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Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2473, 17 May 1888, Page 2

A week's leave of absence from the House lias been fjivon Mi' J- K. VVhyte, on urgent private businei. The footpaths in Victoria-street, Hamilton West, are now receiving their winter coating of river gravel. We are requested to draw attention to a nui.iiinco.it tlio Hamilton Wost Public Hath in the shape of a dead pip and mass of debris, which are in one of the corners, and should bo removed.

An officer of the Public Works Department arrived in Hamilton with a boat, in which it is intended to make a thorough search as far ns Waikato Heads, {or tho body of Mr Brown, the missing storekeeper, who is supposed to have been drowned in the river nearly a, month n^o,

The report of the rabbit prosecutions in the R.M. Court at Tβ .Ywamutu and a letter from Mr \V. A. Graham are crowded out of this issue.

The Theatre Royal Company will giro tho "Pirates of Penznnce " at Alexandra on the 21th insti Their fame will ensure them a good house.

Mr J. C Firth advertises in this issue, contradicting statements alleged to have been made regarding his mills, and claims that his roller Hour will give the highest satisfaction. ;

The reductions effected at Bella'n.y's, a.s compared with the expenditure of last session, amounts to £60 10s per month—£-18 in wages of servants and £18 10s by inviting tenders lor meat and provisions.

The sale at Mr Henry Reynold's, Cambridge West, by Mr J. S. Buckland, was a great success. There was a large attendance of buyers, and very satisfactory prices were realised, with brisk competition throughout the day.

At the usual meeting of S. Peter's vestry last night, the resignation of Colonel Forbes as People's Churchwarden and secretary was received with much regret, and a vote of thanks was accorded for his past services. It was resolved to appoint Mr S. T. Seddon as churchwarden, and Mr \V. A. Graham as a member of the vestry.

The following cable message shows that a considerable improvement has taken place in the wheat market at Home : —London, May 14.—The English wheat market has an improved tendency, and prices are (id better. Continental is unchanged ; American ia advancing rapidly, but largely speculative.

A return is asked by Mr T. Thompson showing the total amount expended on the North Island Trunk Railway up to 31st March last out of the above railway loan, specifying the expenditure on the construction and permanent way, surveys, land, roads, biidge supervision and contingencies and liabilities on 31st March last.

At a meeting of footballers held at Alexandra, on Saturday, May 12th, it was decided to form a football club, in that town. The club ara out of funds, but as a large number of members have been enrolled there is every prospect of a brilliant season. All interested are requested to attend a meeting to be held next Saturday.

Mr Besant, of the Railway Engineer's staff, was in Hamilton yesterday, taking soundings at the railway bridge for the purpose of seeing what amount of sand had scoured up round the cylinders. It was found that at the shallowest part there was at present eleven feet of water, thus giving at the summer level a depth of water of at least nine feet round the piles.

The published returns of the various banks doing business in the colony give the following interesting particulars : —Total notes in circulation, £891,104; bills in circulation, £52,001 ; coined gold, silver, &c, £2,244,347; bullion or bars, £81,020 ; deposits, £L 1,248,537 ; debte due to the banks, £11,9(i0,G4 ( J; assets, £19,178,221. And yet some people think there is nei corn in Egypt !

Mr D. Lees, dog registrar, wrote to the Borough Council, complaining that a number of owners of dogs, whose names he gave, refused to pay the registration fees and take out collars, and asked the Council for advice on the matter. The Council were of opinion that they had no say in the case, as the registrar is aware of his duty and the course that is open to him, namely to take proceedings against all defaulters.

We have been shown the plans of the hotel Mr A. Isaacs is about erecting at the Okoroiri Hot Springs. The main building will contain eighteen rooms, in addition to several bath-houses, which will need to be erected in order to utilise various springs. The curative properties of the Okoroiri Springs are known to be of a very high order, but owing to the difficulty of access and want of accommodation very few people have availed themselves of their benefits. Mr Isaacs enterprise will obviate these difficulties.

The Invercargill News says:— " We are informed that the N. Z. Shipping Co. intend to reduce the freight on cheese to London from Id to :jd per lb., the latter to take effect during the winter months and the former from the Ist July next. As the Company have been shutting out oheese from the steamers' cool chambers at tbe rate of Id per lb, owing to the insufficient storage space to meet the demand, this action is a proof that they are doing their best to meet the wishes of shippers and encourage the export from the Southland district of cheese and frozen meat.' .

We have received a copy of the thirty-ninth annual report of the Australian Mutual Provident Society. The report bears evidence ot the uninterrupted progress of the Association, and tho highly satisfaetory position of its finances and business generally. During the year 1887 the total new business done amounted to £3,223.345, yielding new income in premiums of £121,214 Gs 3d. The total annual income from premiums and interest amounts to £1,423,5,84 13.5. The accummulated fund amounts to £r,4UB 5s sd. The claims paid dnring the year amounted to £273,702 18s sd.

The purchase money for the Waikato District Hospital and grounds was paid over yesterday to Mr Robert Salmon, and the property conveyed to the Board. Waikato can now congratulate itself on Having achieved tins local requirement, and those who have taken part in the establishment of the Hospital deserve the thanks of the community for havinr successfully comnloted their work. The purchase money lias been paid out of ordinary revenue, and saves the district £'.)•> a year rent. The Hospital is now free from debt. The ground included in the Hospital purchase is -">0 acres, extending from the Oliaupo road to tho Waikato River, and is acknowledged to be a capital sito fur a Hospital. A remarkable instance of spohtanoous ignition occurred the other day in a threshing machine operating on some wheat stacks near Amberley, Canteibury, revealing a hitherto unsuspected source of danger. The wheat operated on was very foul with smut, which, it can only be inferred, is under certain conditions highly inflammable, and that was probably in this case the immediate cause of the accident. One of the hands at work behind the riddles says that a sudden Hash of fire overpowered him, singeing his face, but it was unaccompanied by any uoise save a puff. The feeder of the machine knew nothing of it until be saw the straw ascending the elevators in flames, which almost instantly enveloped the straw stack, and the straw and unthreshed grain were consumed. Tho damage to the threshing plant was not serious.

Under the recent regulations of the Education Board, which make the strict attendance) instead of the average formerly used, as the condition on which to supply tho number of teachers for each school, the country schools will be placed at a great disadvantage. During the winter, when there are frequently long spells of wet weather and the roads are in a bad state, it is impossible for pupils to attend from long distances. The attendance, therefore, would be greatly reduced. For instance, it happened that last Friday was the day appointed for the headmasters of the Hamilton schools to state tho attendance, in order to form a basis for reductions in the staff of pupil teachers. As is known, the day was very wet and stormy, and but few children attended the classes. If the returns for that day are acted upon, tho teaching power will be so weakened as to almost extinguish ona of the two schools.

A meeting of chairmen and members of county councils and other local bodies was to have been held in the Borough Council Chambers, Hamilton, yesterday, for the purpose of receiving the report of the committee on the practicability of establishing a Hoard of Agriculture for the Waikato. The only gentlemen present, ho.vever, wereMassrsPrimro.se, McDonald, W. A. Graham and F. Peacocke, together with Captain McFherson, the secretary. The meeting, therefore, foil through. It was decided, notwithstanding the want of encouragement given, to make another effort to convene a meeting at as convenient a date as possible. No less than forty notices to attend the meeting were issued by Captain McPherson, and it certainly displays very clearly the remarkable state of indifference to thoir own interests into which the farmers of theso districts have fallen when only four out nf the whole number put in an appearance. It looks as thon<;h no inducement strong enough torouso the community into public activity and combination can be devised. Tim importance of creating so useful an institution as a. Board of Agriculture must be patent to all intelligent people; the value of such bodies is shown by the practioal experience of other countries, whero they flourish.