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Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2696, 22 October 1889, Page 2

Operations will be commenced at the Whatawhata butter factory to-mor-n> w. General Edward's report on the Tasmanian forces discloses an unsatisfactory state of thing*. A Southern paper referring to Mr Bryce's candidature for Waipa, says he is one of the few statesmen New Zealand possesses. Some excitement has been caused in Melbourne by the reported death of an Indian from Asiatic cholera. The annual meeting of the Waikato branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute will bo held in Tim Waikato Ttjiks Buildings on Saturday, November 2nd. The concessions made by the Railway Department to those attending the Pakuranga Hunt Club Races on Saturday, October 2lith, are advertised in our business columns. Stansbury, who was some time ago defeated by Searle, is, under the tuition of Peter Kemp, developing into a splendid sculler, and (writes a <2ueenslaud correspondent) it is expected that he will challenge Suarle on his return to Australia.

The members of the Presbyterian Church, Kihikilii, have had in view Hie holding of a conceit on behalf of the buildin jf funds, and it was partly arranged that it should be held on the Bth November. Finding, however, that a number of entertainments in different parts of the district are coming off about that date, it has been decided to postpone it until January Ist, 18' JO.

A cable message states it is intended to secure a Home Eule seat for Sir George Grey. The meeting of delegates to discuss the'question of railway reform will be held to-morrow, in LeQuesne's Hall, Hamilton East. A very enjoyable afternoon was spent last Saturday, at Taupiri, by a rather novel game of cricket, boys v. ladies, which resulted in a win for the ladies. There was a good attendance of spectators, the ladies supplying refreshments to the rival teams. The Waitemata Hotel was again made the headquarters of the Hamilton Light Infanty during their recent visit to Auckland, and the inembers of the company are enthusiastic in their praises of the popular host and hostess (Mr and Mrs Endean) for the hearty welcome they received and the subsequent attention bestowed upon them by that lady and gentleman The Catholic Times says that as a friend of the Catholic claims, Captain Russell has always been consistent and outspoken. Like his chief, the now Minister is a believer in the true principle of education. Like him, he believes religion to be the main element in the teaching of youth. It is a distinct gain to the cause tha* a man holding such views has been promoted to the Ministry. A telegram from Buenos Ayres states that the winter is approaching in the Argentino Republic, our most formidable rival in the frozen moat trade, with a very threatening aspect to the pastoral districts. The mortality among the sheep is already very heavy, thousands having succumbed to attacks of fluke, the cause of which was, no doubt, the flooded condition of the pastures before and during the harvest season. The Wanganui Herald says :— " We hear that a circular has been sent out by the Defence Department to the effect that if any of the officers of the permanent forces, militia or volunteers, are goinr to England they can get a formal letter fmm the Defence Minister wbijh will give them the tight to present themselves at any of the Queen's levees. This ought to stimulate thu ardour of some of our wuuld-bo soldiers." It is rumoured that Mr E- J. Clarke (formerly of Hamilton),who left that township and, after a brief stay in Auckland, took up his abode in Sydney a few months ago, has '"fallen in luck's way." After his arrival in Sydney he took a number of shares at the Broken Hills, and a few weeks ago, when tho share- rose in price, he disposed nf his for £'12,000. If many more follow Mr Clarke's example, the Australians will be iu favour of poll-taxing New Zealanders. Shags are very destructive to the fish iu tho well-stocked rivers of the South Island. Recently a party of gentlemen went up the Upper Waihao, for the purpose of destroying a colony that were known to be there. They met with great sneces-, shooting thirty old birds, and destroying forty young ones in tlie ne*ts. Other colonies are known to exist further up the same river, and it is expected thnt other volunteers will be found willing to undertake their destruction. Looking over the imports of timber for the last twelve months, it is noteworthy (says' a Melbourne contemporary) t.iat the consumption of kauri timber from Now Zealand shows a greater increase than that of any other imported timber except Oregon pino. Oregon pine rn.s; about twenty-two per cent., but Uami rose from 11,000,000 to nearly 1ti.000,000 feet, the actual ioeienso being V'oo,ooo feet. This is probably owing to the tact that the kauri forests of New Zealand have practically passed to the ownership of Victoria. A Wellington contemporary refen ing to the proved incapacity of tho Taranaki people to deal with their ironsand and petroleum deposits, recommends that offers of very liberal concessions should be made to foreign capitalists to coino and .vork them. "No matter whero the capital or skill comes from, and even if the concessions made are equal to 7 ; "> per cent of the value, of the deposits, it would be far preferable to lot that 75 per cent go out of the colony, and retain only the 25 por cunt herp, than let them lie, a source of wealth unused." We were shown the other day (says the Cromwell Argus) a splendid sample of potatoes, grown bv Mr Samuel Clarke, Wauaka road. Mr Clarke informs us that lie his found his stylo of growing potatoes answer admirably. All he docs i.s to clear the ground of growth, then lay the send in rows, ploughing between the rows. The seed is thus c ivered by the furrow, and the growth starts in a lateral direction, extending to the edge of the furrow, then shoots up. The yield by this simple process i.s found to be larger and (.he quality better than by the usual method. We would call the attention of the engineer nf tho Waipa County Council ti a slip nf earth that has oecunvd mi the Cmnbiidge West side of the Waikal.o bridge. It i:auses the water to run down the centre nf the ronil, which will soon wash nut a daugeions hole and perhaps endanger the biidge. How is it that those living in thu vicinity will calmly look on and see an insignificant trifle gradually becoming a danger, when half-an-honr's work withaspuic would remedy it? We feel sure the County Council would not only pay them fur the trouble, but would also thank them for the attention. We (Wanganui Herald) have been shown a letter from an engineer in England which came out by last mail, in which it is stated that the New Zealand Government had referred the question of the present state of New Plymouth harbour to Sir John Good?, and that that gentleman had given his opinion to tha effect that the prosecution of the work ought to be abandoned, and that tho present work can only be used by constant expensive dredging. Even if this is done, the enormous quantity of sand which is ever being cast up may make it impossible to keep a narrow channel open inside the existing breakwater. The Tuapeka Times tells the following pathetic anecdote :—There was a company nf moo engaged in a little game nf cards in :i friend's parlour one night. It grew late, and fears were oxprossed by the party that they we'e trespas-inct upon the kindness of the mistress of the house, who, by the way, was not present. " Not at all, gentlemen ; not at all. 1 am Czar herp," said the master of the mansion. "Yes, gentlemen, play as long as you please," said a silvery voice—and all rose immediately as the mistress of the house stoo'd before them —" but as it is nearly one o'clock the Czar is going to bed." He went. As this is "self-denial"' week with the Salvationists, the Hamilton and. Cambridge corps changed officers, and held special meetings on Saturday and Sunday, and had very good congregations. They , are also raising special collections all this week, called the Self-denial Fund, to assist in raising funds to send missionaries to the negroes in Africa. Last year the Selfdenial Fund was for the purpose of sending missionaries to India, when about £1000 was forwarded from the Australasian colonies. As these collections are being made in every place in the world where the Army hold meetings, it is likely that a largo sum of money will be raised, and a goodly number of missionaries sent to Africa this coming year. In Saturday's issue, under the heading "Pirongia Hoad Board," reference was made to a letter received by the board from Mr D. Finlayson, which was considered disrespectful in its tone. The letter has been forwarded to us for publication to allow the public to judge how far the strictures passed upon it were warranted by its contents .—"Harapipi, October 10th, 1889. —The Chairman Pirongia Road Board, Harapipi.—Dear Sir, —Will .you be good enough at your next meeting of your board to bring before the trustees what is to bo dono about tho road for us to get out to the main road. I would be much obliged if you could let me know tho intention of the board before the next meeting of the Raglan County Council.—l remain, yours faithfully, D. Eixr.AYSON, Jux." " A rifle match of some importance, says the Wanganui Herald, "was fired on Saturday between two active volunteers, one representing the hardware interests and tho other " rags," to test the new Martini-Henry rifles. The conditions were five shots each at 200 and 300 yards, and tho scores were very close, tho totals being —Tin-tacks, 2 (an outer for the first shot); and Rags, .'! (a magpie, also for the first shot)." Although the total is not within cooeeing distance of the possible (f>o), it .shows what scores can be knocked up by some of our volunteers when armed with a good weapon. Remarkable as these scores are, however, we have .seen better shooting done with the Sniders by members of the Hamilton Light Infantry. The result may, perhaps, not bo accepted as a, satisfactory test of the new rifle.

Mr Henry George, author of " Process and Poverty," will pay a visit to Australia in January. He then toura England, and afterwards will devote the whole of his time to the campaign. He ie now organising for the overthrow of Protection in America. Football appears to be the national game of Victoria if we may judge by the interest that all classes take in it. A friend told me that on Saturday last he was going to witness the match that was to bo played between Geelong and South Melbourne, when he _ met a clergyman who takes a strong interest in the former town. Said my friend : —" Hallo ! not going to the match ? Why I thought you'd have been one of the barrackers for (jeelnng .'" "My dear friend," replied tho clergyman, " I moan to barrack for them. But I shall barrack for them in my own study and on my knees. I am going to pray for Oeelong!" But there must have beon more powerful praying for South Melbourne for she won !—Atticus. The Wesfcport correspondent of the Now Zealand Times wires as follows :— An enterprise is at present in iiand locally, to which considerable interest must attach, seeing that the successful outcome may add gem mining to the industries of the district. Some few years ago an intelligent miner in Mnkihiimi discovered a deposit of what had the appearance of precious stones. Ho sent a sample to Belfast, Ireland, and three jewellers of that city pronounced the stones to bo rubies, though too small to be of great commercial value. The matter rested hero until a few weeks back when the circumHtances being communicated to several speculative gentlemen in Westport, a prospecting area of ground was applied for. The prospector feels convinced that larger stones can bs found. It is proposed to obtain samples and forward them to the bast authorities, including Streeter, of London, for analysis and an opinion as to the value, and should favourable reports be received, to undertake mining for the stones in a systematic manner. The recent volcanic disturbances in tho moon, the Oatnaru Mail says, c.ill for the eerious consideration of all disci-ruing and prudential persons. We already know from scientists that the sun cannot lust for more than two or three million years longer and that we. arc in constant danger of annihilation through collision with some wandering planet, and now to crown all tho moon is beginning to misbehave. As far as we can make out from tho data at our disposal, the most serious effect of the commotion in question will be an increase of the raiiifull at Kamschatka by 1. 4 inches during the succeeding three years. It is generally overlooked that this moon borrows its light from the sun.ind that theappio.icbing extinction of tho sun therefore ine;iiis tho annihilation of tho moon also. In view of this, xiv.na means should be tsikou for the providingc>f a duplicate in order that our descendants may not be left in total d-irk-ne«-. Jupiter possesses several moon?, as do various other planets, perhaps if an inter-plant iry conference wen: called, sonm arraiifri'inent might be made for the hire or purchase of a spare moon for use iu c.isj of neccs-ity, A writer in the North Otajo Tiiiieß siys :—" lam sorry to siy that th>> fone'.s, from which so much w.is nxpcstml, h.ivo proved a failure. Of tin; thonsuuls that hive l>o3ll liboi.itel on th>! mu 'iirnns iu the dUUic , , very f:w h i>. it smivrd tin-, winter. Ki-om inf.iriivit.inn iee:ivod trim iho nvursenis of poHoni.'i;* gangs and others f ciin con lid intly assert on most runs th'> [.'.nets iiro iibn-nt uxtinct. One runh .l.lor win. turned mit snural hundrori s,ys t'lat he beii.ivijs musi of them di :d within a foitiiuht, ami another tells me that !]■; has seen only live ferrets this season, and thesn were dead ones. ():i ono run, by way of experiment. 1:30 ferrets were liberated on an ulnud where rabbits were numerous and after being there for a few weeks it became evident that ferrets preferred to die of starvation or ait one another than take the trouble to kill the rabbits, which were not in tho least reduced or disconcerted by the presence of their 'natural enemy.' Distemper, too, has m.ide sad havoc in tho breeding hatches, and everything connected wit'i them has been so disheartening that those who were once enthusiastic in advocating ferrets have become very sceptical about their utility. It is just possible, however, that if steps were taken to gradually acclimatise thorn, and to accustom them to forage for themselves, ferrets may yet become_ powerful destructive agents, even in the Upper WaitaUi." Our Melbourne correspondent writes :—"Tho fruitgrowers have met, and have decided to try and dispense with tlic middleman. They want to get direct t> the consuoipr, and thus break down a class of traders who, whilst making large profit-i themselves, restrict the. consumption of fruit. In a country like Vict'iri-i, frait ought to form a very large proportion of our daily food. It would bo very much bcltsr for 11s if we consumed moiv. wholesome fruit and a great deal less mutton and buef. At present prices, however, this is impossible. If tho fruit-growers nan combine, and put fruit into the market ;;t rcas'liable prices, they will (|ii.idiopl". Iho r. >nsiuuptioii ill six months ,'iud double their own profits. Miy success attend their clFoit-i. It is quite clear that s■mitv thing of this kind will have to ba done, and that soon. The large areas of fruit orchards, which will soon bo in full bearing at Mildurn, Komnark, and other iriigntion centres, must have an outlet ; and one may rest asuirjd that measures will bo Ml-ipt.ud for the purpose of getting the produce •Jirect to the consumer. Where there is a constant supply of water, irrespective of r.iinfall, crops are certain, and it has b> come manifest from the rapid progress, of the irrigation colonies that people are determined to grow those crops. Settlers are arriving every day ; and the sooner the frnit-gi'owor.i can supply cheap fruits, quadruple the consumption, and enlarge their own borders, the better.