Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, OCT. 2, 1897. Our Colony.

Manawatu Herald, 2 October 1897, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, OCT. 2, 1897. Our Colony.

Oim population in April, 1896, was stated to be 708,860, and from the tableg supplied by the census We appear to be fast coming a very mixed people both in birth and religlnni Though tha proportion of foreign subjects is only 1 90 to 'the whole population, they are suffi ciently numerous to make their mark and create an influence on a very large number of children, &g the ac ual figures gives us 11,177 men nnd 2,180 women. The largest number of foreigners camn from Germany, 4,595, China 8,719, and Denmark 2,125. But we have also a few hundreds from AustriaHungary, Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Rus3ia, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Afsica, America, and other places. There is a statement that 1302 were born atsea.

-The chief headings for religions observed by our mixed nationality are also very strange ones, for though the Church of England, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Congregational Independents, Lutheran?, Unitarians and the Society of Friends we are accustomed to accept as an inevitable condition of our true Christianity, and the Roman Catholics have also been a well-known body, we yet find the Hebrews numbered 1519, and Buddhists and Confucians 8,391, and 15,967 persons objected to state to what religious denomination they belonged.

The tables show that 37,851 per sons professed other religions of most extraordinary titles, but as they are some 180 it would be impossible to give the listen full. One man described himself as being a member of the Australian church, and he i 3 the only one who acknowledges membership of tbat body. We are surprised at there being only two Gameronians, but that is all tbe census reveals, and there is only one Covenanter. Two men and one women still retain the title of "Dipper" which many years ago was rather a popular sect in this colony. One man declares he is a Morrisonian an^ another tbat he is a Nazarena Sect" Christian. Three men declare themselves Banters, and four men % ;aud two women say that they are whatever that may be. One modest man declares he is an ordinary Christian, but had, apparently not decided upon any of the many denominations that would like to claim him. v A denomination "to fear Godj obey parents, and honour the Queen "- numbers seven, two men and five women. The Mormons number 162 men and 127 women.

Getting outside of denominations 562 people declared themselves to be Agnostic?, 898 ato be Freethinkers, and 8.604 declared they were of no denomination and 1490 that they were of no religion. Three men and three men recorded they " were not yet saved." Atheists numbered 117, whilst one man put himself down as a chartist. Another man said he was a Kalozorat bud he did not explain what that meant. Then we came across a Natist, and a Universal Hedonist.

These religions, in conjunction with the tongues of the different nationalities that have made a home on our shores, reveal a state of chaos, which, with the addition of our ignoring religion in any shape in our State schools, will give work for a large class of thoughtful and Christian workers to contend with.

Th 6 annual general meeting of the Manawatu Bowing Club is convened for Wed» nesday evening at Whyte's Hotel.

Mr Chuck has opened np Mr Little's late shop in the same business and is likely to do well.

We heav that Mr Con. Sullivan has been left by the death of a relative a very handsome suni of raondyi

Messrs Wajsh and Howan had the first lamb in their shop for sale to-day. It came from the K<iwaroa farm.

Mr Stevens is to ask the Minister for Bail ways if he will cause sheep yards to be ereoted at the Oroua Bridge railway station, for the purpose of enabling the settlers in that locality to send their sheep to market by rail, instead of being compelled, as at present, to drive them at least 12 miles to the nearest railway station.

"The way in which the. Jury list is compiled," say 3Mi Justice Edwards, " is a public nuisance."

A nice country. The Indian Government pays a bounty on snake-heads, and every year payment is made on from 500,000 to 1,000,000 slain snakes.

The Messrs Sirang have the fine paddock which was in wheat last y<? af, again in the Bame 6rop k and it is well up And looking very ntee.

The Marine Department has decided to procure a supply of standard barometers, barograpli3 and thermometers, from Bogland, to enable more reliable weather reports to be supplied.

Over 250,000 people work all night in London.

Tho football match Hnntly v. Hamilton, atftgaruawahia.aplay-offfortbeohampion-ship of the W.iikato, was played last Saturday. The grodnd was under Water, ftnd rain fell in sheets. A few minutes after the commencement, Huntly scored a try, which was the only score during the game. Tho Bey. Mr Hudson was the referee, but was quite unable to control the game or the crowd, which behaved in a disgraceful fashion, crowding the goal lines, rushing the ground, hooting the refei'ee and players, and at times taking a hand in tho {.ame.

Sir ji B. Lawes, the eminent agricultural authority, estimates the British wheat harvest this year to average 26J bushels per acre and the total yield to be 6,125,000 quarters.

We are sorry to learn that Hoy, the eldest son of Mr James Robinson, fell out Of a 6oach on a journey down in the South Island and broke his leg. It will be a couple of months before he is able to be removed.

Several owners of coasting c aft which tradj to sawmills in the North which are not scrwd by telegraph stations have adopttd i.he plan of employing pigoons to convey information from the boats.

The recent transfer of the Stipendiary Magistrates of the colony cost £383 10a 2d in travelling expenses.

A Hanmer correspondent of Truth writes : — The formation of the walk 3 and gardens round the sanatorium is completed, under the superintendence of Mr Rodgers, the genial caretaker. Several thousands of trees and shrubs have be: n planted, also 150 large and 150 small fruit trees, besides 100 nut trees. If all goes well in a few years it ought to be a perfect paradise.

On the arm of a young lady in New Yovk is a photograph placed there by lightning. She is a telegraph operator, and whilst she was sending a message to St. John's during a storm she felt an acute pain in her arm, and on looking at it found the exact representation of a leaf.