The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2232, 28 October 1886, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

EcJiml and exact justice to all men, Or whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political.

THURSDAY, OCT. 28, 1886. i

Mr James /Anthony Frcude says there are people in this .colony who in all sincerity recommend repudiation of our colonial indebted aess as the shortest way out of our troubles. \V"e have never met such people, 1 and have no desire to make their acquaintance, but if there are any such there is just a chance that they may enjoy an opportunity of seeing how the thing will work in a small way. ' 'On the East coast of the South Island there is a pretty little town; called Oamaru. The great ProCo isul likened the youthful city to a 'fair maiden sitting by the sea shore with the horn of plenty in her hand. This was ten years ago, and . Oamaru deserved the compliment. The only stone-built town lit the colony, she possed a bigger breakwater, and was busily carrying a larger water scheme than any of her neighbours, wool and wheat was at top prices,, clips and harvests were good, aud money Ho wed like water. But Nemesis was on hey heels. To her two prodigies, the breakwater and the water-works, she has added a third, and now stands the most deeply in debt of all colonial towns. This' of course would mean nothing in particular if her water-works and her harbour paid interest on their cost, but they don't, and the consequence is that the unfortunate pro-perty-owners are rated at five shillings in the pound, notwithstanding that current expenditure 'for streets, salaries, <fee, has been cut cld\v"n to the lowest possible limit. The position is triily a serious one, and the I'atepayers look upon it as such. Their case was apparently hopeless. They had run heedlessly or needlessly into debt, and must grin and bear it as best they could. It was a painful conclusion, but a very olivious one. But the darkest hour is that before the dawn. Just when it seemed that the cure of the disease, if such were possible, must be left to time, the North Otago Times comes forward with a sovereign remedy, which it, after the manner of Professor Hollo way and the Great St. Jacob, claims will knock the ailment on the head straight off. This cure is nothing less than repudiation. The 'limes does not use a term so odious, but that is what it means, It urges that, aS the valuation of the town is notoriously high (as it no doubt is), it should b© reduced one-half. By this means, seeing that the amount of the special rate is specified in the bond with the municipal creditor, the town would at once get rid of half its liability. There is no need for comment upon such a proposal as this. That a newspaper could be found to gravely propound such a scheme is a scandal on journalism, and an insult to the colony. It is a spectacle at once' contemptible and degrading.

The returns for the September quarter just published show a falling; off in the revenue in respect of Customs, which has produced £27,000 less than for the same period of 1885, which is accounted for by the circumstance that the value of imports is about £300,000 below that of the imports for the corresponding quarter of last year. Amongst other item 9 wo find an increase of a couple of thousands in the telegraph revenuo aiid a decrease of about £800 in the postal. The presence of dull times is very forcibly brought to notice by the sivings bank returns. "Whereas the amount of deposits in tho Septemberquarterof 1885 was £34(5,240, and that ,of the withdrawals, £308,338, in the corresponding period of this year the sum* woiv, respectively, £290,508 and £345,140. jthe shipping returns also show a falling of in business, the difference being in imports and not in exports, in which there is no appreciable decline. Further than this tho statistics

serve to show that the city of Auckland has at last taken her position as the first among- the towns of the colony. Her contribution to. the revenuo thte last quarter was it is true, a trifle less than Dunedin's. but tlio sum total of her imports caps that of her Southern rival by £132000, while lier exports are also in excess. Lyttelton and Wellington (both, largo wool shippers) boat Auckland in the amount of thoir'oxpoi'ts, but Auckland imports as much as do botli put together. In postal note transactions, money orders, telegraph and, postal revenue and in shipping-, the Northern city takes a decided lend. Auckland owes her good fortune mainly to her position, which gives- her the* command ~of the island trade. If,, together with this, sho had, as Chrisf.church and Dunedin havo, a well dovoloped rural industry at her back she would soon cease to be without a rival. The capabilities of the land in this part of the colony are enormous, and must in the near future, .inake a mighty change. -in Auckland's favour, though the peoplo of that city cannot see far enoiigh ahead to acknowledge" it, still 1 less to 1 concert vigorous measures to hasten the cdnsumma Ition. . ,

The Piako County Council 'have re&eiyed Botjoe , from the . Thames Hospital I^op-trcl' that they will be sued for the balance of contributions unpaid. It is a great pity that the Thames people should resolve to throw good money after bad. If language conveys any meaning, it seems to us that the position taken up by Piako is simply unassailable.

The acceptances for the Melbourne Cup this year are 39, five 10-ss than last year.

We beg to remind ratepayers of Pukeknra district that an important meeting will be held^at the Pukekura schoolroom to-morrow, at 3 o'clock.

The tjsusi.l sitting of theRM. Courts at 'Hamilton, was held yesterday, before His Worship the Mayor and Capt. Steele, J.P., bat only tw<> or three trivial! debfc ; cases were disposed of. , '

Nothing has, so far as we know, been seen of the body of the unfortunate settler, Mr Robertson, who was drowned at Raglan on Friday Week last. At the time of the accident, Mr, Robertson had about £80, '(Jhtfeft/notes, on his person, being th.c proceeds of a sale of bacon and produce.

The local bodies in the new Hospital District of Waikato shoiild bear in mind that the members of the bo ird must be electnd on the 17th November. At their meeting yesterday, the Piako County Council reuohed to hold a spocial meeting on the date named.

The usual quarterly meeting of the parishioners of.S. Peter's, Hamilton, was convened for last evening, but owing to the paucity of the attendance it was decided to adjourn it until next Wednesday evening, when it is hoped there will be a numerous gathering asseveral important matters come on for discussion.

At Stokes' Gully culvert, the water having subsided sufficiently, the work of laying the concrete has been commenced. , The foundation hap turned out splendidly, and is as good as could possibly be wished for. If fine weather c<nne3 on now, the structure will be finished in the | course of about throe weeks.

The late Cambridge Town Board were requisitioned on several occasions to do something to that part of (^rev-street .vheiethe unfortunate accident happened to the child McMah-m on Mondiy last. The whole-question of the di'.un.isfe of that portion of the town r-jquiras attention at the hands of the Borough Council, as it i<s a regular fever bed in summer. i

The difficulty between the Hamilton Domain Board and the, contractors Dixon and Crawford about the Hamilton West drain was arranged yesterday, the contractors agreeing to accept the offer made to them by Mr T. (x. Sandes, the Engineer of the boaid, and to hand over the works, giving a receipt for all claims against the bi.'in'. Tendeis are now called for completing the drain, and a special meeting of the.b urd will be held on Thursday next, the 4th November, at 2.30 p.m. to consider them.

It is anticipated that the factory buildings pi the. North New Zealand Woollen Manufacturing "Company will be cmnpleted by^Deceirber, and machinery in .vorking ordec, in January., The English machinery plant is repbrbed a«i the best over 3 % nfc abr.ud, mostly supplied by Platt Bros., of Oldham. England. The company has e\cry prospect of, proving exceptionally a financial success, a consumer of labour, and a cash unrkot for northern wool, growers.

The "saurian monster" mystery thickens. Mc^r.i Qudltrough and White, in .mtitirution of a second visit from the saurian to their slaughterhouse, have strengthened the bmldinpr and provided a patent door, which it is intended to ' clojo up when the monster is t-afely housed. We understand that about .1 dozen men, fully armed, were on the watch last might, prepared to capture the saurian or die in the attempt.

The anniversary services m connection with Trinity Presbyterian Church, Cambridge, will be held on Sunday next, October 31st, when the flev. A. M. McC.illum will be the preacher at both service*. The .annual soiree will be held on the following Wednesday in the Public Hall at G o'clock. The usual concert will take place after tea, and the public may look, forward to a genuine nvisical treat. Miss Moginie, of Auckland, will take part iv the concert, and several local talented sinpers never before heard by a Cambridge audience.

The first cricket match of the season will be played lit Hamilton on Saturday week, the (>th November, between the Paterangi and Hamilton clubs. The Tuhikaramea Cricket Club expect to be able to play Hamilton about the middle of next month. So far we Have not heard of any move among the knights of the willow and the leather in Cambridge. In view of the above matches it is t« be hoped that there will be a good attendance of players at the practices on Sydney Square particularly on Saturday next, when there will be a committee meeting on the ground to select a team to play Paterangi.

The commonages at both Hamilton East and West have been fenced in and gates hung, and aro all ready to receive their bovine lodgers. It is a to be hoped that now the stiay cattle nuisance will be put an end to and owners be compelled either to keep their beasts enclosed or depasture them elsewhere than on the public thoroughfares in the borough. The jenciug, we may state, is of an excellent description, the posts supplied by Messrs Freeman and Brindle being the best seen about the district (of their sort, totara,), and the workmanlike manner in which thfty bav,d been erected speaks well fiir the contractors, Messrs Forrest and Wright.

The drawing of the Art Union in connection with the Hami'ton Presbyterian G'tovDch wiii take place tn-morww i>vi;))}ng >\b 8 o'clock in tha Public HA). The prizes wiii bo on \\e\v in the hall <i(irm{< the afhcta"«'U at the s>-a«iG day. On Sittuvlay Mt" Joim Kwok will huld what is Ictiuwn as a " Bv'«c© auction" in -nd of the chuifh funds, when a Jjwge variety of v,>lm\U!'J 'vi !^-, r.ni'.jh>j» from )>n»v sheep to il o " .v v <» mon^tjr" (if found by that tinu-) will be knocked down to the higliot bx.'ikr.

In a letter to the Rangitikei Advocate on th: u\,«< t "f l'»e meat export I fcr»c!e, Mr I'i.jcc, M. fT.R., quotes the f'lll'wlng h'nf, Minpliud tv him by Mr Buchanan, M '{.I! . - " lv J.uui.a-y of tha r»rfspnt voar Mr Buchanan shipped by the Tainni 822 Khoep and 110 Limbs, the net weitrht ot' each consiorn'.iuuib being re<pec-tlvely—She-p, f>7,B{KJlb; lambi, 57281b. 'The sboup roali.-ed in London €1890 2s (id, and the lambs, £173 18s Bd. The London) 'charges amount to Ad, per lb, this covering landing, sfcurinsr, wyi^hing, cartago, market Mis, insurance, and coinraip.iion. These

charges it will he so^.n, amount in one instance toJ£l2Q 12s 4d>in , the other to £11 18-, Bd. vfhe atlditicHial expetoe, including cost of fr"ee/,ing, per 1b ; fr<%ht. l\<\ vnv Ij, aid insurance (\tfhich was thin s guineas pei\ cent*, but n<>\" reduced |a» £4) with some other minor charges, left a net return S»r head of abnit 14a and 16s respectively, ut this return, \ might add, included the following itenb :J-61751b of fat, £35 7s 6J ; 6 carcases c»nd M at l^d per lb, £1 1&» 3d ; 882 pelts nt'sd, £18 10i ; 149 lambskins at 9d, t's lls 9d ; and it is interesting to know that the s;une description of sheep were then selling here at from 7s to 7s 6d for lambs, an 3 # to Os lor The .price > roalised!lnj Lorfdon ppr Jb.' on thl^ consign-,; mont»tana3 tftm i-S-Gross average,. 7*2 ad?" per lb ; charges O'oOd per lb ; leaving a balance of G^d. -Another consignment of 8G sheep and 204 lambs per Doric realised in April a net of 4'74d per lb ; in May 205 lambs fetched < GO4d, and in the same month 3UI lambs *old at G'lodf The' returns for beef do not appear to be so satisfactory. 89 quarters netted £6 5s per head for an average weight of 7751b ; gross average price in London, jiind quarter* 4'95d per lb, fore-quarters 3'46d net.