THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2111, 19 January 1886, Page 2

THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever ftatfl or persuasion, religious or political. Hero shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain.

$\TEEBgAY,jJAfJ9 t 1886.

flSaßylinei taken by thai Minister for Public Works here and elsewhere recently in replying' to X, deputations, imperatively calls for some comment 4 £i!om. 7 us;-*'" Formally at,' Onehunga and Te Awamutu, and .indeed in many other places, in reply „ to deputations, he. said' that but ior /^jfcheaction of /tbe- Opposition, their mig!it J haye^been granted., 'Informally, and' in .a "conversational way, he' did sb; 1 ; also at Cambridge, when • the necessity of a more substantial building for a courthouse, was pointed out to him. Afterwards, when a deputation formally waited upon him, it is true that he7did. not repeat .this reply. We do not khow ( why he 'refrained from doing so, but we have a lingering hope that a sense of what he owed to his position as a, Minister of the Crown, if not to himself prevented him. jfrom again referring to s the mos,t episode which has ever occurred in the^ history of New Zealand politics, ' "Hz., a Government ' submitting? - humbly „to the dictation of. the Opposition*/ and allowing iheir ! Estimates ,to be ruthlessly r cut down without resigning office. 1 We have said that we hope this was the reason, but we confess the hope is but a faint one, when we remember how often the same reply has been given. What the Opposition did was simply this : They said the Estimates must 'be kept within the amount of cash in hand, so as to do away with the necessity for a new loan. To carry this intention out, reductions were made in certain specified works, and these reductions were regulated in amouut by the Minister for Public Works himself. The votes, however, for the ordinary administration of the Government were left intact. It is, therefore, manifestly absurd, even if it were not undignified, for a Minister, when asked to supply suitable aci* coznmodation for the administration of justice, to plead " the action of the Opposition in, cutting down the , Estimates." If any deputation had been foolish enough, Headed by their Representative, to a*k frtf the i prosecution of any work mjsmtioh'ed in the list,,of reductions, ttienjjie reply might have been reasonable^ 1 whatever might be thought of ment who wore reduced jp sacjha, strait 'as to' give it, Besides, how. '■dbetfahch^ reply- accord 'with tb© faotthat^hey-are- now erecting' a* traffic bridge at' Ashburton aij a cost of im thwMndawwk or ihto*

abouls alongside of a combined railway and traffic bridge. The " action of the Opposition " is apparently not felt in thm^^vx^^Q Crust thaUmef&eaiftafl of the Mjniai4 try willj ,if\not ow of respect to" themselves, .at least from regard to. the posiEioris" which' they occupy^ refrain in the future from a line of conduct which must inevitably deCfrarle Parliament in the eyes of the people.

We hear it rumoured in many quarters, and it has also been stated publicly by one Minister, that in all probability a dissolution will be asked for before the House meets. Of- course we cannot tell whether ,this is another of those " feelers " of wh^cli the Government appear to he, sp^fond or not. We see also that two other Ministers throw Joubt upon this rumour. We are, irowever, getting used to that sort »f thing. Did we not, for instance, not very long ago, see Ministers in Wellington denying all knowledge of the proposal to misappropriate the North Island Trunk Railway loan, while two of their colleagues were openly discussing it on public platforms % That was evidently a feeler, and having served its purpose it has now sunk out of sight, as this, ' in all probability, will also. As it has, however, gone forth with some authority it is deserving of some consideration. We ' have, of course, very little doubt tljat a dissolution might be ashed for if a^feply in the negative (and we oiTth'e whole think that 3uch it would be) were certain. The Government could then say : We had no unworthy desire to retain office a day longer than was necessary without a working majority of staunch supporters at our back. We did our best to save 'the colony the cost of two sessions, but we were not permitted. This no doubt would be a good card to play were it not attended with so much risk. It is no doubt always dangerous for a Constitutional Governor to refuse to act upon the advice of his Ministers. Still all that could be advanced in its favour, would be that the state of parties was such that the Government could not reasonably hope to be able to do any useful work, and that an early dissolution was inevitable. To. this^ . the; Governor; might (we dp: not say it is probable, but he mighty say : "Why don't you resign then 1 ' The present House is not yet ' exhausted." Even if he did not go this length, surely he could reasonably ask : "In what respect has the,, position changed since last session ? Why did you not resign then ? "What has become of the majority which you claimed to possess then, and to which, the Premier has alluded in his speeches since?. Then, what are you goin^ to the country on ? What is your policy? Have you declared it, or if > you do declare it what proof have you that the present House will reject it V* Yes, this step is a very risky one, and we hardly think i\ wili be taken. Mean- ; while^the* threat may perhaps have the effect of frightening some straying sheep back into the fold. Per-, haps some of the weak-kneed ones whose seats are shaky may send in protests against being deprived so cruelly of the.fruits of last election in the shape of a third session, and j these protests may be accompanied by promises of support. Whether thisbethe^effect.bfit, whether this^ was-,theJintention of it, whether on the contrary it be wholly bona Jide, and however desirable it may be to save the country the cost of two sessions, we fail to see how a dissolution < can be brought about constitutionally without a previous meeting of Parliament. r l hen only can the Government policy be properly laid before the House, debated, and if rejected referred to the constituencies for ttie'ir decision. &

'It will be' seen from some remarks dropped by the Minister of Public Works at Hamilton, yesterday, that the Government purpose opening the Rotorua and Aroha railways about the first of March next, that is, immediately on the expiration of , the contract time. We believe that had an effort been mode the latter line might have been' thrown open to the public at a much earlier date, a proceeding which would have conferred a great boon on the travelling public, and those who long to avail themselves of the healing' effects' of' the -thermal springs. JETowever, -.the Government have cliißseri 'their bwri time 'and we must •wait. Meantime it strikes us as not a little . singular that, tenders have not been called for. This is a matter which ought to be attended to without loss of time.

The Cambridge Jam Company advertise they are prepared to give from 2d to 3d per lb. for good plums.

A. gentleman just returned from up-country declares that Lichfield is the only green-looking spot in the' whole country.

The aspect of the weather has changed again. It is now a* dry and hot as it wus before the light showers of a few days ago. Rain has fallen copiously in other parts of the island.

Messrs S. Bond and W- Thomson have been nominated to fill the vacancy in the Kihikihi Town Board. The poll will be taken at the Town Hall, on Saturday next, the 23rd inst.

A grand concert by members of the Hamilton Orpheus Glee Club and others will be given at the Public Hall, Cambridge, to-morrow evening, in aid of S. Andrew's Parsonage repairs.''

Mrs Buckland, fruiterer, of Dukestreet, Cambridge, has in her window, some fine specimens of the Bright Yellow conking apple, grown by Mr, Thos. Wells. "They nave avery delicate 'tint, are well shaped, and make a good show fruit.

The manager of the Cambridge Jiiri Company is now receiving supplies of plums, and anticipates turning out a great ■number of tins of this fruit. 1 The settlers, us a rule,"~are satisfied with -the prices -'given.! ';'■*•* " , j

A. correspondent at Raglan writes; : —Showers have fallen in various parts of the district, but in others none whatever, and crops are suffering in consequence. The Maoris predict no rain till the month of March, Edwin notwithstanding.

,'" T&&* ** Wai l general * meetim* of Hamilton Public

Library, for the purpoie of receiving the nmfiuri icpqrt "and baljince^heefc and electing a cniiimitt&f of management, will be held in the Public Hall on Friday night, ' iinmefdiafcelytofterthVm&etihpr in reference , "ti> tW*6ftnd iywtrunwntdT- All interested in I tho'ihstitution are invited to attend. I

A meeting of the Hamilton Cemetries Trust was held last night. ' l'refent: -Messrs Graham, (Chairman). Scott, Edgecombe, Sandes, and Tippen. Mr Sandes submitted plans &c, for draining the Hamilton West cemetery, and the clerk was authorised to call for tenders for the work, the. same to be considered at the next meeting of the trustees, on Monday, the 15th February.

An inquest on the body of the girl Marion Alford, who was drowned at Cambridge on Boxing Day, was held at Rangiriri on Saturday, before Capt. Jackson, R.M., coroner, and a jury of whom Mr Gerrand was foreman. Evidence as to the identification of the girl and the finding of the body having been taken, the jury returned * verdict of "accidentally drowned."

The following special messages to the Press Association dated London January lGfch havo been published :— The Council of the Royal Colonial Institute are urging upon the Government the necessity for modifying the present tariff on wines. — The Princess of Wales has been suffering from an attack of diptheria, but is recover-, ing.— lt is expected that an Indian cricket team will visit England during the summer.

Harvesting has now commenced along: the Hamilton-Cambridge road. At Mr John Martyn's farm, Tor View, there is a beautiful wheat crop, which is now being taken in, and which should return a big yield to the acre. The same may be said of Mr Main's crop. The oat crops, notwithstanding the drought, are looking first class, and should turn out unexpectedly well.

Messrs Lewis and Simpson's fourliorse waggon made a very fast trip to Taupo the other day. The load consisted of 30cwt. of general merchandise, and the trip from Cambridge was made m two and a-half days. The team was driven by Mr Medhurst. Carting by Cambridge to Taupo is cheaper by 25s a-ton than it is by Tauranga, and merchants and others consigning goods to the interior would do well to take this matter into consideration.

The foot race between D. Craig, of Cambridge, and Julian, of Kihikihi, took place on the racecourse on Saturday, and was very closely contested. The distance was 300 yards, with ten hurdles 3£ feet high, and the stakes were £15. Julian led over; the first hurdle, but Craig was close on him, and at the last three hurdles they went over together, Julian coming, in a winner by a yard and a half. There \vos> large number of the friends and admirers of the two contestants on the ground.

The "soi-disant" detective Louis Meyer, a young man about 18 or 19 years of age, was brought up at the Hamilton Police Court on Saturday, before Mr John Knox, J.P., charged with obtaining money and goods by means of false representations from the proprietors of the Taupiri Hotel and the Commercial Hotel, Hamilton. The particulars of Meyer's adventures' were published in our issue of Satuiday. Prisoner pleaded guilty, and said he was ignorant of the law. He seemed to be very penitent. JMr Knox commented on , the serious natiire of f the offence, and sentenced the prisoner to one ■ months' imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to run concurrently.

An adjourned meeting of the Hamilton Domain Board was held last night. Present : Messrs- Graham (chairman), Edgecumbe, Tippen, Scott, and Sandes. The Te Awamutu Town Board forwarded £2 2s as a subscription in aid of pisciculture. It was resolved to procure a reference map of the borough, showing in colours the endowments, reserves, Crown and domain lands, private lands, &c, &c. Mr Sandes was authorised to get an estimate of the cost, and report at the next meeting on Thursday. Mr W. Davis applied for .an improving lease of the 20-acre reserve abutting on the Lake, and known as the park reserve. Consideration of the application was deferred until Thursday. A few accounts were passed for payment, and the board adjourned.

A public meeting of the burgesses of Hamilton is called for Friday evening next, at the Public Hall, to decide what shall be done with the band instruments now held in trust by the borough council. ' An offer for their purchase has been made by the Huntly people", and the council are anxious to ascertain the opinion of the ratepayers. It is to be hoped that' tKe people of Hamilton will not part' with the instruments, twenty-two in number, but on the contrary make ,a determined effort to resuscitate the band. There must be a number of young men in the town able and willing to enrol themselves as bandsmen and so revive an institution which at one time was a source of great pleasure to the inhabitants. \Ve trust that the outcome of the meeting on Friday will be the reorganisation of the Hamilton band.

An Auckland, settler offers a prize of £20 for the best essay on the following subjects :— The relative expenditure as between Auckland province and the rest of New Zealand during the last 45 year 1 ?. Also as to the fairness of the proposed distribution of Sir J. Vogel's big loan, and the set-off offered by; him to Auckland to balance Southern advances. -The essay should not exceed 64 pages demy "octavo, and should be sent to the Herald office for the gentleman offering the prize, on or before the Ist March next. It must be accompanied by an enclosed sealed envelope, containing the name and address of the writer, and a motto attached to the essay, and also the same motto on the face of the sealed envelope. The right is. reserved of withdrawing s the prize if none of the essays are found to possess absolute merit. All essays shall become the property of the gentleman giving the prize, who reserves the 'right of publishing them, and no essay can be returned.— Herald.

The Maungatautari sub-divisipn ; 'case still proceeds slowly in the Native Lands Court." The whole of Saturday's sitting was taken up with a continuation of the cross-examination by Haimoua Patara, who is conducting the case for the Ngatibaua, of Tumuhuia, the leading witness brought forward by Te Wliitu, on behalf of the Ngatihorua. The Judge asked Haimonairhewas yet done with the witness,' as he appeared to be traversing the same grounds already travelled over at a former court. Haunona said he had not nearly finished with him yet, and be was adopting this line of cross-examination jn order to thoroughly put to the proof $be truthfulness of the witness. Haimona's questions seem of a searching character and aim at th genealogies, with the life, death and burial, of the chiefs of the opposing hapu. Tumuhuia, however, appears equal to the trialand displays great retentiveness of memory. In the Native Lands Court yesterday, Haimona Pativra oonoluded his cross-exami-nation of Tumubnia te Wliitu for the Ngatihorua. He said he would bB ready with his other witnessess to-day. Judge GUI stated he thought the sittings, would terminate about Thursday next.

On Saturday the 16th an election to fill an extraordinary vacancy in the Whaingaroa Highway Board took place in the school-house Waifcetuna, there being two candidates, Messrs W. H. Wallis and J. C. King. A show of hands was taken and resulted in the election of Mr J. C. King. Mr Wm, P. Cogswell was returning officer. The board held a meeting immediately after the election and elected Mr J. K. McDonald permanent chairman, who returned thanks for the honour conferred. Tenders were opened for the making of a much needed piece of road between the crossing of the Waitetuna river and Mr Cogswell's place, leading on towards the hot springs (which, by the way, only want to be seen and known to be appreciated, as there is more hot water flowing from the springs in one day that does at Te Aroha in a fortnight, and it is believed to be more impregnated with sulphur.) The lowest tender, by Karaka Maketu, for £14 was accepted, the highest' being £24 10s. Application wan alto to be again made for a reserve of 2000 acres round the Hot Springs as an educational endowment J alio a further" application for the share of the subsidy promised by Government to the district, and other matters of interest to the district discussed. —(A Correspondent.) -

The insinuating nature of the roots of the willow was exemplified in a rather unpleasant way yesterday. It is well-known thai the main drain which runs down Grantham-street, Hamilton, from the Po3t-office corner in "Victoria-street, has not for a long, time been so orient as it was thought, from the size of the pipes Je^Jjng put pf t&« gatty-fyoic,^ oqghk to have been, Aitej? a heavy dJNfnpqur tne water usually backfld up the drain and fiwjuflntty overflowed i» fjpnt of Mr R;

Sanden's premises, doing at times considerable damage. In view of approaching rain the borough council at the last meeting authorised the chti'irman of the works committee, Cr. Tippet), to have the, drain thoroughly examined. The work was commenced yesterday, and it wu found that the pipes for the whole length of the ground opened, some 10 or 12 feet were completely choked with willow roots, ho much so that they could not possibly have carried off the next rain. It is feared that the pipes for a considerable distance will have to be raised, as the roots have to be cut out piecemeal. The job will cost a large sum of money, becauso in relaying the pipes, care will have to be taken that the joints are properly cemented.

The Oamaru Mail of the sth inst. has the following : — The Premier met the natives at Waitaki South — Waitaha— yesterday, in accordance with a promisp h6 had given during the session to delegates that visited Wellington in reference to their land claims. There were about 100 Maoris present, amongst whom were visitors from Otogo Heads, Moeraki, Waimate, and other places. Two or three chiefs spoke, and stated that they* wished that the claims made by Te Maiharoa recognised. The land claimed by him was the land lying west from Ashburton to Mangatua (Taieri)— constituting an area of about a million and a half acres. "Mr , Stout said that there was no use in the '" Maoris preferring any such request, as it would never be listened to. The petition that they had presented to Parliament had been carefully considered by the Native Committee during last session and they had found that the land had been included in the deed of purchase of the Middle Island. What they should do was to appoint a Committee from amongst themselves, make a list of the people, and also of the lands that thay now held, and, if it were seen they had not sufficient land on which to subsist, then he had no doubt that Parliament would favourably consider any reasonable request for further reserves. He urged them also to avail themselves of the educational system for their young and to pay attention to their health, if 'wished their race preserved. The Maoris made several speeches of welcomG* s *!ok=i the Premier for attending, and, before leaving, Mr Stout went round their reserve, and stated that he was not surprised at their being discontented with the reserve, ,asj with the exception of about five acres of land- which they had -planted with potatoes, it was all shingle. The Maoris have a very nice runanga house built of sods, nicely whitewashed inside, and well lighted and ventilated. The house was exceedingly clean and neat, with a table and chairs atone end and clean niits, on each v «de to accommodate the Maoris. Outside the runanga house there is a small garden with poppies, and other flowere growing.

Mr Larnach, the Minister of Mines, (addressed his constituents at South Dunedin on Saturday night. _ He declared himself in favour of protection and a scheme of moderate borrowing. He summarised what he believed to be the best policy fpr the country as follows :— Such practical financial reform as would bring the State expenditure within its" revenue, and thereby help to equalise the incidence of taxation ; the lessening of the present great,, cost in the conduct of education, and placing its management directly in the hands of the people; to have all classes of colonists treated alike and fairly— (applause)— strengthening and increasing the powers of local bodies, and' localising all revenue derived from direct taxation ; the systematic and energetic development of the industrial resources of the colony by assisting- indus-' tries to grow up ; settling people on the lands of the' colony unfettered by residential clauses', but to limit the holdings >in area. He had never believed in '' residential < clauses, f {though perhaps in that he was in a minority. He would favour an energetic, regular, and steady construction of railways where required, when sanctioned by Parliament after a careful consideration pf. their possible future and prospects for .revenue gathering. He would be prepared also to give a hearty support to the cause of decentralisation, so that the people might from time to time be entrusted with governing powers in their own land ; also to entrust the State with the powers, when necessary, to t*ke private lands at a valuation, whenever'the same might be wanted for settlement, and to compel owners of -land where railways went through them to hear the cost of fencing, as was the case with the main roads, and so relieve the State. He bad thought it would be very desirable that the State would not be' empowered, but compelled when called on by the district" or a borough, to purchajps at a valuation* any large holdings" wb^jsh was "desirable for settlement. As to fencing, he thought it was a wrong thing that the State could be called on to fence railways, and not the owners of the land benefited, seeing the latter had to do fencing in the case of roads. As whe had already stated he would support a loan of one million by way of experiment, to be lent to farmers at the rate of 5 per cent, for their relief, and also a similar sum to counties and road boards. He would be in • favour of encouraging manufactures and local industries by legitimate means,and by liberal fostering care, and more assistance should be given toward developing, improving, and strengthening the mining industry. Government, so far as the funds placed at their disposal would permit, had done all they could to develop mining. Lately I they had been successful, thanks to the Native Minister in getting some portion of the King Country opened, and he (Mr Larnach) believed that before long favourabie reports wonld be received from that ' direction. So long as he had the honour of holding the portfolio of Mines, he would do all he cojild in the directijm, dftgiving assistance towards developing mining. He would support the non-political management of, the railways of the colony bjr a board for each Island. He was satisfied that were the railways worked as a commercial enterprise, better results would be obtained than at present.