COMMENTS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1978, 12 March 1885, Page 2

COMMENTS.

[\ our List issue we referred at sonn length to the fact of contractors being illowcil to take contracts under our local bodies at piices w hich, when the job is finished, not only leaves them without iinple recompense for their l.ibour. but veiy frequently heavily in debt. Many contractors undertake the work, knowing full well that the price is ridiculously low, and that somebody must lose, but as they are put in possession of a few pounds of ready cash, and perhaps it may be that their credit is improved for the time being, the fact of an ultim-itc loss is altogether a meie suboidinatc con ,i,U ration. That the boaul or council j and its engineer aie to blame for tln-> state of aff in a there can be no doubt Tenders are icceived fora work, and the lowest, whether it be ridiculous or lea sonable, is invaiiably accepted. The members of local bodies, as a mle, are all men of practical knowledge in the nnttci of road fanning, gra\ellmg, <fee ; and not only this, but they have likewise the advantage of the professional advice of then engineer, who, if a competent man, should be able to give a pretty accurate idea of what the woiU should really co'.t, and tenders ought to be accepted accord ingly. If a tender is umea-ioiubly low, and unmistakably points to a los 1 . to the tenderer, it must be evident that someone will suffer if it be accepted, and no locil body can be warranted, 2\<>n on the score of economy, in having public work done at the expense of some unsuspecting private individual. In Cambridge, of late, in stances of this culpable oversight on the pait of the local body have come to light under circumstances which fully wariant public notice. Two laige conhacts, one for formation on the Hamilton road, and the other for formation on the Victoiia load have just been finished. In each case the contractor was strikingly below the inaik ; the membeis of theboaid were convinced the woik could not be done at the ptice; notwithstanding, however, they adopted the usual couise and .accepted the lowest tender. And w hat has been the tes-ilt? The unfortunate con tractors cxpeiienced a heavy loss, and knowing they had done moie woik than they had been paid for, they niturally asked that a bonus should be given them Nor was the board blind to the fact that it had leceived more work than it was entitled to receive for the money, and though the contractors alleged that they had been misguided by the hoard's servant, the engineer, the application foi a bonus could not be entei tamed. The mctnbuts of the bo ml felt for the unfoitunate men, who on their own admission had been the \ictims of mis placed confidence, but veiy naturally refused to establish the precedent of giving bonusus to couti actors whose con tract did not turn out accoiding to e\ pectation The scene which ti msp red at Monday's meeting of the town boaid was a fitting outcome of «nch mismanagement. As might have been ex pected, the board consideiod the woik had been "scamped;" the engineer gave his ceitificatc that it was completed, to I. is entile satisfaction, though the members of the boaid and the public generally held a difTVi* nt opinion ; tlu> contractors sought a bonus of £.")0 to make good their loss, and the whole affair resulted in the unbecoming proceeding reported in our List impression. We trust, therefore, that the unpleasant expenence of the Caiubndge board, its engineer, and its contractors will afFoid a lesson to boards, engineers and contractors in other parts of the distuct.

JrnfJiVd from notices which one occasionally meets with in Southern and English papers, more than ordinary significance is attached to the sayings and doings of some of our native chiefs. A decree of importance in the affairs of the State is attributed to them, winch people possessed of a more intimate knowledge of native affairs and native people cannot well coincide with. We frequently find newspapers of considerable standing discussing the utteiances of some seventh rate aboriginal, and piognosticating senous effects fiom the most ridiculous causes Any native, whether he be chief or slave, has only to make some startling or absurd utterance respecting some matter of public interest, and his lepntation is> made. The precious words aie passed at omul with a degiee of seriousness, which not only misleads the credulous European public, but has a most pernicious effect upon the minds of the natives themselves. Indeed, what has made the native obstuictionist so persistently noisy and clamourous and unreasonable in his demands is the fact of his being treated with so much consideration, instead of being silently ignored. Tawhiao has been photogiaphed, sketched, and illustrated, he has been toasted, honoured, and cleva ted; his utterances have been carefully recorded and discussed. Ministers of the Crown have paid him homage ; tradesmen have vied with each other for his royal patronage, until they have at last sue ceeded in converting an indolent, ignorant and uncultured native into a saucy old potentate with an imaginary sway, impel vious to reason, and at times altogether unapproachable. Many othei subordinate chiefs, whom it is needless to name, have been treated in a similar manner, and with a similar, if not worse effect. Wahanui, the " leviathan " has suddenly supplanted his royal masterin the mindsof thoseoutsiders who piofess a knowledge of natives ami their aflaiis. Not long ago it was "Tawhiao has said this," and "Tawhiao will do that," "He has expressed his appioval of this step and his disapproval of the other.' Now we are told of the movements, the state of mind, and nioial attitude or Wahanui, whether he approves of certain things, or does approve of them, with the consequence that iv the course of a few months the big chief will be possessed with such a strong sense of his own impoitance that he will be altogether unapproachable even to a Minister of the Ciown Speaking of Wahanui the Anglo-New Zealauder says : --" The most interesting and significant tiling that has arisen out of the changed relations of the Europeans and aboriginals in New Z-aland is the appioaehing addition of the great Chief Wahanui to tho membership of the Legislative Council of that colony. The offer of a seat has been n. ado to him by the Government, and though he feels compelled by courtesy to his tribesmen and brother chiefs to consult with them prior to acceptance, as he appears to dosire the honour, there is every probability of his consenting." Tawhiao 's importance even in the oye of the outside woild, is declining very psiceptibly. The same journal referring to hia Majesty says :— " The " figuie head" in that solid resistance to the advance of civilisation has been Tawhiao, but tho real control of it has not been in his hands ; in fact, he and his surroundings have been staying by sufferance on tenitory owned by others, he being the symbol only of tho Maori sovereignty which has w itlun the past few years been crumbling away." The article concludes with tiie significant information that : " The real power in the " King Country" is Wahanui ; and if, along with the push*

ing foiw.ud of the ti nnk lailway tinough tin 1 eentie of that con ntiy, with his heait) consent, lie himself takes Ins pi ice as a Member of tlie Legislature, which makes laws for black ami white, it will not only We the ioi mal ami public renunciation of in isolation that lias pi.ictieally dis ippeared, but will exercise a poweiful udlueucu on the native mind." Accoid11114 to recent .icconnts from tin' Kmij ■'muitiy the sun of VValuinin's influenc. is ginduallv disappeanng below the lion/on. Hh people aie beginning to leihse that he c-innot honestly ohairpiou •lie rights of his countiymun, and In paid by the Government at the same time, md they die witlidi.iwiu<; that oonfidi 11c c with which for many years, they blindly invested him

The banks in Waikato will be closed on Tuesday next (St. I*.tuck's D.iy).

A handicap trotting match will tiki; pi ice at Hamilton East on S. PatnckV Diy, to start .it I o'clock. Entiles must be in vie with Mr A Bach nut later than 7 p m on Situiday.

No candiiates were nominated ye^teiday to fill tin 1 \ icmcy in the repie sentation of the Hamilton Riding, in tin* Wai pa County Council The proceeding will thcrefoie have to be commenced de novo.

Sir Julius Vogel has submitted a meniorandeni to the Governor for piesentation to Loid Dei by, advocating the fedeiatton of the Enipne, and the lepiesentation of the colonies in the House of Common:!.

At a meeting of the Cambridge Town Board, held yesteiday inoining, a summons was received from Mi John <}\vyniieth, Lite engineer to the li >aid, foi the amount of his account which the boaid considered exorbitint. The consideiation of the matter was defencd foi .v special meeting to-inonow morning.

Entries for the first exhibition of the Waikato Hoiticultural Society, to be held at the Public H ill, Hamilton, on S. Patrick's Day, must be foiw.nded to the lion. Secretaiy, Mi Geo. Edgecumbe, bj fmo to-morrow (Ftulay) evening. All o\ lnbits must be in the hands of the coin iinttue by ."> ]).m. Monday.

The contract for draining the Tauwhaie swamp, recently ac juired by the W.ukato Lmd Association and the Auckland Ague iltmal Company, has bjen let t(v Mr Living-tone, for tIIHOT. In another column the contractor adveitises for men. Work will be commenced to d ly. The dnnensioiH of the dram aie, 21ft at top, and 7ft at bottom.

Mr J- B. Whyto, M.H R has received a telegiam from the Minuter of Public Works, intimating that the local authorities have been instructed to proceed with the foiniation and gravelimg of the Victomroad on the east side of the Milway line. This is the woik which has foinu'd the sub)ect of so much coiiesp-m-dence between the CanihiidgeTown B urd, Mi Whyte, and the Government for some tnno past.

A very amusing typographical mistake occmred in our last issue, liy the ti.inspoMtion of a line it was ni.ide to a]>peai that at tin? c inclusion of tlu I'resbytei i.in concert, at Ngaiu iwahi i, on the 12th (to-day), the audience would adjourn to the Catholic Chinch for a d nice ' The last line belonged t> a, locil respecting 1 the Taupni conceit on the 17th in aid ot the Roman Catholic Church.

A little insect, known to fame as the "Cotton Moth," has been playing sad havoc in the cabbage gardens. The hearts of cauliflowers have been m many places scooped clean out, while the leaves of nil vai leties of the cabbage f.im'ly have buffered. Foi the benefit of tho->e afflicted with thi* hrtlo pest, we may say that a solution of Glaubci -salts spmikled ovei the plants will abite the nuisance.

The usual fortnightly meeting of tlio Presbyterian Hand of Hope was held in the chinch, Hamilton East, on Tu< -.day list, Mi J. Cochi'UK- m th" chair. Theie was a good lttend nice of adult and clnldien, the chinch biing moie than hdf filled. The following is the piogiamme : — Heading, Kdvvaid Johnson ; solo, Miss Rees ; notation, Thomas Rotliwell; loading, William Pntehard ; leiding, George Vincent; reading, John P.iscou ; dialogue, Sue (iaudin and Maggy On ; nolo, Miss E. Campbell ; recit ition, Cecilia L™'Juesiie; riddles, George Vincent; .iddress, Mr Raeburn; reading, William Andiew; loading, John Caldeiwood; recitition, Chustina Rees; address, Mr Coehiane The Band of Hope now nnmbeis (iO. Miss Campbell presided at the haiiiioniuiii.

A man named Thomas Burrows w.is chaigi'd at the Hamilton Police Court, on Tuesday, before Mr Noirhcioft, KM, with the laiceny of a pair of boots from the Waikato Land Association's stoic, at Woodlands. Evidence was given showing that accused who was temporallly engaged as a labourer on the estate took advantage of the absence of the stoieman on Monday, and got in at the window. He vras disco veied by a gentleman .staying at Woodlands, who went to the store to got a newspaper. The police at Hamilton weie communicated with, and Sergeant-Major McGovoin at once dispatched a constable to Woodland^, who. after a most exciting chase through th • lukness, ariested the prisoner. The be,i i sentenced the mm to a month's impiisonmcnt with hard labour m Mount Eden G«w>l.

The following special messages to the Piess Association, dated London, Mai eh J)th and 10th, have been published : —Loid IX'rby h is foi warded a despitch to Loid Loftiis m winch he states that he was sin prised at the quickness displayed in oig.inising the New South Wales contingent, and also the military ethoiency of the men. He also recognises the public and pnvate liberahtv shown in the mattei.— The Pall Mall *Ga/.ette btates that Eail Gianvillo has agreed that the Gciman frontier in New Guinea shall be the Bth degieo south latitude.—Sir H. Robinson coiisideis that tho Colonial Conned of Advice, suggested by Ear' Grey, to which annexation matters could bo roseired, is not retimed.—New Zealand is opposing tho introduction of the Federation Enabling Bill, on the ground that it is an interference with the autonomy of tho colonies.—New Zealand secuiities have advanced IS, owing to the conversion of Now Zealand stock. — Lord Loftus will remain m New South Wales until November.—The Oriental Bank liquidator will pay an instalment of the Victouan claims to-moirow, amounting to £220,003, and a similar amount will be paid ne\t yeir.—Thn February San Francisco mail hd.% been deliveicd in London tlnee days in advance of time-table date. — The Fiench hive leceived casualties at tho hands of the Chinese at Fuyenguyen, losing 300 men.

Speaking on the Soudan question at Wellington on Tuesday, the Defence Mini-itu (the Hon. Mr Ballance) said :— " It appeals to me that tho greatest assistance which New Zealand, or any other colony, could give to England would be to put itself in a compl-ito state of defence. I spsak only my own personal opinion. It is of little advantage to England to send her .soldiers from tho colony if the colony is left by such action completely defenceless; but if the colonies put themselves in a satisfactory state of de/ence England would bo relieved of much anxiety in respect to them, and of the burthen of a constant vigilance which entails on her a great deal of expense. Her liberty of action at a crisis would be much enhanced. There would be no use sending her men for a foreign campaign who were not trained for active service. Raw soldiers would be moio or less in the way, that is, h>ho could not use them because she could not depend upon them, and they be would requited to be officered by superior men. Such soldiers or such officers as would be required aro not to bo picked up every day in the street. There is a great deal of what is commonly called humbug in the talk we hear every day about sending men to assist England. We know some of tho persons who have applied to the Government or proffeied their assistance. Thpy are known to nuny as meio lonfeis. If the colonies weio in a complete stato of defence, England could tely noon the men they would send hei as being trained and prepared for war, ready to her hand at the light time."

Mi'ssrs Hughes, Manktclow, (sibb^ nml Wjatt are op nt ) make engagements for shearing next sons in Apply tin-, r fiire. Mr I A Lnmb. JMtfiriiiwihi.i, notifies th.it he intends to apply for a "slaughter-house license fenders are wanted for the erection uf a house at Dmgley Dell, near Cambridge. Notireofthe intention of the Piako County Council to levy a special rate in the L'aotaoroa riding will he found in another column. Messrs W. J. Hunter and Co. will sell at Cambridge on tho 10th prime cows, fat cow-, fit sheep, store cittle, d.ury cowl, Sec. On Siturdjy, the 21st., they will sell at Cajnbridge a Urge number of useful horse> of all M id>. Mr S. S. Graham advertise* a pony rum ing on bis farm at Tam»here.