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Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2254, 18 December 1886, Page 2

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state 01 persuasion, religious or political. .

SATURDAY, DEC. 18, 1886.

We are glad to see that, notwithstanding the severe knocks the Waikato cheese-making industry has received, and despite the continued weakness of the demand, the various factories have by no means lost heart. The milk supply continues to increase, and the quantity of cheese available for export will, to judge by appearances, be larger than in any previous year. r I hat ail will come right in tKe end cannot be doubted. Difficulties have to be encountered and reverses have to be met in the establishment of all industries, but if the industry is fitted for the district it is bound to succeed in the long run. And dairying, as we have more than once had occasion to remark, is particularly well suited to Waikato. It ought to to be,and will in time become our leading industry. The farmers of this part of the colony have fallen into a groove out of which it has been no easy matter to lift then), but this is surely, if slowly, being done. Well adapted as Waikato is for most branches of rural industry, its capacity for growing wheat and wool and the fattening of beef is not equal to its capability for turning out the products of the dairy. A great deal of hard and monotonous work is thrown on the dairyman, but farming is all hard work, for the matter of that, and it is a new variety, and not an increase, of labour that is really involved. Just at present, as we have said, the prices of cheese and butter, together with all other descriptions of country produce are low, too low to allow of a respectable margin of profit, but times will not always be so dull as they .are now. Speaking before a large gathering in Kent, not many weeks ago, the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Randolph Churchill, referred to the evident signs of awakening prosperity in the manufacturing industries of Great Britain, from which he drew the conclusion that better times were dawning for the farmers. Whatever tends to advantage the British farmer, must of course exert a beneficial influence upon us in New Zealand.

WAiKATofolk need not go from home for amusements and recreation during the Christinas holidays. Never before, we think, have such attractions been provided for the idle season. What with sports at Cambridge, Alexandra and Hamilton and the Grand Carnival at the last named place no end of fun is promised. Seeing that so much has been done by our local patriots, we do hope the general public will manifest their approval by staying at home, and not, as in former years, convert the railway into a culvert for the purpose of draining all the spare cash in the district.

The Hamilton East School broke up for the Christmas holidays on Thursday.

Cremorne has been scratched for the Auckland Cup.

The Obahuhu Race Meet nig takes place to-day.

A cricket match Kihikihi v. Cambridge takes place this morning, in the Government paddock, Cambridge.

A mob of 50 horses arrived in Cambridge on Thursday from Gisborne, and are to be offered by auction in Hamilton on Wednesday next.

The s.s. lonic arrived at Hobart early on Tnursday morning, and left again the same evening. She is due in Auckland on Tuesday afternoon.

It is understood that the Hon. Mr Ballance will visit Auckland early in January, and will make a torn* of the same duration in the North.

The Piako County Council will meet at the Borough Council offices, Hamilton, at 10.15 a.m. on Wednesday, the 22nd inst.

Mr W. R. Waddel has been gazetted a J.P. and has received a telegram from the Minister of J ustice congratulating him upon his appointment.

The programme of the Otorohangd races will be found in our business columns. It is more than usually attractive, and should command large fields.

In consequence of the large number of entries received for the Hamilton Christmas Sports, the committee intend shortly to meet to consider the propriety of increasing the amount of the prize money.

The examination of teachers in the "Waikato district commenced in the Hamilton West schoolroom on Tuesday last, and concluded yesterday. Mr Vincent E. Rice, secretary of the Board of Education, acted as supervisor.

At the regular meeting of the Crown Lands Board ab Auckland on Thursday, a letter was received from Mr Chas. Collins, of Te Aroha, applying for a piece of land at Waitoa, 82 acres. The application was approved.

At yesterday's meeting of the Waikato County Council it was decided to take a portion of Mr Ewen's land at Tamahere for public purpose?. A full report of the proceedings, which are of public interest, is unavoidably held over.

A public meeting in connection with the Blue Ribbon Army will be held in the Public Hall, Hamilton, on Monday evening, when addresses will be delivered by the Revs. J. S. Riah worth and Evans. Afterwards the election of officers and committee will take place.

Our Christmas Supplement, to be issued on the moraine of Christmas Day, will contain the first chapter of a short but

thrilling story, entitled " My Uncle's Will," specially written for The Waikato Times by a gentleman of high literary ability. The story is founded on fact.

The committee appointed to determine the sitea f oy tho proposed pviblic baths at Hamilton will inspect the ground to-day, and report to the council on Monday. Should the engineer's eat i mute be at all reasonable the work of erecting the baths will be at once proceeded with.

Mr John Chadwick a Tauranga settler, who is at present in Auckland, states that thousands of pounds' worth of crops are now in at Te Puke, principally maize, oats and potatoes. The volcanic deposit has been a great blessing in disguise, and the grass is all that can be desired.

The quarterly sitting of the Licensing Committee was held at Ngaruawahia on Thursday. The only business was the hearing of an application to have the license of the Royal Mail Hotel transferred to the new premises now in course of erection adjoining the post-office. As the building" was not finished, the committee decided to postpone tho hearing until the March meeting.

At the conference meeting of Foresters at Wellington on Thursday, the committee appointed to consider the questions of contributions, clearances, sick pay, and benefit recommend that the payment to sick and funeral fund be as under:— Eighteen to 25 years, per lunar month, 2s 2d ;25 to 30, 2.s Gd ; 35 to 40, 4s. The following scale of sick bepetits is also recommended : — After a membership of 6 months, half benefits . after 12 months, 20s for 20 weeks ; and further 20 weeks at 10a ; and if illneßS continues, a further sum of 5s as long as the member is sick ; also, that all districts and court allow funeral benefits of £20 to a free member, £17 to a free members wife ; half-free members to receive half benefits ; and that the time of responsibility of courts, during a member's clearances shall be 12 months, which must be adopted by a'l coi rs. The recomendatir n referring to the funeral benefits was amended, so that members receive £10 on account of the death of a second wife.

At the Hamilton Police Court, yesterday, before His Worship the Mayor and Mr John Knox, J.P., Harry Herbert was charged with stealing a locket and chain and some oilier small articles from the dwelling-house of Mrs McGutcheon, on the Whatawhata road. The circumstances of the case were detailed in our last. Prisoner, after leaving Mr McCutcheon at Hamilton on Wednesday, was lost sight of, but hearing that a man answering to his description had been seen on the Ngaruawahia road, Sergeant McGrath at once despatched Mounted-constable Wild in that direction, at the same time telegraphing to Constable White to keep a sharp look-out. The latter was on the alert, and soon found his man in the bar of the Delta Hotel, refreshing himself after his long walk. Prisoner, in answer to the Bench, said the articles alleged to have been stolen had been given to him by Mrs McCutcheon, but as the evidence of that lady was quite at varianco with this statement, the justices imposed a sentence of three months' imprisonment with hard labour in Mount Eden gaol.

On Thursday the members of the Hamilton Borough Council "beat the bounds" of the borough with a view to alloting, with a due regard to economy, the funds at their disposal during the current year. In one of Calderwood's coaches the party commenced their inspection at No. 1 Bridge, traversed all the streets in Hamilton West, went over the Park, and then as carefully perambulated the Eastern half of the borough. As a result of their examination, the mayor and councillors came to the conclusion that £700 or £80G would be sufficient to provide for all works required at the present time, but the list will be submitted to the meeting of the council on the first Monday in January, and the most urgent will be picked ovt and put in hand forthwith, leaving the rest to follow at a convenient season. In respect, of the Park, some difference of opinion exists »n the question of planting. It was originally intended to lay it down in grass and plant it k with forest trees and ornamental shrubs,' but it has been very sensibly pointed out that to plant it now would mean shutting it up, and the grass would soon be engaged in a hand to hand and hopelesd contest with the fern. It would therefore be better to establish a nursery for trees somewheie and to transfer them in a couple of years' time to the Park, "which meantime cnuld bo let out for grazing purposes. The idea is an excellent one, and will doubtless be carried iuto effect.