A CORRECTION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2035, 19 April 1890, Page 2

A CORRECTION.

TO the editor, Sir,-—I am told that your agent in Q-eialdine is an able man, and correct in his statements, as a rule, respecting public meeting, etc. Still I fancy there is an error in the account of the Easter meeting which took place in St. Mary’s Church on the 15th of April, which error, for divers reasons, I cannot iefc pass without a remark. I have always been under the impression that Geraldine is a particularly healthy town, and X have not heard of “ la grippe ” doing any great execution there as yet, How ,

is it, then, that the Incumbent, at the 1 parish meeting, is said in your issue of April 17th to have stated that he during the past year had conducted 55 burials and 69 baptisms ? This makes the deaths nearly equal the births. This is startling, for the Church of England population is, I am told, only one-fourth of the inhabitants of the place. Members of the other denominations must die sometimes. If they die, therefore, in the same ratio as the Church of England people, then the death rate of Geraldine must be greater than any other district in New Zealand containing the same number of inhabitants. Consequently many will argue “ if I wish to live the usual span of human life I will avoid that lovely place, for scenery will not compensate me for the risk I will run.” If your reporter has made a mistake please correct it, and you will, I have no doubt, quiet many anxious minds. Apologising for thus troubling you, I am, etc., Enquire e. [The number of burials was only nine during the year. The mistake was not made by our Geraldine representative. It occurred in the Temuka office.—Ed.]