Untitled

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2694, 17 October 1889, Page 2

Lists, with 125 names of electors in favour of iUr Bryce, are already to hand. The Actn"i Rink will not bj open on Monday evening next, the hall being engaged on that evening by Mr Frank Lincoln. The Court Kihikihi. AOF., will celihrato its third anniversary liy a ball on the oveningof l'Vidiy, November Ist., in the Kihikihi Town Hull. It will be seen by Mr J. D. Hill's letter, in another column, that ho has no intention of bee uning a candidate tor the Waipa saat. Hj thoroughly supports Mr Bryce. Messrs Coates and Metcalfe's flax-mill on the river-side, Hamilton Kjst, commenced operations on Tuesday, and stripped flax was soon covering the paddock near tlm school, spread out for bleaching. Everything seemed to work .smoothly. Mr Burns claims that the recent dock strike has resulted in incrensimr the number of Trade Unionists by over 10,000 in London alone. Ho asserts that the workers at ll!0 trades have gained a 10 por cent, increase of wages, and 15 nor cent, reduction in the number of hours worked. The body of one of the girls drowned in the late yachting accident, at .Sydney, was found floating in the harbour. A number of sharks were endeavouring to devour the body, and two boats' crows who attempted to secure it were driven off. Eventually the police launch, at great risk, recovered the body, and while it was being hauled on board a shark tore off one ot the arms. A monster fete will take place on November !Hh (the Piiuce of Wales' Birth- | day), at T.imafiere. The programme includes tilting at the ring for U'dies and gentlemen, and rustic sports of various descriptions, for which p>iz">: wi.'l be awarded. Refreshments will bo provided throughout the day at very moderato prices. The day's amusement will concfudo with a dramatic performance. The quarterly meeting of the parishioners of S. Peter's, Hamilton, was held in the Public Hall last night, and was well attended. Rev. R. O'O. Biggs occupied the chair. The roports showed that m response to the partial return t > annual subscriptions, in aid of the offertories for general purposes, nearly £o0 had been subscribed. A committee was uDpointed to take step 3 to improve tho organisation of the parish. It is said of Mr Frank Lincoln who will give an entertainment in Hamilton on Monday ovening next that he i.s a humorist of the higlust order, he h.is for several years held the attention and won the admiration of large audiences of tho wealthy and refined people of two continents, Europe and America. As an enteicainer he has ability to keep his hoarors in a continual simmer of laughter, 'l'ikot can bo obtained from Mr J, (j. l'iiuucii.

Cable advices received by a mercantile finn in Wellington, announce a rise of £3 10i per ton in rice. The reason for this serious advance in value (says the Post) will no doubt he found in the cable news as to serious Hoods in China. Those who are interested in what are at present unpayable speculations may take heart from the following exatnplo of rewarded pationce :—' We are glad (says the Grey River Argus of Septemoer 21st) to learn that the Long Tunnel Company, Kumara, aftor a hard struggle of twelve years' paid its first dividend of sixpence per share on Tuesday.' Tho Company, it adds, has no*v got over all its difficulties. Carrier pigeons are used by the mail steamers arriving in tho Fiji Islands to announce their presence. They ara sent by planters to their New Zealand or Australian agents, returned by steamer to tho islands, and liberated when tho vessel roaches port. On the ;arrival home of the birds, the planters immediately prepare their fruits, etc., for tho steamer's return trip to the colonies, saving much valuable time and enabling them to ship fruit in the best condition. The Hamilton Light Infantry proceeded to Auckland yesterday morning by special train, which left Hamilton about 7 a m., to ho present at the inspection by Major(xeneral Kdwards yesterday afternoon. They niustored at the Volunteer Hall at li. to a.m. and marched, 53 strong (including the band), under Captain Reid and Lieutenants Kirk and Pearson, to the railway station. Mr John Knox, honorary member, was also present in uniform. Sbveral members of the company were already in Auckland, and tho strength on parade last night should total (10. A goodly number of people took tho opportunity of witnessing their departure. They are expected back to-day by tho ordinary train. Onr exports now show an increase at the rato of two millions a year ; the railway returns are better by a net rate of £70,000 n year; only one-third of the number of unemployed on the relief works lust, year are now on tho pay-sheets of the (jovernine it; the Crown Lind? report of the past year chronicles a largo advance in the s-ttleinent of tho country ; the markets for wool, wheat, meat and llax are in a very satisfactory state; tin dairy industiy is growing in bulk and impoi t. ince; tho coal output is increasing with tho development of enterprise ; and, to crown all, there is an unmist ikahlo reaction in the mining industry. This is a fine record, tilled with most excellent details. One comment only is nece-s.iry : "Advance New Zealand 1"

A contributor to the Sydney Mail t"lls tho follow ins. -Once upon a lime the Government of New Z inland, under the pressure of impecuniosity, reduced at one f-ill swoop the salaries of all their Civil Servant by 10 per cent. Sh >rtly aft ;r the Treasurer was making a voyage along Mia coast in a beautiful steamer belonging to the Governui nit, the Him'tii ia, whic!i was then, as now, commanded by th it worthy Riid experienced soam in, Captiin KairchiliJ. The Treasurer was anxi ni< 11 re .oil Taranaki, the p >rt to which they were bound, by a certain hour, which, from the progress they were linking along the coast, begin to g!t doubtful, and the Treas iror was consequently disappointed and unsettled. At last he sail I, ' I don't think, Fairchild, that the Hiuomoa goes .so fa~t as she used to do.' ' No„sir,' dryly responded the skipper, ' I don't think she does since yon t»ok ten per cent off the screw.' What could the Treasurer say ?

Mr H- C. Russell, Government Astronomer for New South Wales, says the year 18S.S was the diie->t on tec >rd in that col my—i.e., the driest since observations of the rainfall have been taken on their present intended seals. So interim was the dryness in tho Narandera distii.;t " that the nativo trees on the hills were all in a dying state, and over largo areas were absolutely dead, a stito of matters which it was evident from tho the ago of the trees killed could not have been experienced within tho last lif'.y yems." Tho great wi st 'rn plains, notes Mr R'issell, remained to the end of the year "in a state of drought that it is very dillicult to realise. As s one observers s iy not once, during the year did rain enough fall to make the water mil on the siu face of the ground. Oil the Maranoi Uiver tho four months of winter passed witli only 0.0:! in. rain, liven the native t.roos died for want of water in some places."

There is a lively paragraphs in the Reeflon Guardian. He says:—"Yesterd.iy was a h! <ck Monday io thehisVny of the Guardian. Our collector oonvoved to the otlice the alarming news that t.vo sharebr.ikers and a policeman had withdrawn their patronage. On rec> ipfc of the intelligence the press was at one.) hong with black, the otlice towel, as usual, doing duty for crape, the dewl fainted, with his he 11 iu the ink kej, and was resuseit ited under the pump: t'ie bul!-do>j howled, and was promptly kicked by the editor ; but after an interval it was found that tho eut'i still continue 1 to revolve, and the recollection that during the in uit!i ,'ir ne<v siibscriliu's had been obtained, revived the drooping spirits of the staff, and things went on as usual. The three subsarib-ns who retired will, for tho futuro, do th'' k line as soma of our distinguished capitalist; do —borrow the paper, and save a shilling a week. We always admire thrift, especially when implied to ours.il >-es."'

Mr Calcutt, of Danedin, who has recently returned from a visit to t'lo Old Country stated, as his opinion to a repot t>r of tho Otigo Daily Times, that the dairy industry of the colony, although now in its infancy, "ill grow to as large dimension.! as the frozen meat trade. About it at present ho did not know what to say. lie had made enquiries as to the probability of obt tilling a sale in Brit tin of butter, more especially of cheese, and also of condensed milk ; and tho almost unanimous opinion of the tradesmen 110 had spoken to was that, though the buttor should bo as good as any, it was badly salted and badly manipulated, and the condensed milk was also badly manipulated. The butter was factory-made—tho little that had been sent over. With regard to Xew Zealand cheese, Mr Calcutt states that many L mdon 111011, to whom 110 spoke, would not have it at all. Ho nske«l tho reason, and was told they could not get a uniform aiticle. One man told him that ho received 0110 shipment of very good cheese, and ho recommended it to his customers. Tho next shininent was bo bad, however, that he had to abandon tho Xew Z inland cheese and return to tho American article.

The special correspondent of the Argils at the l'aris Exhibition says that in tho Now Zealand Court enquiries from merchants aro nuinorous, beaiing specially 011 kauii gum, which it appears is very largely used in l'aris for varnishing purposes. So tar it has been bought through Ijondon houses, tho average price being (iOs per ewt. It appears, however, that the same quality can bo obtained in Xew Zealand at 35s per cwt., and tho determination of French purchasers, as expressed by them, is to impoit. it direct from the colony in future. New Zealand flax is also being asked about. Two important spinners from the United States saw Mr Malfroy, Acting Commissioner, and after expressing great admiration for tho specimens exhibited, said "Wo would be glad to buy any quantity of New Zealand flax and import it dircot if tho shippers would guarantee that it would reach us in tho same condition as tho specimens you aro showing here. But whenever we have imported flax from Now Zealand it has reached us in an absolutely worthless condition, as it had fermented en routo." Mr Malfroy attributes this to tho careless way in which the colonial shippers pack the flax.

A day or two before the close of the session the Colonial Treasurer received from Otago a letter containing a five pound note and ten shillings in .stamps. The wiiter, an ex-Civil servant, says that lie "borrowed" Jb'lO from tho Government funds, but that the Audit Department failed to discover his peculation. He promises to return tha balance of his loan at a future date. Appended is on exact transcript of the letter cont lining tho returned "conscience" money 10 |!) | Si). Dear Sir Harry,—About a year ago, being hard up, I borrowed t'lo Government fund, I now return u £», with 10- interest added, which is as much as your bloomin' Savines Bank would allow. The other fiver I will send as soon as I can. U should smarten up your Audit Department a bit, or sack 'em altogether. U ought also to get tho Civil fiervieo Bill passed, became present treatment is making 'ein (C.S.'s)all d rogues ; and u will have to answer for it at tho Judgment Day «« sure as eggs h eggs. Civil servants are now dragging out a hopeless existence, and they rob the Goverment every ch nice they get, and y.iu are the cause of it. Otherwise, as a public man, and a private individual, 1 admire n. U have been tho salvation of (lie colony on more than one occasion, and long may u b spared to guide the helm ; but give your C.S.'s a show, ami don't grind tho soul out of 'eui.—Yours,. Ho.vkstv.

One of the effects of the land boom in Victoria has been to provide a good deal of work for the Supreme Court judges, who are called upon almost every day to decide points of law for people trying to escape from their bonds. The revelations, says a Melbourne paper, should serve to warn would-be shareholders against placing more faith in prospectuses than they are wont to do in sacred truth. The revelations made reveal how recklessly prices were boomed up, to tho advantage of intermediaries, commission agents and company promoters, but to the certain detriment of tho shareholders who were left with tho land on their hands. In one instance a block of land at D indenong was sold four limes over between March Ist and Juno 14th last year, tho first silo being at £40,000, and the lst-t at £100,000. The last purchasers are now trying to back out of their bargain, it being evident that they went blindly into the transaction, being, of course, in a desperate hurry to make a fortune. In this case it was disclosed that an arrangement had been come to between the directors and shareholders that they were to attend the auction silo and bid for the land which tho company were selling, "with the option of declining to take tho land afterwards"—an arrangement which was conccaled from both auctioneers.