The Rev. T. Spurgeon on New Zealand.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 38, 15 January 1885, Page 2

The Rev. T. Spurgeon on New Zealand.

.-' The Nev. Thomas Spurgeonflecturing on' New Zealand afr'the Baptisji Church, Greenwich, g&e Some highly^ anausing thoughts and reminisenses on life > vp. this colony. Mr Spurgeon described 'some of the scenery my" New Zealand, inchiding the • hot; Jake'j district — " the wonderland "of New Zealand." The coasts of both island had yielded large quantities of gold. Between 14,000 and 15,000 miners were employed, and the value of the gold produced m, the,, twelvemonth ended March 1883, amounted to £994i000. The gold fever : hi& passed, away to re-appear spasmodically^ Honest skilful laborers and artisans would always be m demand and sinfce 7s : and 9s per ' day were the usual wages they Would find that, although most things were dearer than at Home^ yet they' would have no difficulty m making both ends meet. Should the ' strongest' ties iiv^the old l'ind be severed or constant loss appear inevitable, or the prospect, for the boys and girls discouraging: ; and ftmds were 1 still available' ■ to- 'make a fresh start, on ever so small a scale, m the new land, provided, of course, God's guidance was secured, no. better iplan could be adopted than emigration, and no better country than New Zealand. ! (Applause). Those who come must be prepared 1 ft> "Wait' 1 for success, to knuckle, down to the first employment thajt.vof« ; .. fered, and to remain unhonored ana unjsung until work and worth were recognised, as they were sure to be. He did not say, "Come to New Zealand 'l lest his Greenwich friends should say that he j was a thief and robber, but to quote the jubilee Singers, i he might flay, '} Oh ! brothers i.nd sisters., donty .stay away," (Laughter).. A return >of thsnuml?er of marriages solemnised" m t88& show that one husband had not reached hi»lßth 17. were between 18 and 19, . and five men upwards of 70 entercfd the marriage. state.— (Lati^htctr). "0; sisters, don't stay away.*'— (Laugjiter). Two girls under 15 were" married jjeight between the age of 12 and IG.jaiid 1540 between the ages' of 21 and 25, whilst twb old ladies between 65 and 70 sought connubial bliss.— (Laughter) . " O, brp- ; . thers, : don't stay away." — (Laughter). The inhabitants now numbered- consider- . ■ ably/, over 50.0,00Q and immigration; adds' thousands every year. The principal towns 1 contained, with their .suburbs, some 20,000, 80,000,. 0r.40,000 souls, and the excess of births over deaths m 1882 was more than 10,000. There was room for thousands more, he believed, \ with good prospects. , Here was mighty Lon^ .don,. with 4,000 : ,O0Q jSfisouls, " cribbed, cabined, and confined" m the narrow limits of a. few miles, while m that|great "couutry there were *0n1y':4.75f .persons to > the square mile. Those with no particular trade or .ayo.ca.tion, Jacks of all r trades,' had bettdr go to some other, place. — Jericho, for instance — (laughter)— and as to clerks and bookkeepers, there were enough of them already, pearly all the industries are carried pu m New Zealandfj . , Amom . , t|jg principal were bootmaking,' boat and ghip 'building \ irdii-iounding, 'gi-otvirig' wli'eat "for the mill; and live stock tbr the London market^ 'making soap, twistinc bwinet, and the many branches ,of labour eohnectoil with wool and wood., .There was immense variety of beautiful arid serviceable wood, and the majority of the houses were of that material. The Maoris,, though- slesa 'numerous.* ; wew infinitely superior to taeir gayage ancestors,;