling in the breasts of people when a constabulary camp is removed fiom their neighbourhood The force hi ings so many advantage in its train, that it is not likely to be relinquished without a vigorous protest, to siy nothof a sigh, and if the M ioris did not at once become bounceable under such circumstances they would be sadly wanting in giatituc'e to their white neighl oui s Tlis Maori is in a chronic state of bounce when the military are not at hand, and Taranaki people would not have them change their disposition for a tiifle.

The Rangiaoha Licensing Bench hold then hr-t meehng yesteid iv. There was a full attendance, and Mr W, Taylor was elected chairman.

The usual annual Catholic concert and dance will be held .it the Public Hall, Cambridge, on the etenin;* of the 17th in*t. (S. Patrick's Day.)

The usual weekly meeting of the Re\. 11. K. Dowslmiys singing class .it Cambridge, an ingcd (<n this e\enmg has been postponed, owing to Mr Dewsbury'.s lecture .itTauwh.ue.

Mr H. Asher has been elected chairman of t!'e Camlnidge Town District Licen-ing Bench, and Mi John Fishei the eh.uimun of the Pukekuia Licensing Bench.

A soiree and concert in aid of the Piehbytciian Chinch, Ngnu iwnhia, will be held <m Thursday ne\t, the ll'th Hist Tea vnll be on the table at (> 30 p.m Catholic Church, to conclude with a dance.

At the Hamilton Police Court, on Satuidiy, before His Woi-hip th' 1 Mayor, James Buckley and Patrick McMahon weio clnrged with fighting in the public stieet at Hamilton Ki-t, on Thin -<day night. Pris'>n(%ir pleaded guilty, and were each fined 20-> and 10 •> (>d cists. The money was paid.

The annual race meeting and athMic spoits at Taupiii will bo held on S. Patrick's Day, the 17th uist. The programme of the e\ents will be found in another cohunn. The day's .iimiseinent will wind up with a conceit in aid of the

The first meeting of the licensing committee of tho Boiough of Hamilton, was held at the Com t hou^e, on Satin day. Piesent.—Messn, Peat, (;. White, and W. Dey. Mi W. A. (Jraham, (Mayor of Hamilton), w.h elected chaiunan.

An error occurred in the telegram sent by our correspondent detailing the handicap foi the Kilnkihi races. He tiansmitted hst for Or.ikau ui-tead of 7st 41bs, tho weight decided by the handicappers, and which the hoise will cany.

The R.MS. Australia, with the English and American mails via, 'Fiisco aimed at Auckland on Sunday. Among the through passenger-, to Sydney, was Mi (ieoige Augustus Sal.i, the well-known journalist, who his come on a twehemonths visit to the Austiahan colonies.

The Rev. Mr Dewsbury, of S. Paul-, Ca-nbiidge, will deliver his populai lectme on "Tom Hood " in the Tanwhare schoolroom this evening. The lectuier's reputation lpaves little for us to say in assui mg the settlers of the Tauwhare dis trict of the tieat which is in store for them. The attendance will, no doubt, be us large as the merit of the entertainment warrants.

The weather during the last few days ha* been veiy broken, with frequent heavy showers. Fortunately tho harvest was pretty well got in before the weather -■hanged, though :i few people who neglected to thatch their stacks will suffer for then want of foresight. Tho lain has rome very opportunely for the tm nips.

It is understood that within the hi^-t few days, Mr \V. A. Mmiay has sold his Aunandale estate, Piako, to Mr Allen, M P., for Newcaftie-under Lyne, who has lately been on a visit to this distnet. The puce paid is said to be £'<> 10s per acre. Mi Allen intends to settle his sons on the land, but Mr Muriaywill lcmain in occupation for a yeai.

A match has been arranged between the two well-known l miner-., Craig (Cambridge) and Cutler (Auckland), to come off on the 21st Apnl on the Cainbndge cricket ground. The distance is to be half a mile and the stakes £.">0 a side. A deposit of £10 has been lodged with Mr Bach, of the Royal Hotel, Hamilton, who w ill act as stakeholder.

A meeting of the sub-committee of the Hamilton Domain Board appointed to deal with tho qucsti-m of introducing huh was held last night. Concei ning the offei of tho New South Wales Zoological Society to supply Murray Cod, it was lesolvedto communicate with the vaiious local bodies in tho Waikato and Thames distncts, and also with Mr J. C. Firth ( nd)and Mr John Brooks (Churchill), askniflr their co-operation. In this way it was considered practicable t<> obtain a laigo consignment of the fish.

The usual monthly meeting of the Hamilton Road Board, was held on Saturday, 7th nit-t. Piesent:—Messrs Atkinson, (chamnan), Way and E\olby. Mr lingers applied for au extension of tinio to finish Ins contract on tho Peach -grove road. The application was granted. Mr J. C. Bmwn wiote to the board asking that lepaiis to the Te Rapa load near railway ciossnig might he undertaken before tho wet weather set in. Mr Exelby was refliimted to see what work was lequiied, and to iepoit to tho next meeting of the boaid. It was reHolved that all lutes and -hiens outstanding should bo sued for. The following tenders were received for ih immg at Stoke'a bush. Casoby, J. 1"m» !)d p.'r chain ; Coombes and Tn-.trani, 1(>» per chain ; Drxon and Talbot, 11s lid, (aoeepted.)

The usual monthly meeting of tie Kinkiriroa Road Board took place mi Saturday afternoon, the 7th mat., having been adjoin nod from the previous day. Present: Mostrs Primrose (chairman) H. Steele, W. H. M. Lovell, and T, Runcimm. There wu very little business to transact, the principal thing being to receive tenders for main road maintenance. Four tenders were received and that of Mr J. Davie«, who has been working for the board for several years aa surfaceman, was accepted, tho duties to start in three weeks from date. Tho Engineer reported that the Tamahere Bridge (Mangaone creek), was in a very bad state so far as the superstructure was concerned, and he was instructed to call for tendois for putting it in a state of thorough repair throughout,

Mi Souttor wrote concerning the mad to the cattle yard* at Eureka Station, and the engineer was instructed to inspect and report as to tho work necessary to make the road practicable. Accounts amounting to abmt £"<0 woie passed for payment.

The excursion tram from Auckland to Hamilt hi on tho 17tli vist, the day mi which the Horticuitm il Show is to be hold, will, wo undeit-t uul, hi ing 1 up larere nnmber«« of people from Auckland and tho intervening st itions. The sliow promises to be tx gre it success as far as exhibits aie concerned and although too late in the season for a grand display of flowers, the fimtaud vegetable-, «hould be a treat tn see. Ou ing to tl.c admirable tiain arrangenients, settleis fiom every coiner of the distuct will be able to attend the show and return home early in the evening.

Mr Milner Stephen, the celebrated Au-.ti.ili.in healer, arrived at Hamilton on Satuiday, and, as will be seen by advertisement in another part of tins issue, can be consulted at Uaudin's Hotel, Hamilton Kast, (imly. Since his arrival Air Stephen has leceived several patients, but tho result of his treatment has not been communicated to us. In the pamphlets and fly leaves distributed by Mr Stephen, a number of \ery marvellous case* are related, and on the strength of these the "magnetic healer" will doubtless lie well patronised dining his \wt to this distnct.

A special meeting of the Hamilton Borough Council was held last night to consider an application from the prioress of S. Mary's Monastery to be exempted from tbo payment of i ate. Tho nutter was adjourned from the l,v»t ordinary meeting in older that the town clerk nu^ht communicate with the Auckland City Council 021 tho matter. A letter was now lead from the town clerk, Auckland, intimating that the Convent Schools in that city wore assessed for rates. Cr. Johnson said it appeared to him that the Monastery was a religious house and ought not to be rated, and he moved to this effect. Cr. Freai seconded this motion. Cr. Tippen moved, as .111 amendment, that the practice of the Auckland Council be followed, and the Monastery r.ited. lor the amendment there voted, Irs Woiship the Mayor, Cis. Bach (the secondei), Scott, Tippen, Dey and Stead man, and for the motion. Crs. John son and I' 1 rear. The amendment wa->there-foie cairied.

The following is the text of the report presented to the shareholders of the W.ukato Coal and Shipping Company at the annual meeting on Friday last:—Auckland, Oth Maich, IH.V>. The diiectors prosent the annual accounts to the shareholdciM, and regiet to have to say that the year's transactions ha\e not been successful. In some departments therehasb <en a profit, but the falling off of the trading business and the nver traffic has entailed a considerable less. In the year 1883 the amount received ou the tiading account was £8013 7a ; in the yeir 1884 the amount decreased to £3.">31S 14s lid. In the year IKB3 the steamers earned £*>378 <)s lOd, 'and 111 the year 1881 £3S(i3 12s lid, making a difference between the two years of no less a sum than £o!KH !)s on these two accounts only. The directors recommend that the company's business should be reduced to those branches on which .1 profit is being made, and a resolution to that effect will be proposed for your adoption. —For the Board of Directois, Vhkd. Whitvkeh, Chan man. —A resolution in accordance with the diiectors' lecommcndation was earned, and the, retiii"g dueUors, Messrs Williamson, J. A. Bradley and Green, were re elected.