TE AWAMUTU.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2456, 7 April 1888, Page 2

TE AWAMUTU.

♦ Soldier's Monument.— The long-talked of and oft promised monument to the memory of the soldiers and friendly natives who fell in the various lights round here or died in the camps, has at last been erected in S. John's churchyard by the Government. It will be remembered that about six years ago, .a party of the Armed Constabulary was sent here under Sergeant Foster, to collect the tablets which were put up in memory of the soldiers and level the graves, the intention being to put up a monument Successive Governments were reminded of the promise made, but till a week or two ago nothing was done. The shaft is of white stone, the top being surmounted by a cross, on the face next to the road a piece of marble is Jet in, on which is written the following inscription : "This monument was ereeted by the Colonial Government in March, 18S8, as a memorial of the officers and men of the Imperial, colonial, and friendly native troops who died during the Waikato war, IS(J3 —1865, and were buried in this churchyard, beneath or near this monument.'. Then follows the names of the places where they died or fell. Rangiaohia, Te Awamutu, Hairini, and Orakau.

SIKiAR -beet.— The following is extracted from a Kansas (American) paper. "In au interview a clay or two since, Claus SprecUlfiS, the California sugar kine, said : "I found Germany at present the greatest beet sugar country the world ever saw. There is some marvellous machinery used for making beet sugar I have bought 250,000 marks worth of the principal parts of that machinery in Cologne and Prague for the purpose of establishing a beet sugar factory in California, but the minor parts of the machinery I can net made in the United States. I am convinced that beet sugar making with my new machinery will create one of the greatest industries the Uuited States ever had, I shall never rest until I have made the United States the greatest beet-suaar producer, manufacturer, and market in the world—yes, above Germany or France. It is true that at the present time Germany exports 000,000 tons of beft-sugar annually, and consumes herself another 400,000 tons. If it were not for growing sugar beets the German farmers would go to the wall as certainly as the English farmers have done. Many practical farmers I met in Germany told me that if it were not for the beet-growing they would suffer. All seemed to feel that their country could not compete with the United States if we adopted their machinery. "How about France?" "Oh, I found the factories far behind those of Germany. I saw not the slightest improvement worth adopting there, but I am taking back a pile of French specifications to study still more. My new factory iu California will be built to use 350 tons of beets every twenty-four hours, which will make 40 tons of sugar per day. The exact spot for its locatiou I have uot yet settled upon, but will do so as soon as I get back home. I have aiso bought twenty-five tons of beet seed, which will leave Germany in December for New York, then by rail to San Francisco." It will be seen by the foregoing that the " sugar king " means to give up the growing and manufacturing of cane-sugar. According to his figures Sij' tons of beets will yield one ton of sugar, or a trifle less than twelve per cent,, and there can be no doubt that that per pontage will pay handsomely, or such a man as Claus Spreckcls would not venture into the undertaking. The fact that he has bought such costly machinery and such large quantities of seed (for distribution no doubt) plainly shows that the industry must be a most profitable one. The analyses of samples of buet grown iu Waikato have not shown a less return than 12 per cent ; some went higher, which goes to show that the district is eminently suicable for its culture, and if we could only find capitalists with sufficient confidence to erect a factory, there is every prospect of its paying. " Confidence," that is where the rub is. So many public companies have been so unfortunate through gross mismanagement or deliberate swindling that outsiders have lost all confidence in us as a people, and New Zualand capitalists with the knowledge gained by past experience are unwilling to invest much in local securities. In this case, however, the conditions appear to be eminently favourable to the success of this enterprise. Large areas of land on the various railway lines would be put under beet cultivation, and the Governmeut, no doubt would grant special facilities for its transport to a central factory ; everything, therefore, points to success. As much beet as would be required would be grown, and we have a market at our very door. Hpreckels was disliked for his monopoly of the cane-sugar trade on the Pacific Coast, but his new venture will be the means of putting money in the pocketa of the fanners of California as well as his own. Would that we had a Claus Spreckels in New Zealand just now.