Untitled

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue XXXII, 9 March 1889, Page 2

Judge Ward has been appointed District Judge at Oamaru and Western Otago. A notification in the Gazette vests the To Awamutn library site in the local town board. The full programme of the South Auckland Racing Club's Autumn Meeting appears in this issue. The Gazette notice of the alterations in the railway freights la signed by Mr J. P. Maxwell as chairman, and Mr W, M. Hannay as Commissioner. The quarterly meeting _ of the Cambridge Licensing Commissioners was held yesterday, the whole ot the members being present. The license of the Masonic Hotel was transferred from C. H. White to Edwin Hope. It has been decided to extend the telegraph wires to Lichfield, and a branch will be run from the main line at a point about six miles north of Maungaiti. It is to be hoped the Department may see its way to make a further extension to Oxford, as it would be a great public convenience. We are asked to notify for the information of the members of the Anglican Church at Cambridge West, that the Sunday school which has been closed for a few weeks will be opened to-morrow. The Archdeacon will bu present to assist in making arrangements. There be a meeting of the Cambridge West School Committee after the Sunday-school. A Tasmanian gentleman, passing through Hamilton yesterday was shown several specimens of locally-grown apples, and was miuh taken with their quality and freedom from the Codlin moth grub. We were informed by him that very stringent regulations for fighting this pest have lately been put in force in Tasmania, and that a special tax of four shillings per acre has been levied upon all fruit-growers to provide for the cost of carrying out these regulations,

A shipment of 136 cattle from Wellington arrived in Melbourne. Twenty died on the voyage, and the remainder were sold at an average of £8 12s. Tho experiment is not regarded as a success. Mr J. P. Abbott has given notice of motion in the Legislative Assembly of Now South Wales, that the Government should without delay introduce a bill to remove the duties on bacon, butter, cheese, and kerosene. The mail notices of the Hamilton Post-office and Kirikiriroa will be found in this issue, to suit the new time-table which comes into force on Monday. Tho mails for Auckland will close half-an-hour earlier than heretofore. It is most probable that a public meeting will be held in Cambridge during next week, to consider the practicability of starting a volunteer corps in that town. It is thought that there aro sufficient young men residing in and near tho borough to make a corps of fifty or sixty men, tho limit allowed by the regulations. Tawhiao passed through Hamilton on Thursday on his way to Hukanui. He is going to tho Mercer sports, of which ho is one of the patrons. He is about take up his permanent residence at Puke Kawa, on land set aside for him and his people by Major Te Wheoro. As soon as they have got in their crops at Whatiwhatihoe all the natives will move down the Waikato. The valuation roll for the Borough of Cambridge was presented to Captain Jackson, KM., and duly signed by him yesterday. There was only one objector to the valuations of Mr J. P. Thompson, viz., Ven Archdeacon Willis, who objected to his Domain section being rated at lis. Captain Jackson, however, did not appear to support his objection, and tho valuation list was sustained in it 3 entirety. Some extraordinary disclosures were made at a meeting of Mr D. H. McKen/.ie's creditors, in Auckland, on Thursday. Tho unencumbered assets had been valued at £8817, which had dwindled down to £4887 but, to the creditors' surprise, the total assets amounted to only £2(>5. The trustees (Messrs J. Buchanan, W. Johnson and R. O Young) had paid themselves £BGO for commissions, and had spent £1790 to secure £205 for the creditors' benefit. On account of the number of children attending the Tamahcre school having increased, the committee at their last meeting decided to make an urgent request for the immediate appointment of a pupil teacher. The Inspectors ropo.t of the standard examination of the school has been received. Mr Goodwin adds to tho details of passes and failures :—" These results aro satisfactory. The school has been carefully taught. Discipline, behaviour and general tone very good." By desire of the clergy and some of the congregation of S. Andrew's, Cambridge, the Rev. Dr. Hoopet has promised to preach a farewell sermon to-morrow evening. On Tuesday evening we understand there will be a farewell conversazione in S. Andrew's school-room, when an address will bo presented on behalf of the congregation. Admission to the conversazione will on free and the presence ot a sympathisers is desired. Dr. Hooper will officiate at Ohaupoon Sunday morning.

Cambridge can show some very fine apples, and at the forthcoming Horti- | cultural show, it would not be sunn-sing it the best record for big apples was beaten. There are at present on view at Bach s Criterion Hotel, three apples, Beauty ot Kent," grown by Mr T. W. Hicks which weigh four pounds. Mr (4. J. Neal, also has in his window a number of r lower ot Glamis" apples, grown by Mr Keeley, senr. of Cambridge West, which average one and a quarter pounds each, the heaviest weighing one and a half pounds. If it was not for our frieud, the carpocapsa pomonella, what a country this would be for apples! Lichfield settlers are looking forward to good times yet, and many of them exi.net that Patelcre will prove a grand sheep carrying country b.'fo-e long. Experience has proved that with proper care and cultivation this part of the country is as good as most, for grazing purposes ; and, mvin" to climatic influences, the grass there is green and plentiful when the vaunted pasture lands of Hawko's Bay aro dried up and withered. Captain Rich has about one thousand acres near Lichfield, ot some of the best grass in the province, and his re turns frum tho past season s lambs have been very satisfactory. Other settlers who are also sticking to the place express themselves sati.«fijcl with their prospects. A careless urchin, on his way to school, on Thursday morning, had a very narrow escape from having Ins leg smashed. K wa"gon belonging to the Auckland Agn cultural Assueiation was being driven into Cambridge, and while it was going up the hill from the Karapiro bridge, the youngster thought he would jump on and ride. Trying, however, to mount from the wheel, his foot slipped, and his leg went between the spokes. He gave a yell, and Ballings the driver, promptly put the brake on and pulled up his horses just in time to save the boy's leg, as another half revolution of the wheel would have broken it badly. Next time that boy want? to ride, perhaps he 11 get up behind, or else ask the driver for a lift.

The road between Cambridge and Waotu is in a disgraceful condition. Between Paercii and the waterfall at Huihuitahi the sidings at the foot of the sand lulls are almost impassable, and dangerous in the extreme to any wheeled traffic. Iho thousands of sheep that have been driven over this road lately have, by climbing the bank, caused tons of loose sand to cover the load to a depth of between two and three feet, and consequonty any waggoner, coming to this loo<o, shifting formation, finds his waggon, team, and in fact the loose surface of the road slipping over the bank into the Waikato, unless he is very careful. Mr David Bruce arrived in Cambridge on Wednesday night with a load of post* after being two days on the road—a distance of thirty-two mile J only. More than once he. nearly went over the bank, and had to take the harness off one of his leaders to scoop a channel on the high side of the road so as to alforU a bed for the nlfsido wheels of his waggon, and even then, had it not been that ho was driving two good steady polcrs, he would have come to grief. Comment is needless.

To the Editor: Sir,-With regard to the fish caught lately at Tamahere in the Mangaone creek a short time since, I feel suro now that it is a " Lampern," or fresh water Lamprey. The following is from a first-class authority on the matter : —" Lampern (Petromyzan Elutiatilis), a small river fish allied to the lamprey, sometimes called the "seven holes" in allusion to the respiratory orifices on either side of the neck. Like the lamprey it has a small opening on the upper surface of the head, situated nearly between the eyes and connected with the seven bronchial openings. Its tongue is so formed that by a movement of the mouth it acts like a piston and enables the lampern to attach itself to any foreign body by means of suction. The lampern is usual about two feet long, of a yellowish colour, mottled with brown irregular streaks; the two dorsal fins aro distinctly separated, the second one joining with the tail tin as well as with a small strip that represents the dual fin. They have no swimming bladder and being also without pectoral fins are usually seen near the bottom." From the above description, it will be seen that the fish is certainly a lampern,—Yours, &c, Pisoator, Hamilton, 7th March, 18S!>. N.B.—The Maori name for this fish is "Piharau." The specimen may be seen in Mr lv. E. Sandes shop window, Hamilton. Mr J. A. Browne, of Clevedon, Ins been enquiring in the Waikato this week, concerning the totara bushes, as sources for the supply of piles, lie has his requisition from Mr B. A. Wright, sonr., of Komata, Ohinemuri, who got his instructions from Mr Koebel, the delegate from Washington. United States, to enquire for a cure of the Icerya in New Zealand and Australia. Also to enquire concerning timbers in New Zealand and Australia suitable for piles—as American timber only lasts a few years. Ihe difhculty will be to get enough, as experts consider a bush like the Waotu will only be able to supply a few thousands—of course, it has been well worked—and quantity is what Mr Koebel considered paramount, to build up a trade—say high up in six or even seven figures. Besides the trade, if established, would be ii boon to New Zealand, as she has far more totara than she will ever want, and far less money, at present, than is necessary. And totara turned to money is more beneficial than totara resolved to its nathc elements by fire or rot. If proprietors of bushes were to send in information about their bushes—quantity, cost of getting etc., to Mr R. A. Wright, lvomata, Ohinemuri, Thames, or Mr J. A. Browne, Clevedon, Auckland, they will help the movement, as these gentlemen will form a report and send it to Washington, to show the United States uation our resources.

And as these gentlemen take all this trouble only to help trade—for no pecuniary consideration—the least the people could do is to aid them by sending in information.