The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2140, 27 March 1886, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

KaaA and intact Justicefito all men, « ? Of wha'ioevtr »t£t«s ot pertuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Press tbc People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by R«in.

SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 1886.

The Waikato County Council, a body which has initiated the agitation for several reforms, has now embarked in a forest planting and conserving crusade. At yesterday's meeting a very interesting paper on the subject, contributed by Capt. Runciman, was read and the members took up tho question with some degree of enthusiasm. There can be no doubt that the country, has gone to sleep over the; matter of its forests and wants waking up. Year after year, the work »f destruction goes on, until the total' valueof timW destroyed,' leaving out , of sight that cut for commercial purposes, must amount of scores of millions of pounds. Even in Waikato, where timber was, at no time plentiful, we have seeiiinj the old days hundreds of fine trees' lying rotting in the bushes, simply because there were too many knots showing through the bark. It is bad enough to know that this wasteful extravagance, coupled with the wanton and the accidental destruc; tion of timber, goes on daily ; bad enough to feel that, make what laws we may,- there is very little prospect of saving the indigenous timber, exr cept on Crown lands, • without having to take cognisance of the fact that very little is being done in the way of , repletion* With a few notable and honourable exceptions the people of t New Zealand seem to ignore the necessity of tree planting, and hence, -as we have said before, something ret quires to be done to arouse them to a'setise of duty in this respect. It is very much to be regretted that the old Forest Tree Planting En T couragement Act should have been repealed so hastily, because the advantages it offered were beginning to be recognised, aftc| another year might haye witnessed a wholesome change in the direction of the public mind. United- and earnest action may restore that Act, or something similar to the Statute Book. We hope, therefore^ that the ; example of the Waikato County Council wilf be speedily followed by other local bodies.

The " depression," about which w$ are all so prone to talk just now, is ' not apparently confined to any one particular portion of the globe. In New Zealand and Australia the intermittent grumblings have settled into a deep groan ; in England the distress has been deep and widely felt \ on the Continent, in Belgium, we hear what may be but the mutterings of a coming storm, or merely the souud of a passing breeze, and now the cable brings us intelligence of strikes and riots in America. Evidently the depression is übiquitous. Its presence is much more apparent than its . cause.

Light bnt welcome showers fell in and uround Cambridge on Thursday night.

Mr Watson, of Pukerimu, this week tbreahed 30, acres of .wheat, which yielded an average of 31 bushels to the *crt. . . .." ■ , . t I

Messrs W. J. Hunter and Oof he}d fheir usual monthly sale 01, boras, &ci, at tbe (Commercial, Hotel, stpbjes, Hamilton, on Thursday. There was a good Attendance and fair prices were obtained: I

. „ ,We would remind the ratramn in the various highway' dutripU that unle«i their rates are paid on or before 3wt March they will be debarred from exercujing their vote at the succeeding annual meeting.

The complimentary banguet.t) Mr J. 5. Buckland at the Cninbridrie Public. Hull on Wednesday, evening next, promises to be an affair of some magnituw ., jn|s oapafcity oj the Hallos ljkjly .tq be severely taxed on the occasion.

The Good Templttk of Cwnbridce purpose giving *n ectertaininent on the 12th prox. in aid of their lodge, j The bestlocal talent has been Moured, and we understand the Cambridge Dramatic Club, as well as the., members of the Choral Society, will assist on the occasion. ,'

1 'lflni 1 attentiotf hat Weh irawn to the state of the plunking of the Knrapiro bridge, Cambridge, which makes it dangerous forboraes.' In,m»riy places thfapuc^s have atartod out of their places, and stand up from the timbgr.x %hq purfaceinan ihou^d be nent to drive them down, and strengthen Olfie blanks more. o<T , . ' * ;

. At .^nridfty'i meeting of tK« Auckland Crow^ tends Board, Jamas Chivers applied to purchase lota 327 a and 32$ A of the tomuhip of Hamilton VfeaL Resolved that answer bet sent that lot 323 a Arai sold, and that the Board declined deal with lot 327 a.

The petition praying that Cam bridge be formed into a borough baa obtained a large number of signature!. Mr K. Howitt has it in hand at present and, with his usual energy, is securing the names of all the ratepayers and householders be comes across. We understand Mr Clements has a counter-petition, to which sereral signatures have been appended. \ <

The Railway Department has consented to place the tinned fruits atfd jams of the Cambridge Jam Company and, other similar factories under Class B instead of Class A, which will afford them * reduced scale of freights. In the new tariff 4s per ton is taken off cheese, which can now be carried to Auckland for sale tbete at the rate heretofore charged for cheeaa for export. ' , j

The Hon- the Colonial Secretary, Mr P. A. Buckley, was a passenger to Hamilton yesterday from Te Aroha. 1 He arrived by' tbe '10.35 a.m. train, and left again for Oxford en route to Rotorua. at 1.25 p*m. During his brief stay Mr Buckley made a tour of tho town and expressed himself as being greatly pleased with its appearance and evident signs of prosperity.

Daring the conversational discussion on forest tree planting at the Waikato County Council meeting yesterday, Mr Barugh said it was an old English pro. verb that "the willow would buy the horse before the ash would buy the saddle." Captain Runciman took occasion to pay a high tribute to the vafo of the prickly acacia, and several gentlemen bore testimony to the worth of the eucalyptus for posts, house-blocks, etc

, We draw the Attention of householders to the necessity of carefully tilling up the census papers on Monday morning. The papers have now been distributed by the uub-enurucr»tors, and full directions, are given with each as to the mode of procedure. Householders in the County of Pinko are informed by the chief -enumerator, Mr H. KonricK, that any left withqut

papers will bo supplied on application to the sub-enumerator, or by Mr Kenrick himself, on receipt of application by wire (free).

A meeting of tha Cambridge Football Club will be held at Kirkwood'a Hotel to-night at 7 o'clock.

The leading local cricket event of the year, tfio match between the counties of Waikato and Wnipa, will coino off to-day on Sydney Square, Hamilton. Cricket and football matches elsewhere are generally meed by the, presence of the fair &ex,tothe great nnd evident encouragement of the »la#ers. Such is not the ca«e here. The Hamilton tecretary informs us, however, that, with his usual pullantrv, he will have a number of comfortable seats reserved for Hiich ladies as will be kind enough to umile on the doughty deeds of the county champions.

We reported some time ago tnat a quartz roef was being worked by «evoral men at Haanger, and we now learn that Mr W L. (?. Williams with Mr D. Murphy have been prospecting around that counWy, Wbati-Kuraui, where extennve, quartz formation* have been found of a, true kind, Several sample* have been brought in, and both Rentlemen expreas hiffh opinioni of their apiiearance and nature. It seems that the desperate state of the times -is •timulatin^ some actmty and-<energy towards our mineral capabihtii*. which, it is to be hoped, will usher on in a brighter dawn upon the depiwsed condition of thwgrf now existing around us.

That p*rt of the HamiltonNgaruawahia road near what is known as Soldier'i Bridge require attention at the hands of the Waipa Council. The portion of road more particularly referred to is at the bend taken in the swamp a short distance past Mr Washer's. The road was always very narrow, and if only a little out of, repair it ii impossible for two vehicle* to pass. The ti-tree has also grown so high that a collision might easily take place at so sharp u bend, even^rf people were driving at only a moderate pace. The road should be widened and the scrub cleared.

An Article in the Nineteenth Century for January, by Sir Thomas BratMTj gives very tailing statistic* in proof of the efficiency oj the British navy, and the steps taken by the last Gladstone Ministry to maintain its efficiency. He points out that under that administration the building votes were increased from £3,088,000 in 1881 to £5,047,000 in 1885-86, and says " they were -mcreated became at the bidding- of the nation we entered npon a new policy. We have undertaken to provide Upon a scale never contemplated before for the protection T)f the commerce of thexjouhtry. We have resolved on a comulete re-armament of the fleet." "

Another effort. Mjr* the Mfcl-bourne-JJailr Telegraph, is about to be made to send an Australian team of riflemen Home to compete for aome of the laurels to be gained at Wimbledon. At a meeting of the Victoria Rifle Association, held at the Port Philip Club Hotel pn the 17th ult., it was decided, on the motion of Major Woods, to ask the associations of New South Wales, South Aurtralia, Queensland, and Tasmania to ascertain if their Government* would be willing to contribute towards tho cost of sending a team of twelve men to England to Mice "part in the rifle matches to be held at Wimbledon in July next, and also to a»k how many ineu each of the colonies would be prepared to send in conjunction with Victoria.

Mr'O. E Hugo, who hM gained a high, reputation throughout the colony t« a leoturer on physiognomy, delivers hia first lecture in the W«ikato on Monday next in Mr Le Quesne's Hall, Hamilton. The Press speaks very highly of Mr Hugo as a lecturer. A Southern exchange says:— "Mr Hugo, though a younff man and a native of Denmark, speaks English and several other languages with fluency. He is not only an accomplished and versatile speaker, but also a skilled artist, and his lectures are illustrated by paintings of great men' of every age and nation, all executed by him«elf, Mr Hugo is not very favourable to phrenology, but relies solely on the expression and formation of the face, hands, walk, and voice, &c." The Auckland sea* son of Mr Hugo's lectures wa<» very successful. The Herald says:— "The professor showed his skill as a draughtsman by drawing on the black-board the faces of celebrated men." Both public and private readings of character are given and charts supplied. A very pleasant day's amusement in the shape of « picnic, was given to the children of the H&rapepe and Te Rore schools on the 17th. Mr J. Hodgson, very kindly allowed thei committee the u^a, of hii garden and shrubbery, and also provided many of th« good things consumed that day br the little folks. Games of all sorts were entered into with great interest by all the little ones, races for toys, books, etc., in fact all that could be done to make thes youpgiters happy was done, and a 'plentiful; supply of good thing* in the shape of tarts, cakes, etc., was provided, to which all hands did justice, and the whole' affair passed off very successfully. I think the thanks of the parents nr* due to Mr Hodgson and family for their kmd,neu and liberality in making the affair a •complete success. Mr and Mn Cornforth, the teachers, also took a good deal of interest in the matter, and provided lots of jrood things.— (Corresponded^.,)

A. concert was held in the Freibyteriaa Church, Ngaroawahia, on Thursday erfin'vag last, in aid of the funds of the Hamilton Wesleyan Circuit, which ambraces the township of Ngaruawahia within it* miuintry. The building was comfortably fined by the time advertised for the concert to commence. A choir of about 20 voiced, from Hamilton, under the baton of Mr S. Meachem, gave several choruaea in a first-class manner, which were interspersed with duets, solos, &c. The first part of the entertainment consisted of ■acred selections, and although, of course, no appttuue succeeded, it was plainly evident that each item was fully appreciated. After an interval the second and more secular part of the entertainment was brought forward, and the efforts of all were Wry successful and' fully appreciated. At tba plow, J&the- concert, votes of thanks WewxaMea to the ladfes and gentlemen who had assisted with the singing, to the chajrnutn of the committee for the use of building ] and instrument,' and ■ the first verse of the National Anthem brought the affair to a close. The choir were subsequently ebtertainejd ai ajcold repast before leaving for Hamilton,; the spread reflecting great credit upon its promoters*. New regulations for a special settlement to be formed by the membera of the police and Armed Constabulary m lieu of those gazetted in December, were gaz#tte.d'on Wednesday last. The allotmerit* 1 are not to exceed 200 acres, and shall be held exclusively on perpetual lease. All land required by the Government for education or other public purposes will not be open for allotment Allotment of sections shall be made according to priority of .application to the Commissioner of Crown Lands, and should more than one application be made for the same sections on the same day, the right to occupy the same shall be determined by lot araongat the applicants. Every lease shall be for a term fixed so as to expire on the 80th of June which shall first ensue after the expiration ot thirty years, and shall be renewable from time to time without right to the settler to acquire the freehold. Land shall be disposed of at a rental not less than Is per acre for the first term. Each selector shall, within two years from the date of his selection, cultivate not less than one-tenth of the land, within four years one-fifth, and within six years must, in addition to the cultivation of one-fifth, have put substantial improvements of a permanent character on the land to the value of lsptracre. No persons shall be entitled to hold land under these regulations, unlafcs he shall have served at least five yean in the police or Armed Constabulary force, and shall have retired for the purpose of settling on the said land, or shall have been discharged on reduction since the first day of January, 1882, or who. witb the permiasion of the Defence Minister, is allowed to leave with the intention of settling thereou.

A meeting of the Pokekura Road Board was held at the Pukerimu school' room on Monday, the 22nd inst. Letters war© received from Messrs McLaren and Seddon rt paying cost of county grants in exchange tor land, for deviation of roads. The chairman reported he had sent the claim to tha council and they had requested the board to settle the same and to make a demand on the council for a refund. A circular was received from the Treaaurr Raying that £164 12s Bd, being 75 per cent, on £219 10s 3d, had been lodged to the board's credit. A letter was read from Mr W. H. Munro asking for three weeka longer time to finish his contact on Watson* road; also that

ho bo paid £14 14s lid on account. The secretary wan instructed to write to the Defence Minuter, drawing his attention to part of tbs old redoubt, Pukekura, lot 201), and saying that the same is dangeroun, an a large ditch id on the centre ot the roadway, and asking that the same be filled up. The following tender was accepted for maintenance of Mystery creok road for one year: — R. Norrish, £6. Tenders for Watson's road : —Watt and Kennerley, 19s 3J per chain ; draining, W. Willoughby, 12s 6d ; draining and forming, £1 Is; Wm. H. Munro, 14s 6d, draining, (accepted.) Pukerimu landing road:— J. Finnertey, £46; J. Dillon. £32 17k 6d : Kennerley and Watt, £18 5s Id ; (accepted). Redoubt road :— M. Dillon »nd Giles, (accepted), at 5s 6d forming, and lOd gravelling. The sura of £1 103 was voted to repair the bridge on redoubt road. Accounts amounting to £108 11s 5d were passed for payment.

The New York Commercial Agency has prepared some tables with regard to the condition of the workingtnen out of employment in 21 of the States, and from these (»ay The Times) it appears that while in 1880 the number of workingine employed in the different factories &c, wai 2.450,479, it is now 850,000 less, despite the great increase which has since taken place in the population of the country. The Agency has received replies to it* inqurins from 272 cotton factories, of which 36 are closed, and from 187 woollen factories, of which 55 are now closed. The woollen factories of New England have discharged 21,000 workmen, and in Lowell County, Massachusetts, there are 2300 fewer workmen employed than in 1884. In the textile industry most manufactories are only working three-quarter time, and in the State of New York alone there are 14,000 hands out of employment. WagM have fallen 20 and ev«n 25 per cent., and, according to a circular of the Fall River (Massachusetts) Weavers, the price Air a piece of cloth 25 yards long, whioh was 30 Cents in 1873, is now only 18 oents. In Canada, out of 1417 'manufactories in the province of Ontario, 72 toe either closed or working short time, 3089 workmen have been discharged, while 2470 aro working half-time. In the province of Quebec wages in the wool and cotton factories have fallen 10 per cent.

The following ipecial messages to the Preas Association, dated London, March 24th and 25th, have been published :— An engagement has been fought at Kassala between the Abyssinian troops and the Arab rebels. After a severe struggle the latter were defeated, nuny hundreds of them being killed. — Considerable sensation was caused here to-day by a soldier, who had been discharged, throwing a petition setting forth his grievances into a carriage in which Her Majesty the Queen was riding. The man wan immediately arrested.— The Sultan of Turkey shows signs of yielding to the demand of Prince Alexander of Bulgaria, in which he requests a life Governorship of Eastern' Routnelia instead of a term of five years. —It is believed that Sir William Jervois, Governor of New Zealand, will be appointed Governor of the Cape, and that Sir Wm. Robinson, Governor of South Australia, will succeed him in New Zealand.—lt is reported that the Right Rev. Erneit Wilber force, D.D., Bishep of Newcastle, will succeed Dr. Monrhouse us Bishop of Melbourne.— Baron de Lesseps states that the Panama Canal will be completed in 1889.— The English and German Governments are maturing an invitation to the French Government reque*ting thorn to refrain from establishing penal settlements in tho Pacific— Sir Alexander Stewart visited Ottawa for the purpose of negotating with the Dominion Government respecting the proposed cable to Australia. He is expected to arrive in London early in April, to fulfil his duties at the Indian and Colonial Exhibition.— The Cable Construction Company have entertained Mr Charles Dodd, PostmasterGeneral of South Australia, and the several Agents-General at a banquet.