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Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2585, 5 February 1889, Page 2

Parliament has been further prorogued until 11th April. The Premier arrived in Auckland on Sunday, find is expected to address a public meeting on Wednesday evenin p. The steady rain of Friday continued during Saturday and only cleared off on Sunday morning. Generally speakinn it will do much good to tlic country. From a return prepared by the Government ib is estimated there are 100,000 men, between the ages 15 and :"i."). capable of bearing arms in New Zealand. James Cross, on remand for steal- ; tiis: a pair of boots from Mr Missuii, of Hamilton, was brought before Messrs Sear.incke, Knox and Gapt. Steel'-, J.P.'s, yes-tf'rd-iy, and sentenced to one month's hard labour. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Hamilton Library Committee will be held this evening at 7 o'clock sharp, at the JiorouKh Council Chambers, to receive accounts from the retiring secretary, and to till the vacant oHicc. A full meeting is desired. The Borough Council meeting lakes place at 7.30 p.m. White Island is supposed to have an appreciable efftxH on crops round about the Opotiki district. In heavy, thick weather, very heavy fumes of sulphur are wafted to the mainland, and, in fact, at times thoy are so heavy as not to be altogether pleasant. The effect is said to be to destroy pests of various kinds, and at tho same time stimulate the growth of the maize crop, which is the chief product of tiwt Uwti'ict,

Miss Misseii wiJl give a concert I nn Tl.uisiiny, Poln'u.try llS'li, particulars of vvltiuh will Inj athertisod in a futnro issue. The Hamilton Light Infantry will parade ihis evening at the Volunteer Hall, at 8 o'clock. The annual meeting of the corps will ho held after drill, when the balance-sheet will bo read, the various cm-mittee-i elected, mid several mutters i f importance laid before the members. A full attendance is therefore re.planted. A better specimen of a "bull" could not be wished for than that afforded by the verdict of a Dunedin jury—"That the infant was found drowned, but whether it was born alive or dead there is no evidence to show." It doe-in t seem to have struck the jurors that a child born dead couldn't by any possibility be drowned. The Hamilton Choral Society will meet for practice to-iriorrow night, when new members can join. The Society lias already given evidence of the state of efficiency it has attained under Mr 11. Connell's conduetorship, and we trust the public of Hamilton will be favoured with anothor such admirable concert as the one given at Christmas time. The following may interest horticulturists A. P. Meeker, of Occidental, three years ago was annoyed by the codlin moth. After trying several remedies without relief, ho planted at the roots; of his apple trees tansy seed. This has completely eradicated the insect, and the orchard is free from its ravages.—Santa Rosa Democrat. Agricultural settlers are not alone the only sufferers from the erasping policy of the Midland Railway Company. The miners are precluded from taking up a residence area unless a house has been erected upon it for a very long time. The com pany has now securely lockod up every acre of unoccupied land in three entire districts, while hundreds of families arc unable, unless at a prohibitive price, to get a patch of land to live upon. What do the admirers of Sir Robert Stout think of that? A large meeting of firmers was held at Gore the other day, when the everlasting bag question came up for discussior. Owing to the inability of the chairman to control the meeting, and keep the speakers within proper bounds, the discussion bo came desultory, and drifted otf into a wrangle about co-operative societies W hilo on this topic, a farmer present settled the matter by saying that the worst thing about co-operative societies was that they got blackguards to manage them—some unhung That u'u.s the causc of failure. This is a tact! Travellers who know the Port Chalmers railway line will remember that just before reaching Sawyers Bay there is a tunnel. The other day just after the train had parsed through this tunnel, the guard went through to collect tickets, at the same time announcing the arrival of the train at the Sawyers 15 iy station with that shortening of nomenclature common to his species. " Sawyez ! Sawyez !" he cried, as he entered a carriage in which a young couple were sitting, and the girl promptly saiJ : " Well, I don't care if you did, we re married !" The indications of better times for New Zealand are every day br-coming stronger. In this connection there is nothing so reliable as an increase in the price of property. In O.unaru recently, Mr Monlove, a largo land proprietor, sold 2,000 acres of land to a Victorian capitalist at a price that might be called fabulous compared with prices ruling a fjw months back. The groat natural advantages of this colony are in tliß end bound to tell, and Victorians or others who have capital to spend and want sound investments will not fail to find their way here. A Taranaki paper says Farmers may congratulate themselves that the prospects for the next six mouths aie pa r " tieularly ' rosy' lor dairy produce. The proprietor of one factory has done a b.g stroke, having, at any rate, sold of the season's butter at Is l.Jd per lb, trie purchase being effected for the Australian market.'' The same paper of a more recent date asserts that the agent of an Australian linn is making inquiries as to the quantity of milk available to supply large dairy factory to be established at Sontry Hill, close to New Plymouth. The company lie represents is prpared to put i'lo,ooo of capital into the conccrn. The weather-growlers in New Zealand might- take a hint from the following extract from a private letter from Melbourne in the. North Otago Times, and in future refrain from strong language when .-peaking of the climate " You ted me of the heat you have had in New Zealand lately—llOdeg. in the sun ; but here it has been 154tleg. often, and I feel I am melting away like a pound of butter. Talk of rain ! It rains here sometimes more in five minutes than I have known your heaviest rain in one hour. I have not far to walk from my lodgings to my work, yet I often get wet to the skin. ... lam cautious what I take here, as typhoid is very prevalent. For weeks I have only tasted milk once, though I used to be so fond of it, and I miss many dainties I used to have in New Zealand." Apropos of orchard-robbing, we heard a verv good tale of the tactics adopted by a Wanganui orehardist. Ho had been sorely troubled with these pilferers, and had tried nearly every dodge to keep them clear, but without success. At last, on being fortunate to catch two boys he carried out a scheme which has kept his orchard free till now. obtaining possession of the two boys, lie conducted them to his cellar, and, securing theii hands behind their back, left them. He next proceeded to a lonely portion of his garden, and, with a spade, dug a trench live feet long and four feet deep. He then went for the two lads and led them bound to the edge of the pit, and, putting on his fiercest look, armed himself with a long carving knife, and glaring at the youngsters bid them to kneel down and say their prayers, for directly he meant to kill and bury them. I'or a time the boys prayed and ciied, and promised reformation, but their executioner continued glaring at them, bidding them to hurry up, had but little time to wait. After further very vehement promises of amendment the ogre let them go, but such terror has he inspired that no mere attempts have been m:ide on his possessions. The London correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes No one seems to know exactly what stage has been reached in the negotiations between the Pekin authorities and the Colonial office in regard to the Chinese emigration question. The papers relating to the same have been asked for in the House, of Commons, but, the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs declines to produce them, stating that lhe matter was not yet ripe for the publication of a Blue Book. It is, however, understood that a very voluminous correspondence is taking place, and that so far the Chinese are very far from exhibiting a readiness lo comply with the demands either of America or Australia. They take their stand upon their international rights, and claim to be treated no bettor and no worse than any other member of the great family of nali'ins. The correspondence is being conducted with a good deal of dignity on their pirt, but it is manifest from the tone of the despatches that they are inwardly raging at the insult that has been put upon them. The authorities at the Foreign Office feel themselves placed in a position of great embarrassment, scarcely knowing how to meet the arguments advanced by the Chinese, and they think their best course is not to unduly precipitate a decision, but to trust to time to show the way to some solution of the difficulty.