The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2045, 15 August 1885, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Kquil and exact justice to all mm, Ot \vli.itsop\or si itc or persuasion, religious or puhtir il. Horc sli ill iho I'rrss tin- Tropic's rinlit maintain, Unaui'il by inHiirni c anil unhnbeil by (jam.

SATUIIDA V, AUd. Jo, 188,1.

Now that the .(buses nf the oppressi\e rniJwiij t.triH h.iw been brought forcibly under the notice of the Minister for Public Works, wo hope the matter will receive some consideration at his hands. When the request to consider Mr Vaile's or any other scheme w.is made on a former occasion it was met with a point-blank jefus.il, and the Minister came out of the affair with less credit than Mr Vaile. While not entirely agreeing with the hitter gentleman on the question of the details of his scheme, we cm not but admire the energy and persistence he has displayed in endeavouring to bring about an alteration in railway management which would result in a substantial benefit to the rural communities. We agree with him that as the railways belong to the State they should not be made taxing machines. Ministeis object, as a rule, to interfere with anything that tends to increase the revenue and make their financial statements sound more pleasing to the public. Tho Depart nt has not fomeout with particularly clean hands from the recent contioversy in Auckland with legaid to the freight on Waikato potatoes. The manager stated that the rate was 13s Id per ton, but on inspection the books showed 15s, with an extra .-.hilling tacked on for unloading, or some other service. While a positive denial was given to the statement that 17s had been paid it is ns posithely asserted that it lias. Now we fail to see why potatoes cannot be taken to Auckland from To Awamutu and (J.un-

bridge for 10s per ton, instead of 16s ; the difference of six shillings a ton means to the farmer, who raises a fair ordinary crop, a sum of from thirty -six to forty-eight shillings an acre, certainly a considerable ->uin to the man who grows twenty or thirty acres. The unreasonableness of the tariff applies equally to cheese, as witness the rate from Cambridge. The Government are loud in their professions of anxiety to foster local industries, but they take very curious means of showing it. Such rates are practically prohibitive, and it is not to be wondered at that this-, with other circumstances, causes our factories to be worked at a loss. The rate on cheese, for export only, was slightly lowered, but with the stipulation that the cheese should have the foreign address upon it, and should not be consigned to an Auckland agent. Such a proviso is anything but complimentary to the directors of our factories. From the scant courtesy received from the Minister for Public Works, we may justly infer that very little will be done towards lightening the burden of taxation in this direction. Mr Mitchelson was a man of a different stamp. Though not lavish of promises, he always gave his best attention to any scheme which had the welfare of the public for its object.

Tiik scholarship evamination is over and candidates may have the fruition of hope for a month. The papers won* in striking contrast to the proposed syllabus for future scholarships, as they were exceedingly easy ; most were, however, rather too longe\ en on the standard "what a quick worker, thoroughly prepared, could about do iv the time." We would, however, caution over-sanguine scholars in prospcctn not to build too much on this easiness, as an easy paper is generally more difficult to score on than i difficult one. Certainly, if the tiiswerins; '>c in proportion to the apparent ease of the papers, the number of certificates of proficiency ought to be limited only by the number of candidates. The papers have been remarkably free from catch questions, and with one exception from such as encourage cramming. The exception is that on Literature. We thought that paraphrasing poetry was an art long 10-.t in well-merited oblivion. Even in this cold weather it gives one an extra shiver to think of Cray's Elegy reduced to the disjecta mnnhru of a teacher's paraphrase as filtered through a schoolboy's memory. The last question on the same paper would probably pu//,le the examiners themselves if they were removed from the suggestive influence of critics. We are greatly mistaken if one out ot one thousand educated men could produce a readable, not to say an intelligent or truthful, sketch of the varying characteristics of six English poets. Public opinion lias required the concealment of the personality of candidates under numbers. As this wish arose from the suspicion of felonious conduct on the part of the examiners, it would seem more appropiiate to ha\e numbered Oovi ivit her tha,u tin* examinees, lmt, while the personality of candidates may be concealed, the identity of teaching will be unmistakably revealed by the identity of answers to this question. On the whole, however, the papers are some of the most unexceptionable we have ever seen, and we congratulate examiners and examinees on them.

The English mail closes at the Hamilton F'>*t office nt 3 p.m. on Monday next.

An old man named Peter Lynch, well known in Cambridge*, was sent down t»> the Old Men's Home the other d iv. T! • unfortunate old man had of l.'tte Wen friadtully bioikin? tip under ill-he.ilth, and was also f.i>t 10->inß hii sight.

Tenders for the building of a bridge <>n the Mat.unata Cambridge rond, for the T.i0t.1010.1 Road Ho.ird, close this morning at 10 a.m., ,vt Cambridge. The boaid meet .it 11 a.m. to open tenders.

The next meeting of the Piako County Council taktw pl.icp nt Cainhridgo on Thnisday no\t, the 20th inst. Sou'ral nnpoitnnt nutters have t«> be considered, aiul a full attendance of coiincillor-i is exDuettvl.

A special telegram to the Press Association, d.ited London, August 12th, static th.it Messrs W. \V. Tickle .uid Co., iiH'ich.mts and Australian agents, ha\o become Innkrupt, with liabilities amountmp to £38,000. Their aasct-j amount to £12,(100.

Th<* Cambridge Town Board has conii to an arranjfoiiH'iit with Mr ('Lire about tin 1 renewal of his fcncn on tho Victoii.i marl, Mr Cl.ire contributing p.utof the cost, and the board carries mt tho work.

The Cambridge Cheese Factory is sending ;i consignment of three toni of cheese to Auckland, to tho order of a merchant there. Tho price, ia o\d at tlir factory Tim is coiiMderod s.itwf.ictory. The c()i»l«iny h.i-> horn favoured with .in order from the s.imo firm for .1 ton per month.

During ths month of July, no less than 34 hi*ad of c.ittle were impounded in the Cambridge Pmind. Tho \iplant ranker who brought tin* fine herd of lings within the range of the Impounding Act, gets for his services tho handsome nuni of £3 Is 3d, or the liberal allowance of In °d n head. Vnily thin inn^ei business is not at ,«11 a b.id occupation.

We understand that Mr A. Gr. Hughe-, who has taken such an .ictite part in the Lake street atl.iir, lias inntructed Mr W. M. H;»y to proceed against the Cambridge Town Hoard for paying the account for the formation (if Lake-street, a work which ho alleges was illegally carried out. We futther understand that Mr Hughes is not alone in this matter, but is backed up by other prominent ratepayers.

The following is the order paper of tlic Cambridge Parliamentary Union for Monday o veiling :— Private business; petitions ; notices of motion ; motions ; orders of the day ; Committee of Way ,md Means ; the Parliamentary Honoriirium slikl I'jivileges Act, IHK4 ; Amendment and Repeal Act, ISfd. In committee tlio Customs J)iitieH Consolidation Act Amendment Act 18S.1, second reading (Mi l)ew-,bnry.)

The chairman of the Cambridge Town IWid wired ye-.tfid.iy t<» Mr «J. H. Why to at Wellington, uiqniimg whethor any fiuthpr action had been taken ro the Municipal Cniporntioiis Bill, 1885, a copy of which wii-i leceived lately. The board in anxiously waiting for the p.i'.-.ing of thin measure in mow of thn undertaking of certain impoitant local woiks which have already been referred to in thebo columns.

It appears that the information we leccived, as reported in our U*ut> of N.iturd.iy last, that Mr J. J. O'Brion \\.\h thn imcceHsful tenderor for the Porotmau tunnel on the North Inland Trunk Kuilway wai }>rem.ittirf. We lioar it now on rolublo nuthority th.it tho mattor whh only nrttlcd with the Government on Tuesday last. Mr

OBrien is the successful man, the price ia above £ 16, 000, but how much above wo aro not authorised to utato. Wo wish Air O'Brion every miccom in hi.s undertaking.

At the Hamilton Police Court, yesterday, beforo Mr H. W. Nnrthcroft, R.M., Ponotito, To Keroama, Tv Whenua, .md other natives were charged with m.ilaciously injuring a bridge, tho proporty of the Rotorua R.ulway Cmnpany, im tho (sth inst. According to arrangement, n<i evidence w.is offeied, and accu«ed were accordingly di^cli.irged. Tho c.a»o against Mr Fa) lon for assaulting 3 native by pushing him off tho bridge was w ithdrawn. Mr \V. M. Hay appeared for Mr F.illon in both ca^ev

The next meeting of the Hamilton Legi«Liti\e Association will b<* hold on Tuesday, the 18th in^t. It is understood that the \otc of wnnt-of confidence will bo withdrawn, the leader of the Opposition explaining why. We are glad to see that a practical nte|> has been taken by a prominent member of the Opposition, in moving for a committee to enquire into the insect and fungus growth, which are proving such a nuisance to farmers and horticulturists.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Piako County Council will be held at Cambridge on Thursday afternoon. The principal business will be the striking of a general county r.ite, or at least tho discussion of a motion to that effect. According to the piocreding*. of List meeting, there should bo no opposition to the proposal, as the majority of the members, including those who have previously opposed it, have expressed their willingness to vote for it. It has been stated th.it Mr Halcomlw, of the Thames Valley Land Settlement Company, w ill attend the meeting on Thursday and lodge a protest against the sti iking of a r.ite, which means about JJfiOO to the company which he repreacntn.

It is possible that as the proposal to «tart a cheese factory at Cambridge Werft has fallen through for the present, that a buttor factory w ill bo started instead. At least we h,i\c every reason to belie vo that a proposal will .shortly be .submitted to that effect, and that a Miflicient amount of support will be foithcoming lociillv to ensure, success.. The capital necessary to start a hr.st class butter factory is conipnra thely small, and judging from the recent canvass, could easily be obtained without going out of the distnct. The price winch first-class butter is now bringing in tho Sydney market is n sufficient guarantee that such an indu>tiy would succeed admirably, and pay both the shareholders and tho milk cuppbers handsomely. Really first class butter is at present fetching lSd a pound in Sydney, and there is an unlimited market there for New Zealand. Thi" is a matter which should excite tho immediate attention and consideration of tho fannera of the Pnkeknra district.