TOLOGA BAY.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1127, 19 August 1882, Page 2

TOLOGA BAY.

(FROM OUR OWN correspondent). CLERICAL SUPPLY. August 16th. “Wanted.—A visit from a Clergyman, or Minister of Religion,” is, indeed, feelingly expressed by the sighs of the faithful in this benighted settlement. Of course we form but a “little Hook,” but then to such a special promise is held out to hope for something worth having. This appeal is made to the much bevangelised community of Gisborne. From the daily columns of the Standard we enviously gather that a whole Synod, Presbytery-cum-Conference of ordained and devoted Evangelists has been of evenings addressing the comparatively unbenighted denizens of our County Borough. Why don’t these revs, and right-revs, constitute themselves into a College and rear some of the devoutest and most promising of their hearers sufficiently in divinity to stage over a Sunday now and then in town with a “lay preacher,” or 4 ‘elder,” or u deaeon?” This would liberate the entowned clergyman and enable him to oome to Tologa Bay, I have to add to our adult cry, the wail of our tender infants. There is now quite a considerable (and weekly increasing) “ class ” of these knocking at the door of the Christian church. At least one mother has expressed her opinion that her babe would not be half so cross, if i'i were baptized. A very wholesome idea that, and worthy of reverence ! The Church, as you Mr Editor know, is one and indivisible, and wo, however neglected here, look upon ourselves as of the same Hock as the good people of Gisborne.

LICENSING RESTRICTIVE ACT, t There is weeping and wailing amongst the licensed victuallers, and with some snow of reason too, because their beer is by inent fiat stopped from their brother man the Maori. This extreme measure is too general throughout tho Colony for mo to write an essay on. There are, of course, two sides to this as to every question. There is the trade side, and there is the morality side. Not that all the morality is on one (that is, the repressive) side. Far from it. There is indeed, the passible drunkenness and its ugly concomitants. But thexx these all are crimes or offences punishable by law, which latter institution u not suffieiontly maimed to enforce respect. ‘ ‘ Therefore, ” say our Legislators and Good Templars, “ Cut the Gordian knot, as we cannot loose it, stop their grog ; rob the Maori of his beer!” Oh! my friends! Reckon not without your host. Will the Maori consent to be robbed ? Not if he can brew, distill, or smuggle ; from doing which your weak police force cannot restrain him. Then from vice, deception, and fiscal Parliament, made sin and crime become rampant. Y’ou give the Maori a pleasant (and cheap) taste of the forbidden fruit, then before you can drive him out of Paradise he puts forth his hand and eats or drinks of the tree of knowledge, and is drunk for ever, with his own home-made fire-water.

NEW ROAD LINES. Following up my remarks (of 18th July) on the subject of altering the present track aiong the coast, it may be instanced that the worst part of the road between Gisborne and Uawa may be escaped by leaving the beach at Pakaraia ferry, or at Whangara, and there striking inland by a somewhat at present steep climb. The rest of this new line is very good as to gradient, and the beach may be re-joined at Puatai, near Mr Loisel’s station. There is a track leading out at Waitotara, but as this would still give the traveller the very unsafe places north of Waitotara to go over, it is better to keep inland and come out at Puatai. Then again the fearful climbings between Uawa and Tokomaru could be similarly escaped by inland variations of the present track. As regards also the line beween Waiapu and the County boundary at Whangaparaoa, something really should be done, not certainly by the County Council who get no rates from that stretch of country, but most certainly by the General Government Public Works or Survey Departments. Our worthy member, who no doubt reads the Standard, ought really to apply for a few hundred pounds, and take no denial, in the interests of the tourist, casual traveller, and working men, awaginen (who often go this way to look for work and Esthetic cnjoy= xnont).