NOVEL TRAM BRIDGE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 151, 17 June 1908, Page 4

NOVEL TRAM BRIDGE.

To the Editor.

Sir,—On Saturday last i was interested and pleased in witnessing the official _ opening of a tram bridge over the Ngatoro-nui on a section on Durham road west. It has been erected by a very smart young bu-li engineer (Air. Chas. Minchiu) and what makes it tli-s more interesting is that the wire for its construction was earted to the site of the erection and the ropes twisted on I the ground, and they could not have I I been better made had they been pro-f cured from a factory. ' They were' made at an amazingly small cost, and) in this land of rivers and creek- they might I* largely used. On the eroding | of the first span of fencing posts it was declared to be open, and a bottle' of champagne was opened, and the health of the constructor was drunk, with many good wishes for the success of his first attempt.—l am, etc.. AX oxlookej:. -Uli. C. K. KKLUIiM.Ki; A\l) -\O-LICK.\M-:. To the Kilitor. sir . —lu common with your other •readers, 1 have to thank Mr. I. K. |;,llringer for the candor with whii-ii he has stated his case in favor of XoLicense—by which lie and his friends mean Prohibition. n>r merely to withhold licenses without any prohibitory

restrictions would be to place the -ale of liquors on the same footing as that of any other commodity. while they wish to make it a criminal oilVnce. The frankness with which he telU u> of the uiunlMTs i« favftr of lh" ca-e he advocates in the l nited .States a> being ail argument in favor of the like measure here places tite matter on au honest footing 1 have already pointed out li'Mv the larger number of \orthein States have from time to time gone back to a saner and more Christian cour-e: but evelt were this not so. although t hi- argument ot nitmbejs might weigh uiih the oppoituni-t and timeserver, it certainly should not with the Christian patriot. "Jlroad is the way that leadcth to destruction. and uianv there be that go j» thereat." The history of Christianity »ive, u, tf K . example of many other heresies that have been mute a- popular and widespread as this I**!k'f of the Prohibitionists, and that have wrought a> much havoc as this i\ doing. Precisely the .-auie a menu as Mr. llellringer urges in favor ot thin latest foe to spiritual religion l has been used in favor of Arianism ami even Mohammedanism. \\\> ]i:ive heard and read of many cries of *1 m. here U Christ." and it is high time that the church and the world were warned against this on**. One rvmemlNT* what, a shock was felt hj» many Christian circles when about the year the Presbyterian Synod of California parsed a law to exclude all but teetotaller* from church iuemWrshij>. It was apologised for by many of that "party ad an ebullition of Americanism thai would soon pa>s away—America that has not only piven us this new form of faith, but Mornionism, and a dozen other strange ami heretical faiths. But evil communication* corrupt good manners. This total abstinence is now the law of the whole of the Methodist episcopal churches of the States—the most numerically strong of all their churches and of many others. In J843 the English WesleyanConference passed a minute that teetotil meetings were not to be held in their places of worship; theirs was then a living and a growing church. Now the view* expressed hy Mr. liellringer are very largely held by We-deyan minister*, and a sort of official sanction has been given to them, and last year there was a falling-oir in the membership of this church at Home of nearly nine thousand members. Details might be given to -how that this lamentable fact everywhere obtrudes itself, that as the propaganda and belief in total abstinence ami prohibition have increased as part of a Christian's duty in the churches. ■ ual life and power have decayed. J)j ( { not the ex-president of the la-t Wesleyan Conference nt Auckland make the • awful confession that the world had captured the church, when giving his official address?—ami <|<j jmt we see continuation of this terrible >tato or things ail around Everywhere we have the >ame experience—the more Prohibition, the le>- Christianity. It is the knowledge ol the-e fads "which

cau-es one to attach tlian no weight to the argument as derived from numbers. which Mr. ('. E. JJcllringer in his late speech and ill his letter "deems so inijtonant. Indeed, the knowledge that thi- fa)-e idea that alcohol needs ban-i-hirig, that Cod i- on the side of tlm-e mi-taken people who endeavor to do it. witli th»> in.-rea-e „f their number- of late year- and of tin* arrogant and persecuting -pirn v\ jiit-li charai teii-c-, iheir party IkjUi in ehuivh and ought to Ih- an incentive to all true ( hristiaiis

- that i-. tho-e who tru-t In Christ- only lor -jKation - to be more ami inure in e.irne-t to np|w ( .e tin- error- which are being -o widely propagated and believed in. and to contend with more earnc-t----lie-s fnf til- faith once delivered to the -*int-. Ihe -tatejni-nt that Cod with thi- modern faith could onlv be Irm* if ir were in cmi-..,nance with Hi- revealed will, instead of being, a- it. i-. in direct oppo-iii.jn to the whole teachings of S-riptiuv. I cmld wi-h that .Mr. JHlringcr .uxl all of his W ay of thinking would read that excellent hook. "Tli- !|eie-y of Teetotali-m." on ihi-

]o : |!i. Were thev to do -o. |'e-\ \v--nM 'he nece—ity of urging their p«.n-

al«o)jolir- -v-t»*m on >omc Jin-t iu-i----ihan it- agreement with Christianity. Whatever ♦al-e sv>tem of ethic.- that lias U'l-n ."<>i-ted on mankind has nude n-e of this cry, they all in turn |<oiiii

In their iuiTra-4-<>f hiiiiilmt- I'lHrii'-" lii-.it tlivy ;iri* <>f Coil. Hill tlii- .i":" in flit is fallat-iou-. Tin- only li-i of ;!iUntil or error «>f tin'ir niiiii-in;i-\-it.-m- is tU- \V..r.l of <:, ml. tin- -in- *..r.! Ot testimony. :iiiti jii.!-oil l.y llii- -i»»- • lanl. Prohil.iliou. when ]int I'oiwanl aa I'liri-ii.ui iltily jinil aKindlon! of (InM. It;t- not a lr;i lo -1itII•! 1111.—I aill: I'll'.,

J!. KM!'>lll