"EREWHON."

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3447, 29 March 1920, Page 4

"EREWHON."

There is much speculation locally about the origin of the word Erewhon, but it is to Mr Salfiue\l Butler, an author of note, we are cndcbtcd for that word. Perhaps Butler’s Erewhon constitutes his best work; it was the name he gave to an Utopia, or imaginury commonwealth in New Zealend hereabout. He supposed his El-ew‘hon—-ians to have ‘gone on inventing watches, printing presses, engines, and other mechanical appliances, till there appeared to be :1 danger that machines would'supp‘lunt nfan for all purposes of toil. A party arose denrandirig the destruction of all‘ nfachinery, and civil war followed, just such :1 fiasco as might be supposed to result if some brand of Socialists "had their way. In short, Butlel"s Erewhon was nothing more than 21 synical attack upon modern institutions, put in the form of {L philosophical romance. Ercxvhom

came to be :1 great centre of industry and learning, and the Erewhon estate which Mr W. J. Birch is now going‘ '9,» sub-divide, in a closer settlement schhcme, is sl_lpp(JSC(.l to be portion of the very place on which Butler located his Erewhon, and "who will deny that Butlc-.r’s Erewhon may yet become less real than Jules Verne’s life under the sea, or Roger Bacon’s man flyers in the air‘? It is true that Erewhon is very little known by even people in the Tziihape district, :11though it is only twenty-one miles HOlll the Tilihape Post Ofiice——an hour and 3‘ha]f’s Car ride. Future Erewhonians will have 12,000 acres of really good, clean land to prosper upon, all what is termed easy country, nearly 0111 pldughable, mostly all in English grasses, 3;. small area Being in native $135503, it is beautifully watered by Perm“-U9“ Stmams. and numerous useful and ornamental plantations beautify the landscape. There is a good road to TBs‘llß-pe, and future discovery may yet turn Butler’s Erewhon Utopia into a centre of science. art, and industry. but if nothing else it is cer,t.ainl_v destined to be a. great wealthproducing. sctilement and future Erewhonians will be :1 prosperous body of this eountr_v’s yeomanry. We hope f 0 return to this subject again.