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Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2274, 5 February 1887, Page 2

Captain Jackson is gazetted R.Mor the Waikato and Raglan district. It has been pretty warm in the Waikato lately, but Victorian heat, 115 degrees in the shade, rather knocks us. It is stated that Mr Larnach, Minister of Mines, cost the colony last year £799 for travelling expenses. There is something to be said in favour of a minister's life after all. The effect of the dry hot weather has been injuriously felt in various parts of the colony, and several cases of sunstroke are reported. A man named 0. R. Martin, a publican at Invercargill committed suicide on Thursday morning by blowing his brains out. It is thought financial troubles were the cause of the act. On Thursday afternoon a coach loaded with passengers was overturned at Kai Iwi, near Wanganui. Several of the occupants, all men, were hurt, one or two seriously. Mr W. A- Graham has resigned the position of chairman of the Waikato Hospital Board, and has requested the acting clerk to convene a special meeting of the board to elect a successor. Mr Dods, the librarian of Cambridge has received several donations of books fromJMajor Wilson of that town. Ho will be glad to relieve anyone who has a surplus stock, and will kindly let him know. Mr J- C- Booth, the contractor for the erection of the Hamilton Public Baths, is making fair progress with his job. The piles of the East bnth have been driven, and the " monkey" is now kept busily going on the West side of the river. The adjourned annual meeting of S. Peter's, Hamilton, will be held in the Public Hall on Tuesday evening next, at 8 P.m., when several matters of importance will be discussed. It is to be hoped that all parishioners who have the welfare of the Church at heart will attend. Mr E. L. Smith is pushing on his contract for enlarging the Union Bank, Hamilton, with considerable speed. During the last few days a great change has taken place in the appearance of the building, which, when the alterations are completed, will be one of the most imposing edifices in the town.

"Turfite," in the Weekly Press, says that the totalisafcor has diverted scores of horses from their proper calling ; scores of horses intended by Nature for the fish barrow, the Chinaman's cart, and similar humble avocations have been raised by the totalisator to the dignity of racehorses. Take away the totalisator, and these brutes will soon find their proper level. Intimation has been received of the intention of the Government to abolish the present District Court of Waikato and Thames, and to constitute a new district, from which tho counties of Thames, Cor<>. niandel and Ohinemuri will be excluded. It is rumoured the alteration will involve the creation of a new judge, whose duties will be amalgamated with those of a kindred office. We are pleased to note that the Hamilton Band, under Bandmaster Munro, are making ffreat progress in their playing. DurinK the past week three new members have joined the ranks, including a late member of the Taranaki Band, and a very old member, who was in the band when it belonged to the Hamilton Light Infantry. On next Saturday a regatta and sports will be held at Mercer. The railway authorities have advertised that a passenger train will leave Ngaruawahia at 9 a.m. Why the train should not start from Cambridge and Hamilton seems a mystery, and we presume that it is simply an error of judgment on the part of the railway authorities. The abstract of accounts of the Hamilton Public Library for the past year shows that the. total income amounted to £73195, including members subscriptions £19 8s fid, and borough subsidy £30. The expenditure amounted to £74 9s 3d. of which sum about £43 was spent in pnrchasing books. The number of books in the library is 1134, and eight newspapers and three magazines are taken. The steamship Rimutaka recently took homo a consignment of 2000 ostrich feathers from the ostrich farm of Mr J. T. Matson, and were sold at good prices. Ostrich farming promises soon to assume large proportions in this colony, as the enterprise is about to bo engaged in on a considerable scale in the north, where a cargo of birds nave been landed from South Africa. In regard to the case to be heard in the Lands Court at Cambridge, relative to the subdivision of the Pukekura block, the Herald is informed that application will be made for adjournment of the hoaring until the 23rd of this month, with the probability that a further adjournment will be asked for until April, in order to allow the parties time to come to some adjustment of their differences. In regard to the actions instituted by the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board against the Wai pa and Waikato County Councils for contributions, which are now pending in the Supreme Court, we are informed that they will probably stand over until after the 213t of Aqril, the date set down for hearing the Matamata land case — Mr Firth v. Panapa te Pea and others— and that it is not improbable that in the meantime some settlement will be arrived at.—Herald. The following are the names of the Auckland pupils who passed the recent University Matriculation Examination, the first-named also taking a scholarship :— Frederick John Carter, E. E. Aubin, M. Rutherford, R. McLaurin, H. Poland, J. W. Grant, A. Morrison, 0. A. Mulgan, D. Murray, C. A. Samedini, W. Walker, R. J. Gwynne, J. N. Murray, A. G. Cooke, G. Macgregor, E. M. Durieu, C. E. Barry, C. J. Parr, E. ,M. Knight, T. P. Coupland, A. Withey, A. Burton, A. E Law, B. Picken, J. McLeod, W. Smith, W. Law, W. Tibbs, Magill, C. H. Law, E. K. Mulgan. Since the lamentable death of Fred Archer, considerable controversy has taken place in England in reference to the suggested raising of the imposts in races, so as to avoid the necessity of compelling many jockeys to waste painfully in order to ride at the low weights. Mr Thomas Jennings, in a letter to the Sportsman, says, with reference to raising the weights, that he did not think any horse could carry 9st 71b in the same time us he could cany Bst 71b, but that did not signify, a« they did not go by time test. Ho. advocated tho raising of weights in all weight-for-age races.

It is announced that gold bearing quart/, has been discovered in the Whangarei district. Application has been made for a prospecting license. Last evening Mr Reid and Mr R. Edwards waited upon the members of the Hamilton band at their practice room, asking thorn if they were willing to throw in their lot with the proposed volunteer corps about to be formed in Hamilton. Mr Reid explained to the bandsmen the advantage of becoming volunteers, and the members unanimously agreed to do all they could to further the object. Up to the present time a considerable number, far exceeding Mr Reid's expectation, have signified their intention of enrolling. We understand thac His Worship the Mayor will be asked to call a public meeting at an early date, when the matter will be fully discussed. There is sufficient mettle in Hamilton to form a corps, which ought to do credit to the Waikato. The movement meets with our hearty support.

A sad case of death from thirst and exposure occurred recently near Portland, Victoria. A Miss Hedditch left Ivestcruch for Bridgewater, Home 15 miles distant. She was on horseback, and had a child two years old in front of her. She got off the horse, leaving the child on its back, when the animal moved, and the child fell off, the horse then breaking away. The woman picked up the child, and proceeded on the track of the horse, intending to go to a house which she thought was about three miles distant. She, however, missed the track, and wandered about all day. Towards evening tho poor child went into convulsions, and died in Miss Hedditchs' arms, where she held in until assistance came, at about 7 p.m. The two had walked 14 miles from the starting point, and when found Miss Hedditch was exhausted. She was taking the child, whose name was Arthur Chnrles Morrice, for his mother, who resides in New Zealand.

Mr R. Price-Williams, the wellknown English mining and mechanical engineer, who is at present on a visit to New Zealand, in giving his opinion of the colony says:—"Having travelled from xVuckland to the Bluff, and made an exhaustive and intelligent enquiry into all matters connected with the country generally, its resources and advantages as a field for colonisation, the opinions of Mr Williams on New Zealand generally cannot but be both interesting- and valuable. Speaking of the colony as he. has seen it, he said that he has exhausted his stock of superlatives, being both surprised and delighted at its climate, natural resources, and scenery. Prior to visiting New Zealand he had no idea what a grand future was before the colony, and giving the aid of capital in its development, there is no part of Her Majesty's dominions in his opinion, which has so grand a prospect or so fair a future before it.

The usual monthly meeting of the Kirikiriroa Road Board was held at the Waikato County Chambers, Hamilton, yesterday. Present: Messrs Primrose (chairman), Maclean, and Lovoll. The engineer's report was read, stating that Nicol's bridge was completed, and was a very satisfactory job. In accordance with his request the engineer was allowed to use the old timber of this bridge in erecting a small bridge in the Ngaruawahia North Suburb. He also reported that the survey of the Mangawhara road was finished, and he was in a position to put the contractors on the ground. He said a very good road could be made. A letter was road from the chairman of the Ngaruawahia Town Board, stating that when the Minister of Lands was at Ngaruawahia two of the, village settlers requested the board to ask him to take steps to give them access to their land in winter. Mr Bnllanee said the Government would give £ for.£ upon all money spent on such works by the local body. The clerk was instructed to write to Mr Dickeson, asking for further information, as the board did not see how they wero affected in the matter, as the settlement was not in their district. Several accounts were passed for payment, and after some other business had been transacted the board rose.