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Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2283, 26 February 1887, Page 2

It is said the crops in the South Island are better than they liavo been for five years. The Intercolonial yacht race which took place at Sydney on Thursday, was won by Waitangi. It is expected that the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company will be wound-up shortly. The Melbourne Argus of the Bth inst. gives tho estimated surplus stock of wheat for export from Victoria at 125,800 tons. The postmaster of Kirikiriroa notifies an alteration in the time of closing the afternoon mail, viz., from 3.15 to 3 p.m. The 'Frisco mail closes at that office at 3 o'clock this afternoon. Mr J. Walton has offered another prize of 5s for the best three sunflowers to be exhibited at the forthcoming Horticultural Show at Te Awamutu on the 17th March. Prince Alexander of Battenberg, ex-Prince of Bulgaria, who recently returned to Darmstadt, is seriously ill with typhoid fever, and now lies in an insensible condition. The turning of the first sod in connection with the Rotorua railway took place on Thursday. Several Maori chiefs took part in the proceedings. A banquet took place in the evening at Tamati Kapua, Ohinemutu. The works required in upper Wellington-street, Hamilton East have been tendered for with the following results : —J. Coombes, £8 17» ; J. Dixon, £8 17s Gd ; Win. Proctor, £8 Gd Gd ; Z. .Owen, £6 13s Gd (accepted). A tea meeting in connection with the Te Awamutu Wesleyap Church Anniversary, will be held in the Public Hall, on Thursday, the 3rd March, when addresses will be delivered by ministers and friends. Oadban Effendi, the Turkish official envoy in Bulgaria, has advised the Porte that the difficulties in that country can alone be solved by the Russian occupation of Bulgaria and the Turkish occupation of Roumelia. The corner stone of the new offices in Queen-street, Auckland, for the New Zealand Government Life Insurance Association will be laid on Tuesday next by his Worship the Mayor of Auckland. The other day some landed property in one of the Suburbs adjacent to Auckland was sold by order of the Mortgagee, who intended to 1 buy it. To the latter's astonishment the land brought nearly double the amount of his mortgage, or about £400 per acre. At the Crown Lands Board on Thursday Mr C. B. Knapp's application for section in Block 11, Te Aroha, to be offered for sale, was referred to the Assistant-Surveyor General, who will deal with the same. It was also decided to offer lot 81, Aotea, for sale upon the application of Mr W. Cooper. The general opinion in Vienna is that the result of the German elections is unfavourable to the preservation of peace, and it is thought Russia is secretly inciting France to war. The officers of the Russian army on furlough have been summoned to report themselves for duty. By the end of March the Admiralty will have the arrangements completed for thirty merchant cruisers.

We would recommend lour Cam bridge friends to well consider the matter before they refuse the £3000 loan, and not forget that a 4d rate can be levied for the Karapiro bridge. If the rating power of the boroughs is Is 3d in the £ (as we are led to believe it is), this would bring the amount to Is 7d, or more than a third more than has ever been collected. If such is the case, it would indeed be well to weigh the matter before voting against it.

The British Medical Journal of the 11th December says a remarkable increase in the number of suicides committed by German soldiers is reported. In the Prussian, Wiirtemberg and Saxon corps, and in a Bavarian brigade, the total number of suicides in May was 23, in June 25, in July 22, and in August 21. At the beginning of the year the number of suicides was less considerable. In the first eight months of this year, the number of suicides in the corps above mentioned was 149.

The treasurer of the Cambridge Public Library has received a circular, notifying him that the subsidy granted by Government to that institution would this year be £24s (is, and, further, saying it would be forwarded at an early date. Our readers will be pleased to learn this is an advance of £3 over last year's grant. A meeting of the Library Committee will be held on Monday evening, when probably a sub-committee will be appointed to decide what new books are to be brought.

The cheap excursion to Auckland yesterday was fairly well patronised, upwards of 400 passengers taking advantage of the concession. Of this number 120 booked at Hamilton West. The train arrived at Auckland at 12.30 p.m., and the visitors immediately dispersed, some going to the North Shore, and others to see the various lions of the city. At (5 o'clock the majority congregated at the station, the return train arriving at Hamilton at about 11 o'clock.

A terrible earthquake is Reported to have taken part in the South of France and the northern part of Italy. Buildings were levelled to the ground, and scenes of the wildest and most indescribable nature took place. The Prince nt Wales, who was staying at Cannes, escaped without injury. The first intimation of the' disaster came from Nice, where tvyo severe shocks of earthquake were experienced at 0 o'clock in the morning. Half-naked people rushed from their houses into the stroets, and women and infants, attended by terrified children, hurried along, screaming in chorus, imploring the Deity to help them.

Mr Ooom, District Railway Engineer, Auckland, has a scheme for settling the land along the railway lines. According to a contemporary, he proposes that those employed in keeping the line in order should be given sections of Jand near the railway, and that their numbers should be doubled, and they should only be employed half time, instead of full time, as at present ; thus they would be earning money and improving the land for themselves, and in a few years could become independent of day labour. There would be no extra cost to the country, and the railway receipts would be increased, Mr Cooin has submitted his scheme to the Government for consideration.

A pretty story is told about the Princess of Wales. The scene of it was the Mansion House, the occasion a ball given some years ago, and to which, among other " invites," was a provincial mayor, who had the honour of being introduced to the pretty Princess. The tale goes, and the truth of it is vouched for, that upon his Worship asking, against the rules of etiquette, the Princess to grant him a dance, she replied with a touch of delicate humour, " I do not know whether you will not be rather afraid; some of my children are only just recovering from the measles, and you might take them." The wearer of the civic chain, however, was equal to the occasion, for, bowing low, he replied, "I should be de lighted to take anything from so charming a source."

At the meeting of the General Gordon Lodge, 1.G.G.T., held at Gambridge on Monday last. The following officers were installed:—Bro. W. S. Stewart, re-clccted, W.C.T.; Sister A. Riley, elected W. V.T. ; Bro. C. B. Carpenter, VV. Sec. ; Bro. W. Paltridge, W.A.S.; Bro. J. McVeagh, W.T. ; Bro. T. Mynott, W.F.S. ; Sister A. Pierce, W.C. ; Bro. A. Forrest. YV.G.; Bro. J. H Arnaboldi, \V. Sen. The above were installed by Bro. Chambers, Lodge Deputy. The lodge is in a flourishing condition. < It has 53 members, and the cry is, "Still they come." The late picnic lias borne good fruit, and many more contemplate joining. The finances are also in a healthy state.

It is with extreme regret that we have to chronicle the deatli of Mr James Macandrew, M.H.R., who died from the effects of a buggy accident at his residence, Collingvvood, near Dnnedin, on Thursday afternoon. Mr Macandrew was born'in Aberdeen, Scotland, in IS2O, and cast in his lot with the settlement of Otago by the Free Church of Scotland, arriving, in the colony in 1850. He was one of the members of the first Otago Provincial Council, and of the first House of Representatives. He was at one time engaged in business, and did an extensive shipping 4s was wopt to say,

back upon his chequered life, "he had ran everything, from a province to a newspaper." He was a member of the "CleanShirt" Ministry and subsequently of the Grey administration, in which he'held the portfolio of Minister of Public Works and Minister of Immigration. The deceased gentlotnan will be missed in the Legislature whore his face and figure were so familiar to the habitues of the stranger's gallery. In the death of Mr Macandrew the working classes lose a staunch friend, who, during life thoroughly identified himself with their wants and necessities. The deceased politician leaves a family, most of whom are grown up.

The second day's racing in connection with the D. J.C. took place on Thursday, at Dnnedin. The weather was fine, but the attendance moderate. A dividend of £21 9s (inside), and £25 7s Gd (outside), was paid on the Tally-ho Handicap, which was won by Garibaldi, Kingask being second, with Mauunoe third. Gipsy King won the City Stakes Handicap, with Repose second and Silver Mark third. The Dunedin Jockey Club Handicap was a gift to St. Clair, Talebearer second and Patrician third. The inside dividend on £2 tickets was £76 15s 6d; outside, (£1 tickets), £24 Bs. The Novel Handicap fell to The Brewer ; St. Ives, second; and Puck third. Mr Hammond's Rocket won the Railway Plate, with Silver Mark second, and Apropos third. Captain Cook won the Suburban Welter Handicap from Russley by nearly a length, Mirella being a fair third. The Hack Race won by Ca merino brought the sports to a close. £9142 went through the totalisatnr machine.