MINISTER AND FLOCK.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 598, 28 August 1909, Page 4

MINISTER AND FLOCK.

LIFE AT BROKEN RIVER AND OtIRA. THE UNVARNISHED TRUTH. - (13y Telegraph.—Special OorcoaDoddent.l , v Chrlstchurch, August 20. ' According to the special .reporter of "The Pross" at Otira, a reccnt article by tho • Rev. Mr. Mules is the most; burning topic of conversation in that locality, transcending even the discussion on tho tunnel strike." Somo time ago, Mr. Mules, who is tho Anglican minister, in charge o£ Broken River, and Otira districts, wrote an article, for. the '.'Canterbury College Iloview," discussing tho various phases of life among bis rather heterogeneous flock. ' Extracts £rom the article were copied into tho panera on tho West Coast, and in Chris tchurch, with the result that the populations of Broken River and Otira aro seething with indignation at tho reflections wnich they . consider wore cast on them as a whole. On Tuesday night a stone crashed .through, the window of Mr. ' Mulcs's wfaare, which is situated near th© workers' camp. Thii outrage, howevor. is strongly deprecated by the men generally, who are on the most politic and polite behaviour at present jnr.eturo. The union have called" on Mr. Mules to publicly apologise for his article, and at his request a meeting has btsen convened for Thursday evening to hear him on his defence. The wholo thing has created a very painful impression, . . .

A COURACEOUB DEFENCE. STRAIGHT TALK TO TUNNEL WORKERS. Chrfotchurch, August 27. Tho-Rev. Mr. Mules met the men last night, made his 'defence, and scored a signal victory. The meeting was held in a billiardroom at Otira, and the audience consisted almost exclusively of tunnel workers. The' president of the union (Mr. John Did:),, a Scot, presided. Mr. Mnla'g remarks were to the point/ and te maintained his ground wwageonily, -.He said he wrote tho article nine weeks ago, at the request of the editor of tie "Canterbury College Preview," who asked him to give bct.« account of bis day's work and tie pecpfe with whom he came into touch.' He wu positively ignorant of the fact that taa article was to appear in the public press. (Applause.). The simultaneous jmblicatson. in Chris tchnrcii and West Coast paperi . nu, ho believed, due to a reciprocal arrangement between those papers, lie first intimation lie bad of the publication was last Sunday morning. "I absolutely disclaim any_ responsibility f whatever for the article as it appeared in this particular way," said Mr. Mules, producing tho newspaper. (Lond_ applause.) He asked the audience to imagine tie conditions under which he wrote the article, replying to, a icqucst from; a personal friend to give sw account of his day's work. He had in his mind's eye the audienoe he was to address through the medium of a' semiprivate magazine, which had a circulation of about 150, many of the siibscribore being : his own'personal friends. " Mr. Mules then read tho article, from tho "Review." Tho recital was listened .to with unbroken attention, and was punctu- ■ ated occasionally with applause or laughter.. A hearty round of"; applause ; greeted tlio conclusion. •' v" : 1 .'. ;

"Now then," Mr*' Mules 'continue*!, -' witS spirit, "what -aboutthe- tone, of that; article?!' He wanted the sympathy of the - mourn his work,' but on the general-tone of his'artiole ho inrited the, meeting to say whether ho was guilty or not, guilty. Mr. Mules, 'who had had a • very/ sympathetic ■ hearing, resumed Lis Boat amid applause.^ The discussion was opened, by the' chair--man', who' said bluntly that: he ! had felt satisfied all along. This met with a chorus , of '.'Same hproj" and applauM. 1 Some desultory discussion arid'! critioism 'of Vft fewi' ■ points in the article followed,u . ./,.i "You hare heard ono honest,-mail : epoak< r his mind," said the chairman, "and I want you all to do the same. All t&o questions are coming from one .or two.' , The invitation ( • was taken up by a "few of tho men, ; who wildly challenged'the accuracy of eome of tho statements . in the article. • , . Mr. Mules said \thero was httdly a man present who did not know that everything stated in his article was true, or'who ooula. ■ not truthfully writo about things • which \Ycto -hotter than;anything,ho had touched On. ''V The nioeting as. ! a whole was decidedly on \ Mr. Miilea's' side, and this, was" shown when : a' motion was. put "That Mjv Mules'a ex- . ■ planation 1m acooptpd by the meeting, and ; that ho be exonorated from all responsibility . for tJio article as it appeared in tno news-, peijcrs." This was carried unanimously, amid applause. : ■ '■ ■ ■

SOME EXTRACTS. It iarsally not an attractive picture thai i Mr. Muloij pinw/as theseoxtracts will show. | He is taking his readers on a round of hi* parish' Next, horns. Hoen ■ there bcfcro. Littlf ' galvaniscd-iron wifel) and six children occopy it. . . \ Th« woman-Vboon dragged up. .Had no training. Cannot keep pace with the work. Too much washing) and . mending,' and cooking, J Mid three infants .to keep at home all day. . The oth'fers are at 'school. Olio of ' them,, seeing ; tho father lying jn a ditch near homo, tre-.; marked: 'f 'E's only drunk.V And this same' man; is also a hardened gambler. . ; l.call on another. Nido'home, well-built and large/, well-spoken , and courteous.'': 'ATs#;' Church of England, and you are pleased; You pass ono day and hear Bomeone Bwearing, ; .with words of b toew vocabulary, Inquiries' point out tho fact that she' has been marriedtwice,', and now lives with a man not her husband. But the men. I have nover Been such low, filthy scenes as some I've witnessed during the past : yeai. I have never seen, such lofty, noble examples of kindness .and goodness as are shown by some" of the same .actors, as in tho ;former Boencs. Among my six hundred men are many "oome' down in the world," and many are. on their way ! lip; Often have I booh men who have been too well educated. They, havo ; learned, l how to go to»tho devil faster than their neighbours. It doesn't leave a gopd impression .' in ono's mind actually to hear a man in'hit drunken verbosity reoite a jumble of Lathi, Greek, and English—with Maori! thrown in to leaven its .' I; had read of Such English. ?üblic school boys, and Home university' moii; novor thought I should ever meet them faco to face. Have you ever tried to get. Buch an one to give up. drink, or immorality ?..;.,TrJ,' 'and see. where, you your* self stand on tho' moral or religious plane,. < ■The next; I was-holding a: Bcrvice in :a boarding houses Tliey wore lato in ' coming along, so I went forth to seek. I heard 3 row and found a drunkard assaulting a woman. The reason was thai tho wonmn, on . hor way to tie' service, called at the man's hut to find 'her husband. She found him—getting drunk.. She' let .loose her wrath and the other man throw her out. She went. homo sobbing. l After 'T went to' call on the man A. I arrived just in time to see' him getting rid, of the husband B. They camo out-of'the hut together.'B. landed on his back, A; on top. But B. had an ear of A.'s in eftoh hand, and hold. Ho: had also lauded a right, on A.'s profile before the desoent, bo tho scene was- lurid. Well, one at eScli cornor, and a fifth to carry the impedimenta, wo took him home. All had to go in to supper, and the finale came when —bang I bang! Mr?.'B. foil in a doad faint on the floor, A. little water,' and rest.! and we left. 8,, too,' was once a Sunday School scholar of_my brothor'Bl Tho population is;a; very' floating one., I should think, withotol • any "exaggeration, more than eight hundred' men have come and gono during the past year. One catches glimpses only, and knows not tho real m&D.. ' i.-. ' .: ;

. • Tlio general, toiio'of Mr. Mules's artiolo, however, is not nt all represented by the oxtraets quoted. Ho has niuoli praise for tho bravo people vliose lives aro reputable, and who aro in. tho. majority. • .