A CLERGYMAN ON THE TAEARUA DISASTER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 73, 13 May 1881, Page 2

A CLERGYMAN ON THE TAEARUA DISASTER.

As we expected, many of the clergy in different parts of the colony have been discoursing on the disaster to the Tararua. The sermon that has attracted most attention was one by the Bey. David Sidoy, Presbyterian minister, of Napier. Mr Sidoy is a man of great ability, but his ideas are very narrow. In his sermon lie said : — " He recognised iv the disaster to the Tararua a judgment from Heaven. He said that by overwork the Company had lowered the morals of their men. They also manifested supreme contempt for the Divine law, and the moral well-being of some of the communities with whom their trade brings them in contact, in their treatment of the Sabbath, and to this there had scarcely been a mutter of protest on the part of those communities whom they afflicted. They had been left to pursue their own way regardless of any claim of Heaven or earth. The ♦ almighty dollar ' had been the one grand consideration in all their arrangements." "We presume Mr Sidey meant the loss, of the Tararua was a judgment on the Union Company, and yet in what sense were they affected by it ? The interest of the Union Company was in the boat, not in the lives of the passengers. The loss tho Company will sustain is simply the few thousand pounds the boat was worth over and above the insurance money. It is questionable if the loss of the Tararua will affect the balance sheet of the Company so far as to make a difference of one shilling per share in the annual dividend. If this is the case, what becomes of Mr Sidey's judgment? We say Mr Sidey's, because we believe the judgment exists ouly in his fervid imagination and narrow mind. Look on the other side of the picture, and think of beloved clergymen in the prime of life stopped in their career of usefulness, of widows and orphans weeping for husband and fathei', of over a hundred souls hurried into eternity, and for what? "To punish a company consisting of several hundreds of shareholders by the loss of a few thousands of pound-)," says Mr Sidey. Beally, one hardly knows how to write patiently of such preachers and such sermons. That the Union Company may overwork its crows, and may have other defects in its management, we are of course free to odrnit, but that there is anything in the circumstances connected with this sad affair to warrant any man in calling it a judgment from Heaven wo deny. It arose from purely human causes, and Mr Sidey has no more right to attribute it to Providence than he would have to declare that a man who mistakes a road and walks over a precipice is led to do so by Providence. The Tararua was on the wrong course and ran ashore. She was on the wrong course because the persons whose duty it was co keep her on the right one did not do so. That is the long and short of it. Yet Mr Sidey's assertion implies that Divine Providence affected the minds of the officers in such a way as to secure the wreck of the steamer, and the loss of over a hundred lives. That is the logical result of his assertion that it was a judgment. We wonder if Mr Sidey would have preached a sermon on the wreck if no lives had been lost. We believe not. The loss of a ship is a common occurrence, and if Mr Sidey finds a judgment from Heaven on the owners in every shipwreik that occurs, or for that matter in every accident by either land or sea, he will have plenty of them to discourse upon. Happily, Mr Sidey belongs to a school of thinkers fust passing away. Modern theologians who fully ' endorse the idea of a Providence recognise that a direct Divine control

of the affairs of the world is quite compatible with the exercise by maw of his free agency and ordinary powers. Natural laws have been set in operation, and where man runs foul of these the good must suffer with the evil. Divine Providence will not s'ep in to reverse natural laws, and therefore the good must suffer with the bad. The same sea swallows a devoted clergyman and a foul-mouthed blasphemer, and a fire bums a Church as easily as a house of ill-fame. We say it is a happy thing that thinkers of Mr Sidey's class are passiug away, for clerical narrow niindedness of the kind he has displayed in this instance drives more thoughtful men to infidelity than all the writings of Voltaire, Huine, Paine, and men of that c ass put together.

I Floot>ed Out. — MrJ. D. Gillies, assist-ant-engiueer, proceeded last week to survey several deviations on the HorowhenuaPalmerston railway line, for the purpose of avoi.ling country proved to be sut'j**ct. to floods from the Manawatu river. He returned to Foxton yesterday afternoon, owing to the country being completely flooded ; in fact, he was not able to start the work during the ten days he was in camp. Ball at Otaki. — Sotue months ago a ball was given by the married ladies at 0 aki, and we understand the bachelors of that town are about to return the eomuliuieut by giving one in return. The ball is expected to talte place on the 20th of the present month, at the schoolhouse. Application for License. — Mr John Harper intends to apply at the next sitting of the Licensing Court at Otaki for a license for a house occupied by him on the main road, Otaki. He is getting a petition numerously signed by the travelling public in favor of the application. It will be remembered that on a previous application being made by Mr Harper, the Bench informed him that the travelling public lnd not asked for any fresh accommotion, and this time Mr Harper is arming himself with a petition from travellers. Bush Felling. — A gentleman well qualified to judge informs us that at the present time three thousand acres of bush in the vicinity of Palmereton aro being felled, preparatory to being burned next season. Embezzling. — Wilkinson, the clerk who embezzled the Government moneys at Hawera, has been sentenced to five years, imprisonment, with hard labor. Final Abolition of Sisters-in-Law. — The Bill for the Abolition of Sisters-in-Law, otherwise called the Deceased Wife Sister Marriage Bill, which was passed by Parliament during last session and reserved for the Queen's sanction, has been consented to, and is now in force in this colony. Its chief object was to remove a rather awkward difficulty from the social status of the member for Riverton — MrM'Caughan — he having contracted a marriage of the kind mentioned. But why does not Parliament act consistently, and pass a Bill legislating marriage with a deceased husband's brother? Surely it is absurd that legislation on the marriage laws should be of a one-sided nature. The West Coast Railway. — In the Guardian of Wednesday we notice a full report of a meeting held at Feilding on Saturday, to advocate the interests of the West Coast Railway Co. The meeting was presided over by Mr Macarthur. and addressed at length by Messrs Halcombe and J. Linton. At the close of the meeting nearly 500 shares were applied for, and the Guardian says that before the share list closes on the 31at May, it is expected 1000 shares will be applied for in the Manchester district. Grand Flaneur. — An exchange says :— Grand Flaneur broke down badly in one of his fore legs on the Saturday before the Sydney races. He will race no more. He has been purchased by Andrew Towns for atud purposes for £5000. Resigned. — Mr Master, one of the Grey Valley members, and Mr Acton Adams, the member for Nelson, have both resigned their seats in the House of Representatives. Archbishop Steins. — A telegram from Archbishop Steins, Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland, who left for Europe, via Sydney, in ill-health, reports that he is so much worse that he remains in Sydney, being unable to proceed on his journey. Amongst the Pork. — The N. Z. Times of Wednesday contains the following with reference to Mr A. M'Alister, who is wellknown in this district :— A well-known •port-, Archie M'Alister, was temporarily eclipsed yesterday. Some of Mr Gear's men were driving a drove of Waimate Plains pi;ss out from town to the yards past Kaiwarra, and the animals fully asserted their disposition to go every way but the right. Mr M'Alister went ahead to round up some of the stragglers, but suddenly found the pigs runmug full tilt between his horses legs, and before he well knew where he was, he was out of the pigskin on back among the live porkers. He escaped with a cut hand and some bruises. The Dunedin Tramway Accident.— The man Garret, who was injured at the Dunedin tram wayaccideuthavingsincedietl, the coroner's jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against the conductor, who was committed for trial. Bail was allowed, himself in £100, and two sureties in £50 each. Mb Linton on the Railway.— During Mr Linton's speech at the railway meeting at Feildinej on Saturday night, lie said :— "The railway would have the effect of bringing men with money into the district who would make their homes and raise tln-ir families amoni? us Plenty of people travelled to the Wairarapa in search of land, as they hnd a railway and travelling was eaßy. They fancied they were going to the Garden of Eden, but there waß very little good land in the distiict, and with the exception of a tew patches, the remainder was made up of stones and rabbits. He met a man the other day who had been 1 ioking for land in the Wairarapa, but he could not find a suitable block. He (the speaker) advised him to visit the Manawatu, and the result was that he took up 2000 acres of fine land. This gentleman was the representative of a number of others in the Old Country who would be willing to come out if they received favorable reports of the fertility of the soil. There was room in the district for 10,000 or 20,000 more people, and he believed that every settler would become prosperous." Otaki Highways Board. — The usual meeting of this P.oard was not hsld on Wednesday last, owing to the non-attend-ance of a quorum of mumbors. The meeting was postponed by the Chairman to the following Wednesday. Wanganui Endowment Committbe.— Messrs Macarthur, Linton, Rockstrow, and M'Lennan met at the County office yesterday as a committed to consider an offer by the W»ng»nui| Harbor Board rt open.

ing thoir endowment block by means of roads. The Board proposed that the Council should call for tenders, but placed a limit on the price to bo accepted, apparently under the impression that the County Council would be able to dictate to >euderer3 the price. The committee resolved to invite tenders for the work, and forward them on receipt to the Wanganui B<>ar<l for acceptance or rejection. TnE County Engineer. — As illustrating theariJuijua character of the Manawatu County Engineer's duties, it may be meni ioned that since the beginning of the year, in addition to a large amount of office work, Mr Hayns has travelled over 1700 miles. Highways Election.— At the time appointed for the nomination of a "fit ami proper person " to fill the vacancy on the Otaki Highways Board caused by the resignation of Mr Udy for No. 6 Ward, none of the Otaki residents sought the proffered honor, and the vacancy will now, we suppose, be filled by the Government. Bail. — On account of the length of time which will elapstt before the three men who were committed for trial at Otaki this week for cattle stealing can be tried — about five months — the Justices allowed bail to each man in two sureties of £50, and himself in t'loo. Brown was immediately bailed out by Messrs Rutherford and Harper. Hopkins and Gittins being unable to obtain bail were yesterday evening sent to Wangauui Gaol to await their trial. They were brought from Otaki by coach in charge of Constable M'Auulty, who proceeded ihither by coach yesierday morning, and escorted them as far as Halcombe, returning] by the down train. Otaki Courthouse.— Mr Simcox, who heard the cattle stealing cases at Otaki iv the miserable shed which does duty for a Courthouse there, stuck bravely to his> work for two days, but would not sit on the third day, having caught a violent cold about the head and neck through the gusts of wind which swept through the broken windows of the shed. In consequence of this, Mr Simcox states he will object to sit on the Bench again until some improvements are made.in the accommodation of the building. Our Fourth Page — On our fourth page will be found an interesting article entitled, "A Big Colonial Farm," and several amusing paragraphs under the heading, " Wit and Humour. " Court Work. — A large mass of evidence was taken in the cattle stealing cases at Otaki. In Hopkins' case, without Mohi's evidence in Maori, the depositions covered no less than twenty-three sides of foolscap, and the other casts were almost as long. This involved a large amount of writing, and tte Clerk of the Court was kept very busy, as, in addition to his clerical work, he had the interpreting to do also. The Manchester Block. — Our article in Tuesday's issue on the census returns and the growth of population on the Manchester block, bore a striking resemblance to a subleader in the Feilding Guardian of the previous Saturday ; in fact, so great was the resemblance, that our Feilding contemporary might suppose we had been guilty of plagiarism. As a matter of fact, however, although we received our copy of the Guardian as usual on Saturday, we had omitted to read the article referred to, and did not do so until Wednesday, when we casually took up the paper containing it. We of course noticed at once the similarity of the analysis and inferences from the returns to our own. We make this explanation in justice to aurselves, as plagiarism is a thing we carefully avoid. The facts, however, upon which both articles were based are indisputable, and fully support the inferences expressed of the rapid growth of genuine settlement on the Manchester block. On Dit. — That certain changes aro likely to be made shortly in the stations of several of tho police iv the County of Manawatu. Heavy Weather.— Tuesday last was a very boisterous day on the coast. A heavy fresh came down the Otaki river in the morning and the down coach had to wait on the Otaki side of the river for the arrival of the up coach, the passengers being ferried across the river in a canoe. — Later m the day Mr W. Reeve, carter, reached the Ohau on his way to Otaki with a load of flour. As a strong fresh was running down the river, and the tide was high. Mr Reeve put his waggon on the punt When halfway across tho rope connecting the print with the " traveller " carried away, and the punt was swept down the river. Some distance down it touched ground and Reeve and the ferryman at once sprang ashore and endeavoured to hold it, but owing to the strength of the current this was impossible, and the punt was once more swept down stream. Reeve again sprang on to it and unhooked the horses so as to be prepared for the worst, but fortunately the punt again took the ground and this time held. The load was then drawn out by the horses. Mr Reeve may congratulate himself on the lucky manner in which he got out of the difficulty, as although the water came some distance up the punt, none of the flour was damaged. Mr Hayns informed us on Wednesday evening that he sent to Wanganui some time ago for a new rope to replace the old one at Ohau, but it had not yet arrived. [Since writing the above, we have heard that the rope came down by the night train on Wednesday, and will be forwarded to Ohau today.] The Palmerston Libel Cases. — Mr Dungan has, as we expected, proceeded against the Editor of the Manawatu Standard for criminal libeL The hearing of the charges against the rival editors will begin on Tuesday next, at Palmerston, before Mr Ward, R.M. We intend to have a reporter present during the investigation. Winter Goons. — In another column Mr Liddell announces the arrival of a large and varied stock of winter goodc, including men's clothes, dress materials, &c As Mr Liddell has always had a reputation for keeping ouly first-class articles, he may reasonably anticipate a speedy diminution of the new stock he now advertises. Imports. — The following statement of the value of the imports from other countries to the different ports of New Zealand will give a very good idea as to their relative commercial importance. The figures are for the quarter ended March 31 : — Dunedin, L 638.436 ; Lyttelton, L 335.95 7; Auckland, L324, so3 ; Wellington, L24B.3l l; Nelson, L 50 ,72 8; Napier, 140,512; Invercargill and Bluff, L 85.543 ; Greymonth, L2G.021 ; Timaru, L 24.065; Hokifcika, L 18.529; Oamaru, L 12.579; Wanganui, Lll,048; New Plymouth, L 6.46 6; Wairau, L 4.814; Poverty Bay, L 2.872; Thames, L 2.469; Picton, LI, 688 ; We»t- : port. L 1,591, 591 ; Riverton, L 1.069; Russell, L 776; Foxton, L 654; Kaipara, L 181; Chathams, L 7; total, L 1,788,819., 788,819. Rinkino — Now that the cold weather is coming on, some enterprising Foxtonian should try and arrange for the use of the Public Hall or some other building suitable for rinking. It is a v«ry healthy and invigorating exercise, and though a little difficult at first, whon once the art of balancing is mastered the motion is said to be most enjoyable. There are so very few amusement* in Foxton, that we have

no doubt a Rink Hall would bo well supported, and would prove highly profitable, if the price were fixed sufficiently low to iuduce the general public to take season tickets. Rumsev, the Otaki Marty r.. — This individual is rapidly extending hU fame. A few days ago he was marching the streets of Wangauui robed in a white graiUHut on which was painted a statement thst he had beeu arrested thirteen times anu that ouly one conviction had been recorded against him. His love of retirement appears to have again overcome his love of liberty, as will be seen b the following quotation from the Wangauui Court report :— -Breaking Windows. — Francis Rumaey was charged with breaking a pane of glass valued at 7a, in the windows of the police station. He pleaded "not guilty."— Constable O'Connor deposed that on -Wednesday he- saw prisoner outside the station, and heard him ask a little child to give him some stones. Witness then went inside and in a few minutes a stone was thrown though the window. — By prisoner : Prisoner came and wanted to be taken in charge for vagrancy, as he had met with an accident while working on the wharf, and he wanted to be taken care of until he recovered. — Constable Tregonning deposed that prisoner came to the station and asked to be taken in charge. Witness told him to go and get an order for admission to the hospital. Prisoner said that he would not do so, that he wanted to be taken care of by the Government for a few weeks. Witness then put him outside the fence. —This witness was cross-examined by the prisoner with a view to showing that he had been illtreated, but failed to elicit any proof. — Serjeant Bisset also gave evidence. — The prisoner made a long rambling statement to the effect that he had met with an accideut while working on board the schooner Awaroa, which would incapacitate him for work for some days. As he had only 4s, he had decided that the best thing to do to procure board and lodging during his illness was to break the police station window and be taken in charge. — Sentenced to two months' imprisonment with hard labour. During the hearing of the case Inspector James stated that, so far from his having been arrested " thirteen times without a conviction," as he says, he had been at rested ten times, and only on one occasion had he escaped conviction. A Cheerful Publication.— There is a journal in New York city which might be a welcome visitor in families afflicted with a superfluity of cheerfulness — if there are any such. It is called The Shroud, and is devoted to the interest of undertakers. On the right hand side of the heading is an engraving of Father Time, with his everbusy sickle ready for the stroke. On the left baud side i<j a representation of a hearse just entering a cemetery, followed by the mourners, and above are the words "The Hour Cometh." The general get up of the paper and its contents would chill the soul of a Yorick. The Coming Sheep.— The London Agricultural Gazette has discovered the " coming sheep. " The Cotswold (it says) is going out, the Southdown ceases to be a rival for popularity with larger and more profitable if less shapely breeds, the Shropshire have had their day, and the Oxford Downs, although their rise has been rapid, have an unfortunate predisposition to foot-lameness. The "coming sheep" are Hampshire, which, although they have not been pushed or taken up by the great (whoever they may be), have a brilliant future before them. There is no race in England, or the world, says our contemporary, which can vie with them in the production of large-sized lambs of from six to eight months old. At this age it is not uncommon for them to realize as much as sixty or even sixty-five shillings per head. Their enthusiastic chronicler is confident that, if instead of selling lambs at the autumn fairs, breeders keep them till ten or thirteen months old, they would make prices which no other race of sheep would touch. 7 Protection. —The Australasian says :— 5 A Sydney paper has been getting together ■ some facts on the subject of protected canl dies which enable us to realise the blessings . derivable from protection. One singular i argument protectionists are accustomed to 3 use is that an import duty, by some unacf countable process, cheapens production. i Hence, as Victoria puts double the duty on imported candles that New South Wales does, wo ought to get our candles cheaper than Sydney does. But the facts do not agree with the theory. In Melbourne the duty is 2d per lb, and the candle manufacturers sell at 9|d per lb. But in Sydney, w.here the duty is only Id per lb, they soil ' at B£d per lb. The extra Id duty levied hero adds just Id to the price and to the profit of the manufacturer. The workmen get no more wages here than there, and necessarily the manufacturer pockets the differencer Then, again, the Protectionists would say that at any rate the duty must foster manufacture. For instance, it would ba impossible that New South Wales, with only Id duty, could do as much; towards supplying its own wants as Victoria doea at a2d duty. But here, again, though the theory is complete, the facts go off in a different direction. Last year New South Wales imported 9,622 cwt of candles from abroad, while Victoria had to import 9,848 cwt. It remains, of course, possible that the manufacturers make no more profit in Melbourne than they do iii Sydney, though they sell Id per lb dearer. But then it must be that protection increaaes the cost of production, and this is just opposite to the effect enthusiastic protectionists pretend to attribute to it. So that there are difficulties in their case whichever way they may look at it ; and the candles, besides the illuminating properties expected from them, throw a good deal of light on the operation of (protection. [s ...-, t ,._ ;i ; Worth Consideration. — The Nelson Colonist states that lately on the grounds of Mr Simraonds, Spring Grove, a poplar tree was cut down measuring more than 10ft in circumference, and 90ft long. As poplars or elders will grow in any moist situation, the banks of our rivers would grow an enormous quantity of timber, suitable for packing cases, and that in a very short time. This to Nelson fruit growers is a subject of more than mere passing interest, as the co3t of cases for their shipments of fruit have lately shown an upward tendency. Power of the Eye. — A story is told of Van Amburqh, the liontamer, now dead. On one occasion while in a bar room he was asked how he got his wonderful power over animals. He said : "It is by showing them that I'm not in the least afraid of them* and by keeping my eye steadily on theirs. I'll give you an example of the* power of my eye. " Pointing to a loutish fellow who was sitting near by, he said : "You see that fellow? He's a regular clown. I'll make him come across _ the room to me and I wont'aaj a word to him." Sitting down he fixed his keen steady eye on the man. Presently the fellow straightened himself gradually, got tip and came slowly across to the liontamer. When he got close enough he drew back his arm and struck Van Amburgh a tremendous blow under the chin. Knocking him clean over the chair, with the remark, ! "You'll stare at me like that again, won't 1 you!