The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2204, 24 August 1886, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Kqu.il and exact justice to all men, 01 whatsoever state 01 persuasion, religious or political _ _

TUESDAY, AUG. 24, 1880.

When the Freezing Company was started it was with a flourish ot trumpets that it would largely benefit tho country settler, and tiiiaure him a fair price for his beef and mutton ; and on these grounds Waikato subscribed a very considerable portion of the company's capital. If this was really a func-

tion of the Meat Freezing Company that body lias signally failed in its mission. J£\\v Waikato settjers Jjiave^ boon blecUo <v^r^^eav/|^^fi& fas> calls, anj&to^nafela^enfFfto £*iefs this demand have Bad po joints of &u*>fat catjq of /the ,!fo^ Coa.st broiigfib into" Auckland W compote with Waikato beef. Now we have no intention to say this much simply from a feeling of grievance at tho manner in which our Waikato settlers have been treated by tho company, and for the mere sake of saying hard things in wtn'fiatimi for such neglect, but rather with 'a view*' to awakening the Kree/ing Company to action in a direction which points to certain direct profit to themselves, ancT to a very large' indirect; benefit to the graziers of Waikato. What has led to these remarks is the report of the Sydney, and Intercolonial Meat Markets of Australia, as furnished in Tlie Sydney Morning Herald of the sth instant. Nor is the Sydney market alone , fa yon rabte tg the project, but those of Melbourne , and Adelaide are equally so, showing that the high k prices quoted rule throughout Australia. Messrs Ryan and Hammond report : — In their market sales of the 1 4th inst., fat cattle, "1550 yarded, mostly medium and inferior, with a few prime ; demand l>risk', and for best descriptions an advance of ten shilling per head w,as\, obtained, others unaltered. Best beef 40s per lOOlbs; best -pen of bullocks,' £18 ; cows, £12 15s. We sold 2Q for £14; fat sheep, 1 8, 000 r y aifded, demand brisk and ' prices advanced Is- per head ; best cross-breds^ls-to 25s ; merinos, to 14s, with a { few. extra weights at 18s.' Messrs' Powers, Rutherford, and Co. ( report :—lssp: — 155p fat cat tie. yarded, with, competition keen. Sold 180 at" «£l7 5s each, lilessrs King and Co. report : — 1540 fat cattle yarded, average prime fat bullocks, £14 Is lid. At the Adelaide sales' for same day,' Elder's Wool and Produce Company report : — An adtive demand for bes£ beef at 30s , to! 35s per lOOlbs ; merino wethers, -from 11s 6d.te* 16fr .'according to quality. Now these are prices to make the mouths of Waikato settlers to water, and why should not the J^ree^ing Company assist, us, to their own profit, in securing something, if only a very moderate approach to them. ■ Compare them with our bwn local market prices, and ' it will be found that there is a vast margin between the 'two. Take for instance last' Friday's Auckland quotations, and we find prices for fat steers quoted at 18s per lOOlbs by one auctioneer, and by another tat steers from £5 to £8 2s 6d ; fat cows, from £3 10s to £5 ; wethers, from 14s to 17s each. Nor must it be said that in the case of Australian markets the meat is superior. It is only a few weeks ago since we referred to the fact - that : the Waikato Land Association had sent down a draught of prime fat beasts to the Auckland market by road, where, they arrived in tip-top condition. It is said that these cattle Were' some of the best receive^ in the Auckland market, yet they' realised ■• only JL'5 15s each,, or about 12s per lOOlbs. , Now between Australian and Auckland prices there is so great a difference, that at this season of the year, and for some little time to come, the Auckland Freezing Company has before it a considerable enterprise in purchasing fat cattle in l the Auckland markets, storing them in cooling chambers, and taking ■ advantage of the departure of every steamer to Australia to ,6<md the carcases to the local markets there. The passage to Sydney is.only one of four days, and at this season of the year the carcasss of beef halved and sewn up in canvas and hung, a sufficient height from the deck, would be rather improved than deteriorated by even a much" longer trip. For the matter of that?,' they -would be a long w,&y on their road' b qf bYe even, the frost was thawed 'out •of them. It is evident, that tlie Australian market is "inadequately supplied^ and could receive meat from outside,, without prices' being maferi-' ally affected, to an extent that would give an immense relief to our local markets in this part of New Zealand, arid enhance prices, here. For its own sake, it would have been thought, that the Freezing Company would havo seen the business opening and at ©nee have taken advantage of it. This institution seems to have gone to- sleep altogether, and to be wholly oblivious to the opportunities of trade opening up around it, and utterly unmindful of the interests of those in whose behoof the company was started. In the case, of meat quoted by auctioneers at per lOOlbs, farmers know well, and so doubtless does the freezing company, that those quotations will not boar working out by the prices obtained per head for the cattle, an 4, honce, indeed, the demand to which tho auctioneers have steadily turned a deaf ear, to have the cattte sold by live weight, as in America, when the farmer would know what ho really got per lOOlbs for his beef. But in all probability the same remarks apply to quotations in nil colonies alike, so that there need be no doubt as to' the margin between the prices here and in Australia. Indeed, as the doubt can only be as to the Australian quotations, the probability of even a larger margin than appears is evident. When we come, however, to the prices quoted at per head of cattle there can be no doubt of the margin left for profit of exportation from Auckland, £5 to £8 2s Gd for fat bullocks in the one case, and £12 15s to £18 in the other ; and in fat cows this is more noticeable still, £-3 tho top price hero, as against £12 1.3s there. As a matter of business enterprise the Auckland Freezing Company should have been in tho Australian markets bel'oro this, but it is not too late to do much even before the advent of unfavourable weather in November,

\h, is '§M&sffl/t Hall, elided wHMß^tWHnpfwpois()n his wife at Titnaru, is ftfso t» be arraigned on a chargo of 'tyb f

f«*ge|ft . 4'.>equisittan i|s being signed askj&g Mr flo^^Gwyimfeth to allow himsel&fa) bp nomiriwied twfpe fir.nt Mayor of

vJP* a^^ ej*™>n for the return of^ffiree c«itffecillfttft^Tf >r the Borough of Ifamilton will take place on Thursday, Jlth September. Thursday, the 2nd September, isjthB,<l»ytfix^ foe nominations. , „

f Tljie gloss 'receipts N>f jhe Jate* dramatic entertainment ih aid of the fiind/ of S, Mary's Church, Hamilton, amount to about £1!). Deducting the expenses, some £(>, there remains the substantial balance of <Jl3.

The current number of the jNlew Zealah'd' Farmer, published by Mr Henry Brett, Auckland, is to hand, and contains a lai go amount of matter deeply interesting to those engaged in agricultural and •^pastoral pursuits." The 1 jonf rialis taftTtiutt* should be in every rural home. It is published monthly, and the subscription is only 10s per annum.

Mr I. who hss almost completed the first section of the Main Trunk Line from the northern end, has secured the contract for the second, or Kibikihi section. The length i» eleven ftiiles, but the first five miles of}formation, up to Hangitikai, will be done by the natives. The contract price is £17,273. The tendering'we, understand was very clqse.

We have been requested to draw the attention of the Hamilton Choral Society to an advertisement in another column, and at the name time to correct a mistake which appeared in our last issue with reference to the car^ol entertainment given in Hamilton in 1884 and 1885. It was inadvertently, stated that the carol singers consisted of the members of the choir-of S. Peter's Church. This is not correct} the 'entertainments were given by the Hamilton Choral Society. • ■ „

We need hardly remind our Cambridge readers.of the dramatic qntertainment to.be gi^en in the "Public. Hall 'this evefning in aid of the funds Of S. Peter's Church. That there \viU be a crowded house there can hi nO doubt, judging from the' success which ' attended " Our. Boys |' in Hamilton last week. The •performance to-night should be an improve* ment on that given in. the Oddfellows' Hull, as it is sure to run ihore smoothly. All we can say is that those who miss the opportunity of seeing the comody will have reason to regret it. *

At a meeting at the Criterion Hotel, Cambridge, on Saturday night, it was arrah'ged to hold a race meeting in Optober,. when the Pakuranga hounds are here.' -Mr JMaNicol w»s in the chair. It was resolved that the Hunt Club Meeting should be held not later than of October, The judge, starter,' and other officers were elected subject to acceptance, ■and a committee was formed* to -bollect subscriptions and draw out a programme, &c. Mr W. K. Carter offered the Ufie of the race course free, which was accepted, with thanks.

. Waikato breeders will be glad to hear that the Auckland Stud Company's imported thoroughbred ( sire Ing«fmar arriVod by train on Monday, 23rd ins,t.' to • stand the season in the Cambridge I district.- ije, is in Charge of Mr C. Lake, bo well and favourably-known to' the Waikatb' public. sElgin, the imported Clydesdale, belonging to the same enterprising company, will shortly follow, and will also be uuder the fcare of Mr Lake, frohi whom all information can be obtained.

To the Editor.—Sir,—ln reading over my letter which appears in Thursday's issue, and which I have to thank you^ for. T notice that a most important portion has been omitted. I refer to that part of the letter where it says " Taking the last five weeks as a guide." It should read "taking the last five weeks prior to the commissioners visit as a guide," &c. By kindly making this connection you will oblige.*' Yours respectfully, E. Cooksox. tramway manager, Waiorangomai.

Messrs Norton and Devereux's celebrated Colorado Minstrels will make their first appearance before & Hamilton public at Le Quesne's Hall to-morrow evening, and judging from the enconiums passed on them by the press throughout the colony a good house should greet the strangers. The company, although not' numerous,' are a grand combination of minstrelsy., and all .excel in their particular business. Among the company are several ladies, who will occupy the chairs. The management have set out a capital programme for their opening night, and we Would recommend those who wish to spend a pleasant evening not to miss this opportunity. • \

• A .pleasing incident took place recently in connection with Christ "Church, Ohaupo. The occasion was the marriage or Mis» Princo, who had been honorary organist of the church for some years. Aa if with one consent the congregation determined to mark the occasion. A full church on the morning of a week-day, and a choral wedding, are not matters of every-day occurrence in the country. Wednesday, August 4th, however, was a day so observed, and the friends of Miss Prince and Mr Qualtrouph came together in force to join in the happy service, and greet the bride and bridegroom with their good wishes. The service was hearty and reverential, the responses well made, and the hymns well sung. At the conclusion, before anyone left ihe church, Archdeacon' Willis, addressing Mrs Qualtrough, asked her acceptance' of two handsome pieces of electr.o-plate,..as a memento of her connec'* tiou with the church. He referred to the long period during which she had given her services, willingly and freely, and on behalf of the congregation he tendered her their hearty thanks, and their good wishes for the future welfare of 'Mr Qualtrough and herself. Mr Qualtrough suitably returned thanks on behalf of Mrs Qualtrough, and expressed the hope that this would not be ,her last; wonk in thetervice of the church.

An adjourned ordinary meeting of the Newcastle Road Board was held at the schoolhouse» Whatawhara; on Saturday, the 21st of August, 188(5, at 10.30' o'clock a.m. Present: Messrs Iwerson, Shepherd and Crawford. Mr Iwerson was voted ro the,chair. Letters were received and lead as follows:—From Messrs Shephard, 'Jack and McKnight, re formation of Tuhikaramea road about 80 chains ; from Mr Thos. Ostler, re repairs on old Whatawhata road; from Mr W. Macgregor Hay, re account amount £27 Os Bd. tlt t It was resolved that consideration of the correspondence read be deferred to next ordinary meeting of the board. It was resolved that tenders be invited from qualified persons willing to act as engineer to the board, tenders to state the percentage required upon the expenditure on road works by the board, the clerk to put in advertisements. It was resolvedthat the collector make out a list of the lands with the names, if known, of those from whom rates cannot bt> collected by next meeting.. The following accounts wore passed for payment:—Contract near Shephards, Kenny and Moore, £13 3s; contract Tuhtkaratnea, W. Shephard, £5; petty cash, W. Jones, £1 ss. Resolved that the payment of cheques made to Kempthome and Wrights amount, £3 2-s-3d, and Kenny and Moore, £4, be now confirmed.