The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 1889.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2605, 23 March 1889, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 1889.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political.

The spirit of gambling, which displays itself principally in a mania for horse-racing, is very strong in the colonies. It is a marked feature in our social order. Neither the clmmnciiitions of the pulpit, nor Acts of Parliament can stamp it out. Where the ostensible object of the turf is to assist in improving the breed of a certain class of horses and to encourage the best kind of stock-raising, the principle of horseracing must be acknowledged and appreciated. Ho far it is right in its way and the results are beneficial to the country. Whilst importance is Ino doubt attached to this view of the matter by a number who are deeply interested in horse-flesh, the vast majority of the people regard it from an entirely different direction. To them it is merely a means for the gratification of the senses, a fleeting pleasure, a national holiday-making. That is the popular side of the question, and to it. the generic name of sporting is given. All reports and references to racing affairs appear under that heading in the press. Where it is necessary to adopt safeguards for the public morals •011sideration must be given to the abuse of this pastime and the excesses of the turf. There is no denying the fact that far too many race-meetings are instituted merely in the interests of local publicans, and are managed by reckless, incapable men with little or no stake in the country, and who do not care a rush for the encouragement of horse-breeding. With these the solo object is to attract a crowd of people before whom a few miserable hacks scamper over apiece of abominable ground called a course. On such occasions the stakes offered are paltry and tempting only to the possessors of sorry screws that are locally owned. Good horses owned by bonajide breeders keep aloof from meetings of this description. There is no public good either attained or sought by those petty meetings. There is nothing else desired but a holiday, better known as a " spree;" and they only too frequently terminate in some serious casuality to performers and spectators. Our Kihikihi correspondent, the other day, referred in strong terms to the fatal accident which cut short the young life of the boy McGlynn, and to the causes that led to it. On that occasion the thoughtless manner in which the stewards laid off the course over palpably dangerous ground was most criminal, and to them was due the jockey's death. There is scarcely a meeting held in these obscure hamlets throughout the colony without being accompanied by some dreadful accident, which, in most cases, occurs in hurdle races, and thus prove the inferiority of the horses, and that they are not of the breed of bona fide racers. There lately occurred the death of a jockey at Tukapuna, from a cause precisely similar to the one at Kilii kiln, both being on courses which none but lunatics would lay out. Numerous instances have been recorded this season of the deaths of, and grievious injuries sustained by, jockeys in many parts of the colony. '1 his sort of thing has, surely, reached its limit, and it is time public opinion demanded a check being placed upon it. Race meetings, at their best, are demoralising, and when they are allowed to flourish as they do in every out-of-the way locality, for no other purpose then that a few senseless individuals may bet and j drink, even through it costs a fel-low-creature his life to amuse them, then they are utterly degrading. Kestrictions should be placed by law on the racing spirit, not for its suppression, but limitation within the the bounds of reason and humanity. No races should be permitted to take place in any district that does not contain a certain fixed population, say, for example, five or six thousand souls. Only licensed registered clubs should bo allowed to institute meetings, and always provided they can offer in stakes a . fair and substantial aggregate amount of money, the minimum of which should be defined by law. Some steps of this character should be taken to procure the abolition of these numerous petty race-meetings, and we trust the attention of the i Legislation will be drawn to the ! subject in the approaching session. Wliere small localities require amusement and recreation, they can obtain their pleasures in other ways, such as athletic sports, &c. Capt. Edwin telegraphs North to I West and South West gale within 12 hours with rain. Glass further fall. We understand that there is a probability of an action for damages being brought against the Kihikihi Jockey Club, in connection with the late accident caused by a defective course. The Secretary of the Huntly Jockey Club wires to the effect that Leila's weight in the H. J.C. Handicap, 7st., was omitted from the list forwarded us and which was printed in our last issue. In consequence of the Napier sheep being unablo to reach Ohaupo in time for the date fixed for Mr McNicol's sheep sale, Wednesday, March 27th, the sale has been postponed until Friday next, the 2i)th inst. The Waikafco River has not been so low for very many years as it is just now. In some places bathers can walk across it, except in the main channel. The long spell of dry weather is being severely felt, and copious rain is much needed. It has been decided to have tiie Taawhare sports on liascer Monday, strictly local with the exception of the high jump for horses. The committee consists of Messrs Diproso (chairman), C. Shaw, J. Shaw, Scott, Harding, Orr, Evetts, Wise and Speake, with J, Graham, secretary pro. tem.

Hamilton is losing another of its residents), Mr S. Pascoe, of the Hamilton Kast brewery, having taken tho Royal Hotel at Onehunga. We remind our readers of Professor Lio Medo's entertainment at Le Quosne's Hall to-night, of which a notico appears in another column. Secretaries of Football Clubs are requested to send in reports of the annual meetings of their clubs as well as their match fixtures for the season to " Wingman," Waikato Times Office, Hamilton. The ship Josephine is now on her way from San Francisco to Sydney with a cargo of .8,000 bags of wheat and 14,000 sacks of oats. The large shipments from San Francisco (says the Christchurch Press) may be tho cause of the Sydney people taking fright and dropping the price of produce so rapidly. An alarm of fire was raised in Hamilton East about 2 p.m. yesterday. The outbreak was in the roof near the chimney of a building occupied by Mr Head, of Cook-street, and Mr H. Tristram, who was close at hand, promptly suppressed the flames before the arrival of the many willing hands who came to render assistance. Capt. Souter has on view a fine sample of sorghum saccbaratum, grown from Sulton's seed, by Mr Dodd of Tauwhare. It is claimed for sorghum that it is a most valuable plant to use either for green feed or for the silo, as it will stand several cuttings in the course of the season and then make splendid ensilage. The following are the agricultural statistics for Canterbury:—Wheat, 5,-187,902 bushels; average, 23 bushels per acre. Oats, 3,007,244 bushels ; average, 27 bushels per acre. Barley, 528,250 bushels ; average, 28 bushels per acre. Potatoes, 3G,JG'3 tons ; average, tons per acre, Hay, 10,553 tons ; average, 1"3 tons per acre. We understand that Mr Griffith, father of Rev. S. Griffith, of Te Awamutu, who is on a visit to Waikato, is going to deliver a lecture on entitled " Whatl saw in India," in tho Wesleyan Church, Hamilton, on Monday evening next. There will be no charge for admission, but a collection made at the close of the proceedings. During the month of February the following shipments of wool were made from the colonies :—Victoria, 31,90(5 bales; New South Wales, 32,505; South Australia, 0,250 ; (Queensland, 12,221; West Australia, 2,782 ; Tasmania, 3,0'J2; New Zealand (January and February). 74,287. The total shipments from Ist July last amount to 1,13.1,032 bales, being an increase of 32,704 bales. Recent visitors from Melbourne (the New Zealand Times says) give a doleful account of tha state off affairs there since the collapse of the land boom. It is computed that fully ( SO,OOO people in tho city have at present no settled means of subsistence, and that matters are likely to be worse yet before the full effect of tho late wild hind gambling has been reached. We would call the attention of the person or persons who have been removing the old shingles from the Hospital that numbers, with nails in them, are left lying about the road, and are very dangeinus to horses. As well as the danger caused by the nails, in tho morning the shingles are very wet from dew, and consequently very slippery. Some steps ought to be taken to clear the road of these shingles. There will be another working Bee at S. Peter's Church grounds, Hamilton, to-day at 10 o'clock to complete the work left unfinished by tho former party, which includes drainage, filling in and accommodation for saddle horses. All willing to holp are asked to put in an appearance with pick, or spades, and placo themselves undei the direction of Mr T. G. Sandes, who will suporvise operations. We quite agree (says an exchange) with tho following expression of opinion from the Rangitikei Advocate:— From time to time tliß Press Association sends us reports of dividends declared by banks. These items are advertisements pure and simple, and should be paid for as such. The object of the directors in desiring their publication is to advertise the banks. Why should they bo allowed to do this on the cheap. There was a good attendance of mourners at tho funeral of the late Mr J. Greenwood, on Thursday afternoon. The Hamilton Light Infantry, under Capt. Reid and Lieut. Edgecumbe mustered in strong force, and with the band playing the '•Dead March, in Saul," and "The Final Halt," the procession proceeded slowly to the Hamilton West Cemetery, where the burial service wus conducted by the Rev. T. G. Carr. Mr <t. J. Weal states that he objects to give two of the special prizes, offered by him at the late Horticultural Show, on the following grounds :—One prize was offered for the best Wobb's Sensation Tomato's, and was awarded to certainly tho finest tomatos in the show, only they were not the variety distinctly specified. In the second instance a prize for Webb's Prolific Ridge Cucumbers was awarded to a collection which likewise did not till tho bill. We would again remind the Hamilton footballers that the annual meetiug of the Hamilton Football Club will be held in The Waikato Times Buildings at S o'clock sharp to-nipht. It is hoped that there will be a largo attendance, as several matters of interest will bo brought under discussion ; and, as a number .if new rules come into force this year, it will bo necessary to make an early start with practice if Hamilton intends to uphold the position it gained hist season. We understand that several clubs are already being coached in the new rules. The Argus, under the heading of "Strange glimpses of Melbourne life," records the fact that for the last quarter of a. century tho proprietor of the Mechanics' Restaurant, A. Ue Freitas, has observed a peculiar custom. Punctually at eight o'clock in the evening tho doors of tho restaurant aro thrown open and the whole of the food left over during the day is placed, free of charge, before whosoever likes to enter and cat. Knives and forks aro laid for 100 persons, and a cup of tea with a largo piece oE bread is at the service of whoever likes to order them. All the remnants of meat, fish, fowls, etc., were placed on the tables. The nightly attendance for the 25 years has ranged from 00 to 100. At a certain dairy factory, not far from Cambridge, a number of farmers who had just delivered their morning's milk, were having a chat about crops, prices, and the like, when tha conversation turned on the subject of exporting wheat to Sydney. A genial farmer, noted fnr his excellent cider, was asked was he poinu to send over his wheat, and replied that ho intended to do so. Another settler, also a " Cousin Jack," and famous for mild cured hams and bacon, wa3 at the time, engaged collecting the refuse milk for the pigs, and he, chipping in, remarked, "Oh ; it's no use sending your wheat, it's too soft." " Look here," says "Cider," " if your head was as hard as my wheat, you would not be wheeling husks to swine now." The farmers roared, and the bacon man subsided. On Thursday morning shortly before eight o'clock the house of Mr O'Grady, a short distance out of Ngaruawahia, on the Hamilton road, was totally destroyed by fire. Mrs O'Grady was at the time of the fire engaged in milking, and it was with somo difficulty that she rescued her baby, three months old, from the burning house. The firo is suppssed to have originated through some fat, in which a steak was being frisd, spilling on the fire, the flames from which spread to some clothea drying in front of the fire, and thence to the walls of the room. A small detached shed and a stack of hay were also destroyed. Tho house was insured for £00 and the fnrniture for £40 in the New Zealand Insurance Company. We sympathise with Mr and Mrs O'Grady in their loss, which is a severe one, the house being a comparatively new one. A correspondent writes:—Mr Maxwell's alterations of the railway tariff, to enable email lots of produce, fish, etc., to be carried at a reasonable rate, have given general satisfaction ; yet some of the wiseacres of the department seem (determined to render the reduction non-effective. A Cambridge hotelkeeper sent down the other day for a few fish, which duly arrived, and, according to the new scalo, the freight should have been one shilling and twopence. To tho consignee's surprise, however, hulf-a-crown was demanded ou the ground that the reduced rates apply only to packages sent by the goods train, which leaves Auckland at S a.m., and for which freight must be brought to the goods shed on the previous evening, and the fish in question, coming up by the passenger train, had to be invoiced at the old parcel rates. The consignee wittily remarked that in tho fiew reduced tariff tho word ,: fresh" was certainly inserted in error, as by the manner in which the regulations are carried out, " stinking fish" waa evitfeutly meapt.

Here is an extract from the report in a local nfiwspaper of a very successful ui-comitry sheep sale. There seems something queer about it, but no doubt the^ auctioneers could explain :—"About 23,700 wero yarded, consisting of verv forward and early shorn merino wethers in lamb, and a good sprinkling of fat sheep and lambs." The report Roes on to say that " for some lots competition was very keen." That is not to be wondered at under the circumstances,—Napier Telegraph. The monthly meeting of the TaKwhare Band of Hope was held on Thursday evening. There were about bixty present. Mr Whitburn, of Morrinsville, occupied tho chair, and gave a very appropriate address. Songs were (riven by Miss Bremner and Messrs Whitburn, Drinkvvater and Innes. The principal and most interesting part of the entertainment was a dialogue "~My Lori Tnmkins " by eight persons in character. Misses Walworth, E. Walworth, and J. Walworth, and Messrs Drinkwater, Speake, Shaw, Wise and Graham. Several of the performers had never been on the platform before, but all acquitted themselves very well indeed. The company intend visiting Morrinsville next month. Mr S. Lawsun deserves special mention for the part he took in getting up the characters. If the cable reports quoting the price of frozen mutton can be accepted as reliable, then it is certain that Hiver Plate mutton is steadily but surely increasing in value in the market. It is but a short lime since New Zealand mutton was selling from id to jfd per lb. more than tho River Plate article; but the last quotations show a difference of only a farthing in fa\our_of this colony, the figures being 4Jd and 3Jd. For some time past flock-owners in the Argentine Republic have been doing their best to improve the breed of their sheep, and the result is beginning to be seen in the increased value of their mutton. New Zealanders will have to look well after their business if they are to hold their own with this important article of export. The comparatively short distance by sea the River Plate mutton has to be carried gives its farmers a great advantage over New Zealand, and all things considered there can be no question that even with their mutton selling at Ad per lb. under that from thi.s colony their profits are as groat if not greater than the New Zealanders'. In connection with the quarantining of animals, a good story is now in circulation. The incident occurred in a Now Zealand port. We need not be more specific. A couple of pigs of high pedigree were imported from England, but wore not permitted to land, To have kept them in quarantine for tht prescribed period would have been very expensive and risky. The owner was in despair, and took counsel with an experienced friend. The result was that a boat went alongside the hulk, and behold there were four pigs instead of two on board. This was clearly two too many. The law insisted on two pigs, and two only, being detained, Tho men on board were not judges of pig's breeding, and it is no wonder if in catching the couple which could be legally taken ashore, they did not discriminate very closely between pure Berkshire and descendants of the stock originally landed by Captain Cook. But the law was satisfied, and two pigs were duly quarantined—in fact, if they aioalive, possibly they are still in quarantine. All who saw thsm declared they did not think much of the breed, and that they closely re-cmbled animals t<i be found in tho neighbourhood of many a Maori pah.—Post. The Wellington Evening Press says tho news that Parliament u not to meet until June will bo hoard with a sigh of relief through.mt tho country. After slangwhanging Parliament for the work of last session and the Premier for the speeches he has delivered during tho recess, tho Press says:—"lt is nothing but justice to eay of the present Government that their administration is of such a character that the public do not look to Parliament for safety. But for such speeches as we have recently heard, the Ministry would not be dangerous except during the session. Even their opponents admit that they conduct their departments creditably, and are guided in their general conduct of affairs by considerations of rectitude and honour. They have made some conspicuous mistakes, but more from irresolution than anything else ; they have committed somo errors graver in kind, though less in degree, but these have brought their retribution promptly with them and are not likoly to be repeated. On the whole, we are convinced the country would be very willing to see things go on just as they are going for a long time to come, rather than ho subjected to the terrors and perils of another session." Messrs Goldsboroueth, Mort and Co., in their annual review of the Australian wool trade, say .—ln presenting our annual survey of the course of tho Australian wool trade, we have reason to congratulate all who have assisted in its development on its preseut proud position among.it the great commercial enterprises of the world. Phenomenal as has been the increase in production, the expansion of the local sales has been still more remarkable, and must arrest the attention ot all interested in the growth uf the staple. _ This season, for the first time in our history, the volume of business transacted in tho local markets has reached within a thousand bales of one-half our total production —a result which at so early a dute the pioneers of tho industry never could have anticipated Tho retrospect of the season's business, though devoid of any striking events, is interesting, inasmuch as it is so einiiutntly satisfactory. Values liiU-n had an evenly upward range, competition has beun keen, tho demand strong and steady, while growers, on tho whole, have assisted operations by their willingness to accept true value. In bri«f, these arc tho season's leading features, and they find ample illustration in the detailed record of tho various market*.