The Waikato Times. AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1999, 30 April 1885, Page 2

The Waikato Times. AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Kqual and exact justice to all men, Ol svh.ltsoc-NCr st.ite or persuasion, religious or political. Here -.hill the Pre« the People's right maintain, Unawcd by influence and unlinbed b> gain

By dint of a judicious application of horrois, in the shape of probable Russian bombardments and so forth, the Auckland papers have succeeded in establishing a very unwholesome scare. In dull times like tlu'se, when there are no available political torn toms on which to make a noise and awake the echoes, the defence of the colony comes as a perfect godsend to the metropolitan press. But if all the twaddle written about the half-dozen pop guns which have beer, or are to be mounted for the protection of Auckland, ■was rammed down their muzzles, they would inevitably burst. Day after day gives us yard after yard of the most unutterable drivelling Not a spadeful of earth is allowed to tall to the ground without being taken account of, and not a word is permitted to drop from the inspired lips of any official of any rank that is not embalmed, like a fly, in the amber of our contemporaries' columns. We have suggestions and hint 1 ? by the score, and warnings dark and ominious confront us in every page. The ocean is alhe with Russian cruisers, all bent upon the annihilation of Auckland. Indeed, sad as it is to contemplate, the whole colony is in a state of blue funk, and the members of the Government are just as bad as our city contemporaries. The tremendous preparations for war now being nifi.le .uc out of all proportion to the d iir'ov w" ; < 1», should things come to the wor->t, threatens us. For instance, the calling out of the militia, at lea^t until wai is actually declared, is nothing but a piece of foolishness. The effect of all this is, as we have alieady said, to f 1 lghten the whole body of weakminded citizens out of their senses. Their terror has exhibited itself in vaiious ways. Not a few, whose wealth is disproportionate to their brains, have withdrawn their deposits at the banks in gold, which the y have (.ai-f-fulh buiii'd in their g'udftns, or stowed away in other places presumably inaccessible to gentlemen of the Plummet 1 cvlt. We are informed that no less than £ 10,000 was drawn out of the Savings Bank in one week, the bulk of which belonged to the timid portion oi the community. Another result of the scare is an evident tendency to migrate from the Rus&iuu- haunted fchoies

of the Waitemata to the safer regions along the binks of the Waik-ito and Waipa, where the Muscovite is not likely to come unless the food supply of the metropolis runs out. This is a de\elopment of the seue which, however, to speak frankly, has our entire and unreserved appiov.il. It is ungracious to look a gift hoise of this description in the mouth, but if we may be permitted to speak, we would respectfully suggest that our Auckland friends bring their money with them. Hiding their bullion in g.irden plots, however secluded, in Auckland, is a very risky business There are far better securities up this w.iy.

The appointment of Sir George Whitmore, K.C.M.G., to the command of the New Ze.il.uid forces is (fays the Wellington cones|>ondent of the Herald) officially announced. Tlie toims are not stated, but the salaiy is Uelie\ed ti> bj the same as that offeiedto Colonel llowitt.viz., tSOOayear. 1 ha\e heaid that the iea.son why Colonel Hewett did not receive tho appointment was that he hainpeied his .icceptance of the position with ->o many conditions that the (4o\ eminent felt themhelves deprrived of free action in dealing with him in the event of any misunderstandinß, or the mm fulrillment of their expectations. Tho aijpomtmont of Kir George Whitmoie appears to be populai, but there are those who say that notwithstanding hia soldierly quality*, the cv peuence he possesses is not the kind of e\penence in which the miliUiy dufendei of the colony in view of tin- great change in modern methods of warf.ue, stands most in need.

the benediction. There were übotit 130 poison* present, .\nd the spesiken weie frequently applmded. At the invitation ■if tho oh.iuin.m many stepped forward and j'nixvl the army at the clokc of the meeting, ,wu\ it was agieed to hold meetings fuituightly.

THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1885.