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Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2719, 14 December 1889, Page 2

We are compelled to hold over our reports of the Cambridge school concert and the Borough Council meeting. By a false alarm of fire in a theatre at Johnstoivn Pennsylvania, twelve people were killed and a number badly injured. Walter Parker, from Hantly, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital on Tuesday, having had his jaw fractured by a kick from a horse. Stephenson has made the final deposit of £50 for the match with Hearn for tho sculling championship of New Zealand, to be rowed on February 4th, 1800. The Rev. Mr Eeatty has declined to accept the position of incumbent of S. Mary's Church, Auckland, but retains his position as warden of S. John's College. The railway returns for the Auckland sections, for the four weeks ending November 9th, are: Kawakawa receipts £345 0s (sd, expenditure £237 4s 7d ; Whantrarei receipts £190 5s Od, expenditure £143 lUs 3d ; Auckland receipts £730'G 13, expeuditure £3-233 Ss Id.

Seventeen hands engaged in the violin strings works, at Petone, have struck, being dissatisfied with the manner in which two of their number were discharged. With a view to opening up a trade, Mr R. Gardiner, of Eoxton, sent samples of New Zealand flax to Japan, and he has now received an order for a trial shipment of ten tons. Mr Manning who has had the contract for fencing lots ll.'i and -1(3.1, Hamilton West, recently leased by Mr Elliott, has almost finished the work, which has been done in a very creditable manner. On Thursday the usual monthly sale was held in the borough saleyards, Hamilton, Mr W. J. Hunter and Mr R. Bradley, for Mr McNicol, wielding the hammer. The yards were fairly well tilled, and ruling prices were realised. ►We are in receipt of a calendar for 1890 from the New Zealand Insurance Company through Mr W. Dey, the Hamilton agent. The calendar is very artistically got up, and is the production of Messrs Wilsons and Horton, Auckland. There is to be a very special demonstration at the Salvation Army, at Hamilton, to-night, called a "Salvation at Home" meeting, which is to be precedented by a "Trades Union March." The Army have had several special meetings lately, and they seeui to " tak6 " very well. We are glad to see by advertisement in another column that the Hamilton Choral Society will give their annual concert on Christmas Day, when Mendelssohn's St. Paul will be performed, concluding with a selection of the favourite Christmas carols. They should draw a crowded house. The Rev. W. Birch, of Auckland, (late of Manchester), will conduct divine service in the Cambridge Tabernace, on Tuesday and Wednesday next, at 7.30 p.m. Everybody is affectionately invited to attend. The Rev. E. Barnett (late of Sydney), preaches to-morrow, at 11 o'clock, and in the evening at 7. We have to acknowledge the receipt of the Christmas number of Zealandia, which comes up in every way to the previous issues. Besides the serial story, "The Mark of Cain," there is au amount of Christmas reading, and the usual amount of general matter. Altogether, this number of Zealandia will be found very readable. The people of Kihikihi intend to givo the public a treat on Ne'v Year's Day, in the shape of sports and horse races, which are to be held in Mr Maunder's paddock as usual. Judging from the programme, and the success with which these sports have been attended on previuusoccassions, we have no hesitation in saying that a real good day's amusement will be theirs. The Cambridge Borough Council should have sat on Tuesday at 7 p.m., but there was not a quorum, and it was adjourned until Friday next at the same hour. This is, we believe, the first time the Council has been adjourned for want of a quorum since it came into existence. When the Payne family visited the town it was adjourned by mutual consent. The drawing for prizes in the art union, conducted by Mr B. Ruge of Cambridge, has taken place, and the following are the winning numbers from the first prize downwards : —159, 2, 180, 199, 147, 198. 161, 99, 204, 110, 241, 6G, 15, 92, 193, 122, 102, 51, 77, 164. We recommend the persual of this list to those who reside in the outlying districts, as several winners reside in them. The immigration and emigration returns for the colony for November show arrivals as 1030 persons, while departures have been 523, leaving a balance in favour of the colony of 813 persons. The principal arrivals were from New South Wales, 024 ; Yictoria, 502 ; United Kiugdom 288. The departures were: To New South Wales, 397 ; Victoria, 250. No Chinese are recorded as having arrived, while two departed. A parade of tlie Hamilton Light Infantry is called for Tuesday evening next, at 5 o'clock on Sydney Square. The company will to the range for volley and finnc under the Shepherd. It is imperative two-thirds of the corps should be present, or the company will be debarred from competing for the Government prizes. We trust, therefore, to see a good muster. During Thursday forenoon a large fire was raging in the furze at the back of the Convent, at Hamilton East, and at one time, owing to the wind suddenly shiftin* round, some anxiety was felt for the safety of the building, but this was soon allayed on the wind again shifting. The fire was started by Mr Coates' men, who were clearing the furze on the land which was recently purchased from the Lands Board for the ridiculously low sum of £3 per acre. At present there are several slips on the Raglan road on both sides of the mountain, and which if not unsafe are very inconvenient, as there is barely room for a vehicle to get past. On .Wednesday, had it not been for the assistance of the Messrs Sutton, who had been at work from daybreak, the mail coach would have been unable to get over. We think a man should be kept by the Raglan County Council on the mountain who would be at hand to remove these slips as soon as they occur.

Tauwhare was invaded by the .Salvation Army on Monday, a contingent of twenty-one of the Cambridge corps under Captain Wood and Lieutenant Grantham, going over to open the new outpost. Service was held in the school-room and was numerously attended, many of the audience having to stand. At the conclusion of the service there were many enquiries as to when the Army would pay Tauwhare auother visit, and it it proposed to hold morning and afternoon service there on Christmas Day. We think it is fully time that some steps were taken to provide a drop curtain for the stage at the Hamilton Volunteer Hall. On Thursday evening the children had to sit oil the stage for quite half-an-hour before the concert began, and then during the play at the conclusion of the entertainment two gentlemen had to stand on the stage to work the curtain which had been temporarily erected. Will not some of the musical people, who are the most interested in this matter, take the thing in hand, and get up a concert, the proceeds of which should go towards improvements to the stage ? On Thursday afternoon the dense furze growing on the triangular allotment opposite Dr. Kenny's residence caught fire, and, aided by the strong breeze blowing at the time, burned rapidly through in the direction of Clarence-streat. The flames caught the furze growing ou the western side of this street, and for some time Mr Warner's residence was in imminent danger. The roof caught in three places, and holes were burnt through it. All the furniture was removed, and it was only by the strenuous exertions of Mr G. Mayes, sent., assisted by the police, that the house was saved. Mrs L. Heyes, who lives in the vicinity, had some clothes, which were hanging on the line, destroyed. v - Kailway grievances are not confined solely to New Zealand, as will be seen from the following The Albury correspondent of the Sydney Telegraph makes the following complaint on the subject: — Owing to the anomalous differential charges on the railway line between Yerong and Albury, the carriage of over ISOO bales of wool, or about SOO tons, has been lost to tho Railway Department. The railway rate is £1 His 'Jd per ton, and carriers are taking loading to Wodonga for ill 12s Gd. It is stated that the rate will be speedily altered. All the large wool-producers intend forwarding their clips by team next season direct to Wodonga, for they will then avoid the expense of carting to the railway station and can get work done cheaper. Yesterday we paid a visit of inspection to Messrs Chappell and Son's workshops at Hamilton East. Eor soino time past the members of this firm have devoted their attention to building contracts, Mr Chappell nenr. being a mason, and his son having been brought up as a carpenter and joiner. Our attention was more particularly drawn to a branch of the xtone mason art. In this direction we noticed a vory imposing obelisk prepared to the order of Mr I?aton of Hautapu, to be erected over the geave of l)i? son, the late Mr Charles Paton, who, it will bo remembered met with an accident in the hunting field, which resulted fatally. The obelisk stands eight feet high, the base being a solid block of Waikara stone, the second base and pedestal, of Oamaru stone, the drapery and urn also of the same material. The pedestal is four sided with gothio panels of Sicilian marble let in for the inscription The carving, and general finish reflects great credit upon the workmau.

Maoris, it is well-known, vote steady work a stalo game, and those who depend upon them for the faithful carrying out of a contract, are ofton put to great inconvenience and monetary loss. Messrs Coates and Metcalfe, who had made arrangements for their supply of green flax with the natives of the Hukanui settlement, and upon whom they wore deponding for regular supplies, have just had an unpleasant experience through this weakness in the Maori character. A meeting to consider the Maori King's position, and a feast (the Maoris dearly iove a feast) is at present being held at one of the settlements in Lower Waikato, to which have repaired all the gay and festive niggers whs were under contract to cut flax for the firm. The consequence has been that great difficulty has been experienced in getting sufficient flax to keep the mill going. As it is, several hands have been temporarily discharged, and night work has been discontinued. Messrs Coates and Metcalfe, however, are not the men to stand much nonsense of this sort, and we are pleased to hoar new arrangements have been made for their supplies, and the mill will soon be going full-handed again. We are not surprised after this, to hear that Mr Coates has been trying to iuculcate Radical ideas of a most pronounced character among all the Maori supporters of King Tawhiao, he may chance to meet.