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Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2562, 11 December 1888, Page 2

We learn that Mr Day, of Tamahare has disposed of all his cheese at very satisfactory prioea. Recruit drill will be held at the Hamilton Volunteer Hall to-night and tomorrow night, in preparation for the visit of Colonel Hume, on Tuesday next. Bryant was committed for trial at the Police Court, Auckland, yesterday, for an attempted assault on Emily KeatherHtono. The medical evidence showed that the child was not injured in the slightest degree. The first consignment of fat cattle for shipment to England, under arrangement with the Freezing Company, left Waikato by rail on Saturday, consisting of five trucks of prime cattle from the Matamata Estate. The entertainment Mr Swarbrick li.'is initiated on behalf of the Itirikiriroa School, will 1)8 held in the school-room on Thursday night, and is certain to be well patronised by the residents, A veiy pleasant and suitable programme has been prepared. In referring to a commission in the hands of Mr Salmon, Secretary to the Waitaf.Q Farmers' Association, appearing in Inst issue, wo spoke of the order being for r,OOO bushels, ft should have been 5000 sacks. We liava not hoard if sijy sales have yet been made as against this demand. We have been shown an account in a Jersey paper of the export of potatoes from that island for four months, from the Ist .Tune to the end of September, and the figures 'are certainly marvellous. During that period the valuo of potatoes sent into the English markets amounted to tha extraordinary sum of £249.000. In one week the figures reached £49,000, and during tha period of fffiir months the prices varied from £20 per toi} if) Jui)g fjown to £2 later on in tha season,

The weather is again cold and blustery. Summer appears as far off as before. Mr J. S. Edgecntnbe has rasigned the Secretaryship of the Hamilton Lawn Tennis Club. Sir Maurice O'Rorke, speaking in Sydney, said Sir Gem-go Grey ought to be raised to the peerago. The Mount Eden Tennis Club will send a team to Cambridge to play n match with the local players on New Year'» Day. Horse owners and running men are reminded that entries for the Morrinsville sports close to-morrow (Wednesday). The frost experienced the other night in the Pinko district has nearly, if not quite, destroyed the potato crop, and in most instances the natives are re-planting. The Hon. Mr Richardson, Minister of Lands and Mines, intends to pay visits of inspection to the Thames and Te Aroha, and also to the forest plantations on the Lower Waikato. Bryant, the man who attempted an indecent assault on a little girl at Hellyer's creek some days ago, and had since been eluding the search by tho police, was run to earth on Friday and captured. Conncillor von Sturmsr is to move at the next meeting of the Hamilton Borough Council That resolution No. It) of the 13th November last allowing cattle to run on the streets during the night be rescinded." At the sale ot land situated in Tuhikaramoa on Saturday, by Mr John Knox, by order of the Supreme Court for unpaid rates, there was not a single bid offered for any of the property. The lease of an acre of the Hamilton domain lands was sold at (is per annum. We understand that Mr W. J. Hunter has completed the erection of a sheep dip at his Ohaupo Yards. This will prove of great oenetit to sheep-owners, as thero is not a Government dip in the district, and we commend Mr Hunter for assisting the interests of the farmers in this practical manner. We remind our readers of the grand bazaar to be held at Te Awainutu to-morrow, it) aid of the Wesleyan Church funds. Besides endless varieties of attractive good'* for sale, there will be no lack of sources of amusement, musical entertainment, etc., etc. We feel suro much pleasure wil! be afforded visitors, and hope the results will be satisfactory to tho promoters.

A Foxton gentleman gives a glowing account of the flax industry in his neighbourhood. There are eleven mills in full swing, and other six are now being erected. These mills are capable of turning out an average quantity of about three and a half tons of dressed fibre per week, nnsl the average number of bauds employed is about 15 per mill. The latest report states that the present value of this material is £40 per ton in the Home market, giving the producer here a very handsome profit.

The Mataura Ensign states that the rise in oats was so rapid that some farmers failed to keep quite level with the news. A huyer for a Dunedin firm went up from Gore in the direction of Waikaka at the end of last week, and he had the luck to surprise several fanners who do not keep themselves posted up in the latest information as well as they ought to »10. From one settler he bought 375 bags of oats at a price at least £75 below what they wero then worth, and he secured other parcels at prices ranging from 2s 3d to 2s 10J.

Instances have been recorded of the remarkable swimming capabilities of cattle, but we (Western Star) do not remember to have heard of such wonderful powers of endurance as was witnessed last week near Orepuki. Mr Erskine was crossing a mob of cattle at the mouth of the Waiau to his run, which is situated on the other side of the river, when seven of the beasts were carried out to sea, and all hopes of their recovery were given up. This was a few minutes before twelve o'clock. The surprise of those in charge of the cattle can be imagined when at half-past four, six out of the seven beasts landed safely, after being in the water over four and a-half hours.

The difficulty with the natives who had stopped the works on the Piako County Council roads has been overcome, and work is now proceeding as usual. The engineer, accompanied by Sergeant Emerson, of To Aroha, proceeded to the work on Saturday, and started the contractors in the cuttings. A large party of natives, some 25 or 30, were soon in attendance, but no active resistance was offered, the presence of the Sergt. having a very visible effect. After a couple of hours' talk the natives gave it up as a bad job, and yielded to the persuasion of the engineer, and retired in goud order and considerably sold.

At a meeting of the Hamilton Sports Committee held last night, it was decided to hold the sports on the Claudelands racecourse. In so deciding, those favouring the change considered that tho alteration would be appreciated by the general public, as, with the use of the grandstand, spectators would with comfort be enabled to view the different events. To excursionists by rail it will also be an advantage, as thoy will be landed virtually on to the ground. There wore some objections to the change, principally, because at the annual meeting it was arranged to hold the sports on Sydney Square as usual, but even the most strenuous opponents agreed that the racecourse was the better place for holding the sports.

The Wanganui Herald urges that, to meet the competition of the Argentine Republic frozen meat, the New Zealand Government should ask the British Government to put on River Plate subsidised meat a countervailing duty equal to the amount of bonus voted by the Argentine Parliament. On which the Hawera Star remarks We could understand the logic of the New Zealand Government being asked by tho Herald to give local meat exporters a bonus corresponding with that given by the Argentine Government; but there is quite a refreshing assurance in the request suggested by our contemporary. Fancy a journal, which prides itself on the share it has taken in securing the imposition of a tariff expressly aimed against tho British mechanic, asking the said mechanic to refuse cheap fond from the Argentine in order to give protectionist New Zealand an advantage ? Could the force of fiscal impudence further go ?

A very painful accident occurred at Ngaruawahia on Saturday last at about 9 a.m., when a boy seven years of age, son of Mrs Elmsley, had his leg broken above the knee by the upsetting of a trap. It appears that the boy was on his way to his grandmother's, where he intended spending the day, and was in a trap in company with his uncle, Mr Wallace, who was driving. In turning a sharp comer they cut it too fine, and the right wheel of the trap went over a slight rise, thereby upsetting it. Wallace was thrown clear of the trap, and escaped with a slight bruise on the shoulder; but the little fellow was less fortunate, and being unable to extricate himself in time was pinned to the ground by the splashboard. When picked up it was found that his leg was broken, so he was at once carried to a friend's houte, and Dr. Murch was telegraphed for, who on his arrival set the injured limb with little trouble. The boy is now doing very favourably, and bears the pain without a murmur.

The Rev. Mr Nelson, of St. Paul's, Auckland, preached in the morning and evening at S. Peter's, Hamilton, on Sunday last. In the evening he also gave an address in the hall on "Living Faith." There was but a moderate attendance. The rev. gentleman took as h'is motto the following passage from St. Luke, "If thou believest in a living God, thou doest well. The devils also believe, and tremble." The address was an able one, and was delivered with much earnestness. The speaker referred to the differences of opinion in modern times on the existence of God, the teachings of the Church, and on the Bible, Yery few atheists when confronted with the direct question denied God, only they gave him some other name, In spite of the strides of education and progress, there was no decrease in the sin and crimes of the English-speaking people. Sin and immorality wero open and winked at in society and business so long as one did not fall into the stern grip of the law or was not found out. As pljristjaii people, ho showed how essential it was to an exemplary life to accept the beneficient and loving God, and the s;ilr vation offered through Christ's sacrifice. The devils know more than we do aliout Bible truths, heaven, Jtc., and believe; but theirs was a dead faith, it came too late. Ours should be a living faith, and conscience and reason told us there must be an after life, and that sin must entail punishment. On Sunday next the Rev. J. S. Hill will continue the series of adjlfegs.es,

A contemporary says :—The Wanganni Chronielo gravely announces that "The Gazette notifies that Id per pound will be levied on "leather board and compo," used as .substitute for butter." Tint we should have to import "leather board and compo " for such a purpose is the severest satire on our dairy produce we have yet come acioas !

The complimentary concert in aid of Bandmaster Mettam will take place on the 18th inst. A very attractive programme has been prepared, all the performers being very efficient musicians, and talented vocalists, several of whom are well-known to Waikato audiences. We shall no doubt see a bumper house, which Mr Mettam undoubtedly deserves.

The London correspondent of the Duueiliii Star, writing upmi the Maori team of footballers now in England, says :—All the New Zealanders are ardent worshippers at the shrine of beauty. They admire the female face not less than the "female form divine." One would le illy think, from the way some of the team calk, that there were no pretty girls to be seen at the Antipodes. Over here they appear to notice so many "astonishingly fine women." 1 fancy, too, the larger the lady the better they (I refer more particularly to the Maoris) like her. A fifteen inch waist, a fairy form, and a fragile footstep, have not so many attractions for tiiese dark sons of the South as a buxom, stalwart last with a well-de-veloped bust and plenty of—well, dress improver. Wo like something to catch hold of," said a Maori, pathetically, and referring, I presumed, to the amplitude of this charmer's person. The halfe-castes aro very much admired. " What fine-looking men" was an observation that emanated from many fair lips at Blackheath and Richmond. I should not, indeed, be surprised if more than one of the team brought back fair English and well dowered brides. " I say. Bill, 'ere's a Mowrowry," cried a youthful Northamptonian, in ecstasy, as he planted himself full in the massive " Smiler's " path, and, legs apart, gazed adniiiingly up into the native's stolid countenance. " Smiler " was not insensible to this gratifying flattery, but he probably felt it would be undesirable to show it Therefore ho simply set the child gently aside, and, putting on his best English and paternal smile, said solemnly: "Go 'way, bawy." "Oil ! crikey, ain't we tolls just," retorted the boy vulgarly.

There are many ways of libelling a man besides calling him a rogue or a ruffian. The other morning wo were asked, under circumstances of a most persuasive nature, to apologise to a gentleman for daring to suggest that he had joined the Salvation Army. The paragraph to which exception was taken was to the effect that a certain Lawrence tradesman had been seen driving the lady captain and lieutenant of the Salvation Army on a devil-hunting cruise round the Waitahuna district, and it was, therefore, inferred that a conversation had taken place. On Monday morning the "redeemed" entered our office, armed with a formidable weapon, in the shape of a double-barrelled shot gun, not unlike a Spanish arquebnse, and, getting it uncomfortably close to the editor's forelock, insisted upon dictating an apology right away. A remonstrance only brought a elick of the hammer and a charge of rust from the fusty weapon. Certainly the gentleman atthe other end of it did not look like one converted, nor, moreover, like one who was over likely to be ; so that i.f to say so would be taken as an apology, we expressed a willingness to make the most ample retraction there and than. A settlement on terms favourable to both parties was accordingly arranged, and tho " unredeemed" went his way rejoicing. To say that a man capable of shooting an editor in cnld blood has been converted is, we consider, a gross libel on religion, from which we sliiink. —Tuapeka Times.