NORTH AUSTRALIAN HABITS.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 July 1921, Page 1

NORTH AUSTRALIAN HABITS.

A RCII DEACON’S INTEREST 1N(

DISCOV ERJES

SYDNEY, July 6

The v do Porno extraordinary tilings in Northern Queensland. according to a staement made by Arcltdcacon Oakes, a Bathurst man who has been touring awnv up beyond Charters Towers. ‘•T mn told,” says tbo Archdeacon, “that one section of the church here bas a rule that if a clergyman is not available a man and woman may marry themselves, on the strict understanding that the usual ceremony is to be observed as soon as the opportunity presents itself. I have heard of a clergyman who was summoned to go into the Northern Territory, to a station some 300 miles beyond CToneurry, to celebrate a marriage which had been waiting three months for official sanction. He made two attempts to reach his destination, hut on each occasion he had to return.”

The Archdeacon said that he found the mining industry in a condition of decline. A factor that militated against the success of the industry was the appalling amount of swindling and dishonesty that prevailed. English capitalists had; been robbed to such an extent hv unscrupulous speculators that they are now chary about investing their money in the mines, and without large sums the various works cannot he restarted.

There is very little Sabbath observance anywhere in the far north, reports tho traveller. “Last Sunday, in a. town T was in, there were three football matches, and on,, of the teams came 'IOO miles to take part in the affair. Tt is a land of far distances. Some of the hospital patients have been carried as far as 300 miles. T have just heard of one poor woman who travelled for days in a buggy, going towards the hospital, and died when 50 miles from the hospital town.” “One of tKo most remarkably people T have me‘t is an old lady who keeps tho principal hotel in Charters Towers. She has been 36 years in tho business* lias never tasted liquor, has nover served a customer in tho bar, and the whole of her large family are total abstainers.”