The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2083, 12 November 1885, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Kqual and exact justice to all men, 01 wh.itvjevcr state or persuasion, religious or political. Here sh ill the Press the People's nijht maintain, Un.rved by influence and unlinbcdby gain.

THURSDAY, NOV. 1.2, 1885

"TriE Auckland Show would not have been worth seeing were it not for the t.it stock." .Such was the cutting commentary of a practical "Wiiikato fanner, and he is by no means singular in his opinion. We have elicited the views of numerous persons competent to pronounce on the merits of the show, and the answers are monotonously similar. The Agricultural I'Xmbition of 1885 was, in point of fact, a decided failure, (lood stock, cattle, horses, and sheep were there, to be sure, and good implements ; but, one must indeed be enthusiastic if he can bring himself yaw after year to admire the same stock, observe the blue ribbons allixed to the same horns, witness the same absence of healthy competition, and behold the unvarying display of implements, the chief portion of which are made in foreign countries. We arc bound to admit that this provincial show of ours is a gilded fraud. We speak strongly because we feel that the interests which such exhibitions are avowedly established to foster have been, ftnd are being, almost totally ignored. It is idle to suppose for a moment that the gathering of Monday last is calculated to exert any beneficial influence upon the agricultural and pastoral industries of this, province. That the show gives the townspeople of Auckland an opportunity, once a year, to observe the difference between a horse and a cow, or to put it on a little higher ground, between a Hereford and a Shorthorn, we freely confess ; but if this is the be-all and the end-all of the concern, then the same results might lie obtained at a much smaller cost. !S»'i iously, there can be no doubt that the .show as at present constituted docs not fulfil its purpose. There may be many causes to which this disl inct want of success might be ascribed. We shall deal for the present with two of the more prominent of these, in the first place it is patent that the competition is in too few hands, fn running down the list of awaids the "seehawing " carried on by a couple of exhibitors is positively piinful. In this A is first, and I> is second ; in that I> is first, and A is second, and both have a couple of entries which are '• commended," and so on and so on with iteration which the worthy Falstaff would have qualified with a very forcible adjective. In some, nay many, classes we find but one exhibitor, who may or may not take the prize. If he docs the general public goes home satisfied that they have seen a magnificent specimen of the paiticular bteed ; if no honours are awarded the public taste thinks it has been trifled with. This, howrver, is not all. Whether successful or unsuccessful, it is undeniable that so long as the big breeding companies enter into active competition the smaller fry willnot come into the lists. We should be ( i uly sorry to see the large breeders conspicuous by their absence; but such a calamity as that need not occur. fan- the honour autl {{lory of the

pro\iuce, and for the sike of their own private interests, they should bring forward their cattle, sheep and horses Libelled "not for competition." Certain classes, the champion classes for instance, might be kept open to them, but the show as a w hole should be m ide attractive to the whole agricultural and pastot ,d community. In the second place, we think the show should lie peripatetic. We do not mean that it should perambulite the whole province, but it might I) 1 held, svy, one year in the neighbourhood of Auckland, and another year in the Waikato. Jt is pleided that such exhibitions riMjuire to he in proximity to largo towns. This miy be true in the case of England, but unless it be claimed that tin* show* fire held in the interests of the townspeople, it will not hold in regard to this colony. The entrance money is an item of course that should not be lo^>t sight of, but Mere the show held in Waikato, we are inclined to think the receipts at the gates would compare not at all unfavourably with the amount taken at Ellerslie. Waikato, it must be borne in mmd, is a long way from Auckland, and though it is rapidly extending its boundaries, it is in a southerly diiection. The way is long, both for man and beast, and there are number^ of both who cannot hope to see 01 be seen in the pro\ inci.il show so long as it confines its affections to Ellerslie. Though there can be no doubt an agiicultur.il show would be a grand success, it is equally certain that unaided by our wealthier neighbours we cannot do much to bring it about. We have tried again and again to act independently, and have failed. Let us now endeavour to ell'ect a coalition. We have helped Auckland to make her show a success for years past. It is not too much to expect that she should leturn the compliment.

The usual monthly meeting of the Piako County Council will bo held at Cam budge to-day. Mr Robert Salmon writes from Auckland to *ay that ho lias not purchased Mi Seabrook's f.uin at Pukekura. Madame Rita and Mr John Radclitf, the celebiated flautnt, will appear at the Public Hall, Hamilton, on Tuesday evening next. The Cambridge R.M. Court holds it-, xi-ml fortnightly fitting tomoriow. Them h the iwu.il li^t of cixil c.i«es, but no ciinunal ca-es. On and after the 15th inst , the the Raglan mail will arrive in Hamilton on Monday and Fnd.iy at 4 l.*i p.m., and leave <»n Tue-day and Saturday at S a.m. A concert is announced to take place in tin* Town Hal), Kihikihi, to morrow evening, in aid of tin* Wesley in Clmicli budding fund. The leading amateur-, of the district have piotniscd tlieir assistance. The Waikato exhibits at the Auckland Agiicultur.il Show returned by ye-ter-day* train. Most of the Waikats vi-itois. returned by the same tiain. The train on arris al at the Fianktoii Junction consisted of '22 carnages and tiucks. It will be seen by our report of the Auckland Races that Mi Carter has again been unlucky with his hoises Alaiic. He ran a good second in the huidle r.ice, and Kewi thud in the sttkes. We wish Mr Carter better luck next time. It is likely after all that the Cambiidge Jam Factoiy will stait opeiatioin this -nason. and tempor.iry pieiui-es will be taken. The diiectoi- ,uc at present in communication with a gentleman in the South ..i to the position of nnnager. The lerpured numbei of shaies (l.jOO) have now neaily all been disposed of. The Cambridge Town Board is now ini]>iovingand fencing the Government paddock. These nnpiovenientrt were seiy uadly Wanted, the paddock l>cin£ the recreation xquare of the town. When planted, the paddock will be a most attiactive spot, and w ill show off to advantage the ceutie of the town. The mission was commenced at St. Andiuu s Church, Canibndgt 1 , yi>-tei-day afternoon, by the Rev. Mi Bodiugton. There was a biuall .ittend.mce. The iov. gentleman dehveied an unpi<'s-ive addieson Chu'stian work, and e\hoited all to exeit themselves in advancing the good work which they had commenced in th'> mission. Theie vv.u-i.ilarge attendance at last night's sci v ice. Mrs Edith O'Gorman, the "Escaped Nun," gave two leutmes yesteiday in the Oddfellows' Hall, Hamilton East, one in the ufternoon (to ladle-, only) to a respectable audience of lndic*, and one in the evening toalaige and most enthusiastic audience. A hearty vote of thanks foi her eloquent lectun* was moved by Mr H.iiuir.ond, imd passed by acclannnation by the audience. Mis Kditli O'Uorman goo-, to Cambiidge to-day, wheie -he is to lecture to-night. The usual fortnightly meeting of the Hamilton Etit Hand <»f Hopo was hold m Le^ue-no'- H.ill on Tui'-day evening last. Mi J. Coehiaue pie-ulrd. The usual progiatnme of reading-, lecitation-s etc., was gone Hnough in excellent style by tie membeis. The attend.mcc wa-. not so laige as usual on account of it not being veiy widely known that the meeting was to be held in the h.tll instead of the Piesbyteiian Chutch. We would lemiud our young temperance fi lends th it it is proposed to hold the Kind of Hope meetings in Le' v »uesuo's Hall in futuie. Mr Qeo. Edgecumbe, hon. sec. of tlio Waikato Hoiticultur.il Society, has leceived ii letter from the tecietary of the Auckland (Jaideneia' Hoitiunltui.il Society, mttm.-vtiug that the latter have obtained in the foithc>ming Indian and Colonial Exhibition in London, and will forw.ud all exhibits. Each will be labelled with tho name of the grower and the locality, and the society will undertake the packing and shipping. It will, ho\\o\oi, have been noticed that the Wailcto Society intend applying foi space at the I'Xlnbition, m ordei that the exhibits fiom tins distuct may be shown sepaiately. If the man deserves well who doubles glass, and the man who establishes a factory on the face of the eaith deserves bcttei, what does the man deserve who giopes down a thousand feet townids the eaith's In-art, and bring-, up uches? That question « ill bo answered when thoiv is xnch :i thing as Pacific petroleum in New 7a aland. At pipsent the cueigetic manager at Poverty I>ay is sanguine, though his boic is 900 ft down. Let us cultivate tho biggest bore m the country. Let us wish him evory success for public reasons. If he gets it, the name of the district will have to bo aiteied. We shall then begin to decry mil old fuend Captain Cook was a gentleman a little apt to judge exclusively by appeal ancct. — Canterbury Tune.«. The following special messages to the PreB» Association, dated London, November 10tl), have been published :— Mr Stead, who was found guilty on the charge of the abduction of the girl, Lily Armstrong, has admitted the justice of the piry's vrrdict. — Profecaor Stiong, in tho Pall Mall Ua/ette, advocates that the several Agent- (lei ieral of the colonies should be on. olhcio members of the House of Commons. The exhibiton at the Inter national Inventions Exhibition have pre--I'nted Sii Kdwaid Ciinhfte (')vien, tho secretary, with 4000 guineas, — Intelligence to hand from the Huudan states that the Ist battalion of the IJeikuhire Uegnncnt, the Cameron Highlander, and the 2nd Durham Light Infantry me now marching to the northward, and will be shoitly followed by the 2nd battalion of the K-se\ Regiment.— Tn the French Ministiy M. ; Oomot has accepted tho pmtfolm of Agricnltme, and Daiistrcsme that of Comnieic" and Fin.ince. At the fourth annual general meeting of the New Zealand Land Settlement Corri;)aiiy at Auckland on Tuodny a vfiy doleful balance sheet was submitted. Thochaiiman, Dr. Pollen, in moving the jidoptfou of t|io renoifc rcferreil ajiortlv to

the objecth which the company had in view at its foundation, which were to promote the utilisation of the native land*, to proincite sottleinent upon those lands, ami to do so by intervening, ko to any, between the purchaser and the natives, taking upon the company itself the responsibility of pro vidmg ,i land tran>fe r title, and taking upon it elf the responsibility of necuring to th« n itives thn faiiest possible price thitt could be obtained for their lands. It was right that it should be remembered that the eompiny hid not at any tune pretended to be a trading company ; its business had been the agomy of the natives ; it had never nought hi Attempted to acquire natne lands at sin til prices for tho purpose of selling ; it-i business was entirely that of native agency. The objects of the com piny were fiustiated by the (Tovernment themselves The first step taken was to obtain tho sanction of an Act of the Assembly, giving the company certain power-* whicli they had not under the articles of .association. The cry was immediately raised with respect to that Act thit the compiny was going in for native land speculation. He need not r.ay the cry was absolutely without foundation. They failed to obtain the Bill, and having failed to obtain it they failed also to secure the co operation, w hich, under the eircuinstuiccs they certainly nhaiild have had of an influential body of shareholders in England. In thn report the director* liad pointed out if not tho nctive hottihty, crtiinly the indisposition, ot the (Jovernnient to assist tho company in any way, had also tended to bring about the position of affairs which the director* reprehented ; and seeing that progress in the direction in which the company nought to go in the first instance wan barred, the duty of the directois and those interested wa», he thought, what had been indicated, viz.., to bring about a final winding up of the company's affairs as quickly and as easily as possible, having duo regard to the interests of all p irties concerned. Mi Cl.uk indicated the policy which the directors intended to pursue in winding up the company. Mr Uee-. referred to tho piouxt of his going Home in company with WiTere, foi the purpose of getting people to settle on the land. Ho hoped the directois would approve of the plan. Tho Chairman s.i id the decision the directors had come to was simply this, not to recognise the mission as ha\ ing any connection whatever with the compiny. The Co-operative Ass iciation could be supplied with a schedule of the lands of the company with prices affixed, which lands could be purchased at any time on payment of the price in cash. That was the whole extent to which the directors had gone in connection with the matter.