The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. TUESDAY, DEC. 22, 1891.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3033, 22 December 1891, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. TUESDAY, DEC. 22, 1891.

The Hon. Mr J. Ballance addressed a large meeting on Thursday evening, in Auckland. We must confess that we are very little enlightened on public matters by the perusal of his speech as reported. There are, however, one or two matters which call for special notice. It is gratifying to learn on authority that the charges brought against the late Sir F. Whitaker of having used the power which appertained to his public position to forward the interests of a financial institution are utterly unfounded. Mr Ballance most emphatically denied the truths of the allegations, to use his own words :—" There was no foundation whatever for the charges made against him." The Premier very truly stated that it was the graduated tax on land which is objected to by those opposed to the Government. He defends the principle solely on the grounds that i'; will have the effect of bursting up the large estates. He, of course, repeated the fallacy that large holders of land benefitted by public works, civilised government, and the presence of population to a greater proportionate degree than those who own small areas, and this is one of the reasons he gives for taxing the owners to the bursting up point, and allbwing the small man to go free. All these men hold their land on precisely the same terms, they have paid for it and the money has been spent by the country. The man who has paid a large sum is a " social pest" to be robbed and no injustice inflicted. No matter how Mr Ballance may argue it is robbery to tax a class at a higher scale than others for the same advantages. It may be that a Land tax is the most equitable and judicious mode of raising the necessary revenue, but the tax should be equal on all land, and of sufficient weight to enable substantial relief to be given by the reduction of custom duties. An owner of a small area with an average family, although he paid the Land-tax might by this means be placed in a better position than he is to-day. This would have the effect of preventing the holding of land for speculative purposes, a system with which no man can sympathise. We, in common with nearly all the responsible journals in the colony, have painted out that a land tax, is a step, long or short, in proportion to its weight on the road to Land Nationalisation, this of course is a fact which is palpable to every man who has read Henry George's effusions. He says in so many words that no man has a right to own land and it must be taken from him by gradually increasing the tax till it has no saleable value. Mr Ballance has emphatically endorsed this principle in addresses he has delivered to urban audiences. On Thursday nighthe repudiated any intention of acting upon his opinion, this in order no doubt to allay the fears which owners of all land logically feel. He now tells us that his idea of Nationalisation is simply that no more land shall be alienated from the people, and that is the beginning and end of the land nationalisation the Government intend. This of course reduces th« term to having no meaning at all, if used in connection with Henry George, or Mr Ballance as he was only a few short months back. We all know that a considerable proportion of the supporters of the present Government are disciples of George. The speech on Thursday night was a throwing over of them and a bid for the support of the land owers throughout the colony. What can be justifiable in a man who is such an adept at turning his coat? The stricture he passed upon a contemporary for suggesting that shooting of Ministers, under certain conditions, might become justifiable, was well merited, and Mr Ballance used the discretion, to put the case mildly, with considerable effect upon his audience. The Premier told a little story about a statement made by a Wellington citizen in order to confute the fact that capital was leaving the colony. He acted on the principle that "one swallow makes a summer," for he appears to have brought forward no other reasons for his denial. There are other matters contained in tho speech which call for comment whieh we will make in Thurs« day's issue. The speech appears to have been a successful oratorical effort, but, when one reads it, there is only one possible verdict —there was very little in it.

Considerable interest is being taken in the cricket mutch tn be plnyod in Hamilton, on New Years Day between the Waikato tibam, and the Auckland team, and tho game promises to bo a close one.

The usual monthly meeting of the Hamilton Brunch of •'he Waikato Farmers' Club, lapsed last evening, owing to other attractions. Messrs Barugh and Mackae were the only two present.

The] pavilion on Sydney Square in Hamilton is approach in? completion, and when finished it will be quite an imliuaing structure, (.ml will afford a most coirfortable and secure position for women and children to view the sports from.

The banks throughout the colony will bo closed on Friday, Saturday and Monday, Deeember 25th, 26th and 28th, tor the Christmas holidays, and on Friday, .Satiuday and Monday, January Ist, 2nd and 4th, for the New Year holidays.

Meetings of the ratepayers of the VVhaingaroa Hoad District and of the late Raglan Koad District will be bold on the 21th in.st., to consider the advisability of borrowing the sum of £242 to pay half the extra cost of constructing the Raglan wharf.

Mr John Knox will hold his Christmas ><ale at the Hamilton Auction Mart to-morrow Wednesday, at 2 o'clock, when a larce selection of poultry, geese, turkeys, ducks, new potatoes and green peas will be offered. At 3 o'clock an engine and boiler and other flax-milling machinery will be offered.

In order to allow our staff to participate in the Christmas holidays, there will not be any issue of this paper on Saturday next, (Boxing Day). The usual Saturday's supplement will bo issued with Thursday's paper and will contain an orginal Christmas story, by Mrs L. Frost Rattray entitled "A Real Ghost."

Shearing operations, which have been delayed owing to the weather, are now in full swing on the Rukuhia estate. Thu flock, comprising some 7000 crossbreds and longwools, are in splendid condition, and promise a heavy clip. Mr Gardner has also been very successful with the lambs. These are a good average in number, and are particularly large and well grown.

The name of Mr Suttor's filly that won the Waikato Produce Stakes on Saturday lait at the South Auckland Racing Club's meeting should have been Peerless. She was however nominated by the owner inadverdently as "Peeress." We have been asked to call attention to this error seeing that the filly has since changed ownership, Mr James Clements being the purchaser.

The teams to represent Waikato and Waipa' respectively in the county match to be played at Hamilton, on Thursday, will be picked from the following :— Waipa, Messrs Marsdon, Livingston, Reid, Fielder, Bowden, F. Bowden, G. McFarlane, Case, Park, Richdale, Barton, Lang, Alexander. Aubin, Macky, Mears, Kusabs, Soper, and Hill; Waikato: Browning, Paine, Stevens, Cox, Hunt, Bdney, B. Pilling, F. Pilling, Fuller, Shaw, Ewen Cheesman, Lovell, Taylor, and Richdale. Play will start at 11 sharp.

Mr J. S. Bond, of Cambridge, whose advertisement appears in another column, has this season made unusual efforts to cater for the public in the matter of Christmas goods. His stock of fancy goods suitable for presents, new books, toys, Christmas cards, etc., eclipses anything of the kind previously shown in Cambridge. We can confidently recommend those requiring seasonable gifts to pay Mr Bond's establishment a visit, as with such a stock to select from, there is no occasion to go out of the district for the class of goods above enumerated.

Judging byjthe entries received by the Secretary|juf the Hamilton Boxing Day Sports, and which appear elsewhere in this issue, there will be some good contests for the various events. Athletes from Auckland, Thames, and other down-country places have been nominated, so that our local talent will have hard work to maintain their reputation. The track on Sydney Square is being put in good order, and there is every prospect of this popular gathering being again well patronised by tie public as in time past.

We are informed by a practical farmer that the well-known specific, " Larney's Anthelmintic," is as valuable in its effects upon calves as upon sheep. Last autumn some weauod calves that were falling off in condition and commencing to scour were treated with " Larney's Anthelmintic." Before a W3ek a change could be noted, the animals ate better, the scouring ceased, and this spring they were reckoned good cattle, and brought a high price in the market, The owner firmly believes (from former experience) that had they not been dosed the majority would have died.

We learn that Mr J. Livingstone has sold through Mr J. McNicol, his two-year-old filly, Lottie, by Muskapeer—Ladybird. The purchaser's name and price has not transpired, but we understand her destination is the West Coast. The performance of this filly on Saturday stamps her as a first-class one, and also stamps Muskapeer as a first-class sire. His abdity to get hacks has already been proved, and now Lottie has demonstrated the fact that lie is capable of getting first-class racehorses, and we have no doubt her new owner will not be long in getting back his purchase money.

X'he export of butter from Vic> toria last year amounted to 1000 tons, and the returns reached £100,000 sterling. The stimulus of the bonus system has resulted in increasing the number of butter factories and creameries from five to 40. It is estimated that this season, owing to the late rains and the absence of grass tires the total export of butter will be about 2000 tons of a value of £200,000. Private cable messages received from London states that the sale of the first shipment of butter sent by the Framlingham Butter Factory realised £6 per cwt, the Goorambat Factory £5 18s, and the Wycbeproof Factory £5145. This was nearly an average of Is 2d per lb, the price in Melbourne at the same time varying from 7d to Bd.

The present season is supposed to be the worst for mosquitos that has been experienced for some years. No doubt tho prevailing damp and muggy weather has had much to do with it, particularly as there has been a marked absence of high winds. We hear of mosquitos being troublesome in quarters, from whence they were supposed to have for ever departed. The workmen in the swamp bushes, must be having a busy time of it with these pests just now. People often wonder how it is that cattla belonging to settlers living in the back country should come home so regularly in the spring; after passing perhaps six months of autumn and winter in the depths of the forest. The explanation is simple: Mosquitos. The cattle are driven out of the bush, and usually go straight home. But even the wild cattle have to come out, and may be found sleeping on the bare spurs, and open spots on the edge of. the bush.