The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2102, 29 December 1885, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Kqu.il and exact justice to all men, Ot whitsoever state or persuasion, religious or political Here shnll the Press the People's nijht maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by Rain.

TUESDAY, DEC. 20, 1885

A dance in aid of the hall funds will be held at the Hukanui H.ill, on New Year's Night, Ist January.

Commander Edwin wired at 1.16 p.m. yosteiday: — Indications strong wind between north and east and smith-east, with ghi-ss falling and stiong indications for rain.

An election to fill the vacancy in the Waiju County Council, c.uned by the resignation of Mr W. If. ({race, will be held on ThuMclay, the 14th January. Nomination will bo received at the Public Hall Te AWiUnutu. on the 7th at noun.

We beg to call attention to an advertisement notifying a meeting of the Hamilton Sports Committee for this evening at the Commercial Hotel, when all accounts must be presented.

A Christmas tree will be exhibited in tho Public H.ill, Kihikihi, on Now Ye.ir'-i Eve, the 31st in^t. Pri/us will bo |)re<>eiited by tho Roy. E. J. Phillips, who at 7 p in. will preach a faiewell sunnon in the Kihikihi Church.

The Roman Catholic concert at Kihikihi on Wednesday evening i« looked forward to with grc.it mteiest. The piogranuni' is most attractive, as in addition to an excellent heloction of local talent, that well-known star, Miss Swarm, aud other Auckland \ ocilista will take part in it.

The fire which has been raging in the Kukuhia swamp for the past week, threatens to do gieat damage. The road leading to the Rukuhia railway station is <>n hr<\ and despite the strenuous efforts <>f the road boaid authorities, the mischief still piuceedn. So far we have heard of no damage to the railway line.

Admiral Tryon, accompanied by Sir George Whitniore, armed at Cambridge by special tram on Sunday morning en route to Rotorua. The party, .after a short sojourn at the National Hotel, took th'sir departure for the Hot Lakes in one of Mr Carter's Htylish carnage?. Mr Carter himself took the wins.

A fire broke out yesterday morning at Mr McKonzic'H residence on Sydney Square, Hamilton, which would have resulted in the total destruction of the hou'-e hut for the presence of mind amJ prompt arti'>n of Mr Chas. H.ill, who rushed over to the plticn and stopped the conflagration in its initiation by the judicious application of a few buckets of watei.

Over £30 was taken in gate money at the Cambridge .athletic sports on (Saturday. This alone at Is a bead represents fiOO people. A l.irjfo nnnibor wore admitted on subscribers' tickets, whilst others of the juvenile fraternity admitted themselves by a hole in the fence. A similar amount was taken at the Hamilton sports yesterday.

On Christmas Day the usual spivice* wero held in the Anglican and Rinnan Catholic Churches throughout the district. Many of the sacred edifices were tastefully decorated with flowers and uveiprpenti. At the 8 o'clock service at H. Peter's Hamilton, there were about forty, and at the eleven o'clock service over thiity communicant**.

A man named James Donnelly was charged on remand at the Hamilton Police Court yenterday, %vith the laiccucy of Home towel Hand other hi tides from the Waikato Hotel. The piisoner pleaded that he was drunk, and in consideration of its being thu fistive season, Mr Northcroft let him off with a caution. A fust offender charged with drunkenness was dealt with in a similarly lenient manner.

Mr John Runciman, of Broadmeadows, has pot some remarkable gooseberry trees. Some time ago we recorded the fact that Mr KtinciitMn bad pulled from one treo in his u uden 401bs of bcines in fifteen minutes. This to many seemed incredible, but what will these people say now when they hear that Mr Runciman has taken from one tree this season nearly 501bs of bernea. This i« an encouraging piospect for the jam factory.

Nothing has transpired to throw light on the Churchill mystery. It wan conjectured at first that the body of the muidercd man was that of one Jimmy Dunbar, but the latter's mates decline that he had bla-jk, not san'ty h.iir. It is now believed to bo that of a man known an Paddy Claike, who vva» last seen at Cambridge some hix weeks ago. Mr Kirkwood Hiiya the description published in oui columns correnpntidi very closely with that of Clarke, who was an old soldier, and had loitttfmgerand some teeth in action.

when Mr Taylor, who accompanied Professor Bliick through Waikato a few clays ago, was taken up to Rotorua to admiro tho unrivalled sights in the Hot Lake District, tho Wonderland did not Heein to impress him at all favourably, or e\cito his admiiation. He nimply looked nt this place, and nuked hi* friend and guide, "What the dovil do you call this? or wlnt under heaven did yon bung mo licio 'ii -tci ? Do you call this tho Wonder-h-d .f M>) Pacific? Bah!" And, i.lmtiiii\ti ly refiiriing to go any fiirthcr,ho turned 1' h V, fb i 'it, \pnt to his disappointment in toiin- tiulj uiimeasured and polite.

Mr Patrick Murphy was lodged in tho Cambiidge lock-up on Saturday night by Constable Brennau under soinowliat peculiar circiunstancPH. It Heenw chat Mr and Mr« Murphy have not been getting on very well together of late. For some reason, best known to himself, Mr Murphy turned tho key on tho partner of his joys and soitowh on Friday night, and Mn Murphy, either by way of disapproval or with the laudablo object of giving her husband plenty of fresh air, proceeded to storm tli3 citadel by smashing the window*. Seasonable compliments 1 were exchanged through the nurtures in | tho hlhhk, to the great edification and enter-

tainment of tha neighbourhood. Mrs Murphy .sought the advice of Constable Brennan, who, being tired of such complaints, recommended * separation an the only satisfactory solution of the difficult)'. Of this advice Mrs Murphy appiised Patrick. About 12 o'clock on Saturday night Patrick called upon the constable at his private residence and questioned him as t > the separation business. Not being •« tiified with wh.it he considered Mr I'n'iin.vn's unnecessary interference lie " lot fly," linking an impression on the constable's mouth. Mr Muiphy hud e\i'lently made a mistake, but wn«« unable to rectify it before Mr Bivnnan, singlehanded, had him lodged in the lock-up, whoie with a swollen but softened head, "l >re bones, and a penitent heart, he ru->ti-Cited till vi'steid.iy morning. Air Muiphy was bi ought befoit) Majoi Wilson and Mr KuHsell yesterday inoining, and ordered to p»v a fine of £.""> and costs 225, or get a month's impiisoument.

The drawing of prizes of the art union m ai'J of Sfc Mary's Monastery was held in the Oddfellow's Hall, Hamilton, ye-teiday, December 28th. The prizes were tastefully displayed on a stall prc«ided o\or l>y Me-idunps Gelling, 7j. Cussen, W. Chitty, and Miss M. Chitty. The refre-hment stall, which occupied the othei side of the lull, was conducted by Mrs O'Den and the Misses Knppner, E. G.ibsidy, S. Clavkin, and F. Chitty. All the ladies mentioned worked most assiduously, and were rewatded by seeing the hall well thronged, and the many tempting articles offered to the eye and palate thoroughly appreciated by their numerous patrons. The drawing of pi lzes was under the superintendence of the Rev. Father Fox and Major Jackson. In another column will be found a list of the winning numbers. The holder* of lucky tickets are i eque^ted to send to the Convent for their prizes. During the afternoon the Rev. Father Fox, in a most warm and hearty >ppech, thanked Miss Mary Chitty on be'nlf of the congiegation for her voluntary MT\ices as organist during a period of rnori> than three years, and wished her God speed in her new home, at the samo time presenting her with a purse of sovereigns as ,i small tokon of the love and esteem of her iri.my friends. Her brother, in returning i thanks for her, said the duty had been a pleasure, and that she trusted her successor would meet with the samo kindly interest and assistance as had been accorded to her. \Ve an 1 not in a position to «tate the exact financial result, but it is believed it will far exceed the most sanguine expectations.

The following special messages to the Press Association, dated London, December 13rd and 26th have been published :— lt is reported th.it Mr Murray Smith, Agent-General for Victoria, will return to Amtral ia before the opening of the Colonial and Indian Exhibition, instead of in October, as at first .11 ranged. Mr Berry will micceed Mr Smith.— The cable companies have completed arrangements with Great Butain re the proposed reduction in cable charges. They are now submitting the question of reduced rates on Press messages to the foreign Powers, but no serious difficulty is expected in satisfactorily arranging the charges. — Tho lion. A. ■J. Mundella has agreed to serve on the ComtnisMon. — The wheat quo 1 tations are unchanged. The caigo by the Alastur hag., been Mold at 31s 9d.— Mr Fnrstor oppos.es the establishment of an Irish Parliament. Mr GlacUtone has stated that he will support any adequate I Go\ eminent measure that may bo brought I forwaid for the settlement of affairs in Ireland.— The Postmaster - General and First Lord of the Treasury have approved of the proposals of Mr It. C. Baber, of South Australia, for a federal mail service I to the colonies, and tenders will, it is understood, shortly be invited.— Sir Frederick Napier Broumn, Governor of Western Australia, has not been allowed to bend a delegate from that colony to attend the Federal Council which \a to bo held at Hobart.

A meeting of the united school committees in the district of Raglan was held m the schoolroom at To Mnta on Monday, the 2L,t msr., Mi W. H. Walhs, J.F., in tlic eh.iii, to consider tho ciicul.ir from the 13oird of Education in referenco to reducing' from full to half-time all tho -chools hpie. As tho leavms given by the boaid were that by no doing linger salaries could be paid and theiofore better teachers obtained, it was the unanimous opinion of all present that tho countiy di^tiicts had been ataived in the matter of education long enough, and that to allow such atai vatiod to pioceed still further without protest was not to be for a moment entertained ; and, in endeavouring to show how matters might bo made a little more equal, the following resolutions were carried nem. con., the committee being of opinion that on their adoption sittletnftnt in the country districts would extend, it being a wellknown fact that hundreds of families have ncved from the conntiy into the towns, in order that the children might get the benefits of the schools and teachers thero only obtainable : Ist. That if the Board of Education wish to economise, the salaries of inspectors and teachers, whoso Halaiien evceed £l") 0 per annum, be reduced by 25 per cent. 2nd. That in older to balance matteis in town and country, tho capitation grant to town schools bo reduced 2> per cent, .and bo increased hy the same amount in country schools. 3ul. That the united I committees enter a protest against halftime schools under any ciicmnstances. 4th. That the examination of schools be conducted by piepared papers, under the ision of the chairman and some members of committees instead of ,as at present by inspector, thereby saving a laige sum annually. sth. That the lesolutions as passed be forwaided by the chairman to the Board of Education. A vote of thanks to the chaiinidii concluded the meeting.