SUNDAY HARVESTING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 51, 23 November 1907, Page 3

SUNDAY HARVESTING.

/; " 6An it be; justified 7 Srinday is the most sacredly blessed'institution "wo have in this country'(says'a writer in :the•■ ";Slark Lane; Express "), and. to turn it?. ..either', into, a day of labour 1 of one of exciting'.pleasure would be disastrous to the nation.' f'-Tlio.'exacting demands of this ago are responsible''-for''-a; great .strain on the Binds; arid .bodies of 'men, and! without tho weekly rest day,- when' the machinery of business, stands'still/for a spell, I question if hunian nature' could hold out. Idng' at . the' pace'it. is going. . The influence of bunday. is felt /everywhere,.and happily'for, us it is an influence' of rest 'and' peace.' Even on a farm, where-life is. never very exciting; and where certain operations' have to bo performed on . the-.Sabbath,' there'is an. air of; quietude abbu^"Sunday ( which' is absent on every other ddy!'.'.'But'.tho point 'I wish;to arrive at'is whether there are circumstances in-which a justified in turning Sunday into a labour. .... , '; .'-. ,'• ; 'JJhis'is a;matter that has disturbed more mind during the past' month, and I .jam, prompted ,to write : this' letter .by an instance 1 which'recently ; : canio before. my N ripticeC ; ' It'is needless' td say : what*a trying season: this'lias-.been' for haymaking,'.and at the; moment' of .writing there:' is a;good .deal to'be got ..in. ; Two farmers oh adjoining • holdings .' had ; got.' hay ready' .for ' carrying;and 'Sunday was a'fine, day.- : One-of ,th'oiri—' a,thorqugl)ly upright, and conscientious man— feH'/justified, under 'the!'.circumstances, .in bringing 'his waggons into the field on. Sunday , and picking -up the hay., -The religious principles .of .the other, prevented him ; doing the. same',"'ram came the J following day;, and for.s'onie* days;after, a"rid;wnert''tho hay..cbuld he eventually- ; carried''it'.'was'-of little-value. In'.'tHe r Tc«3n"!heto6kF(li(lSth"'e t 'rirst'. farmer, violate..: the sacred, laws of the' Sabbath?. I ' respect'the 'opinions'- of everyone'in a matter of-'tjiis'lciridj but'iii my opinion lie did not. I. toiextreme measures in. prevent-. ing.Sundtiy-eveP'becoming a day,!ofunnecesnary, labour',; But there is .work"of necessity ' that''must .bo done .on : the farm on Sundays' ! as weir' - as week*days; and' in a'seasoiv like i this/..when things have got really, serious owing.'to the unfavourable weather, it has , been a work of real necessity to' miss ■' no opportunity" of- carrying hay.. . In short; it has ..been a case of emergency/arid" emergen-' cios have tq.be met.'bycourses of action that' would not be*.iustined'in : other circumstances. We-are certainly, vfery; illogical in many of oiir views. The'public mind pretcrids to be shocked .if a- farmer, driven'to distraction almost by; a .'catchy hay season,' takes his waggon's : in to the field and: pursues harvesting .operations' biv'Sunday;' yet some' folks play golf on 1 Sunday,, and others' "rush about the country on.plcasnre.bent; and.the people who profess 'to. bo scandalised' at' the' poor : farmer; who .'picks up'a' hit'-of hay'on the Sabbath,- look on unmoved, simply/. I. sup-;. pose, because.they have got used to it.,'. :'Finally, 1 wo do'nbt want Sunday to'i:e a time of work' or' pleasure; ■''It ■ should 'be a day of rest,, but there, are circumstances which justify a farmer departing'from the latter rule.",.' ',- , ■: '■.' '■ '• ';•