PAPAROA.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 199, 26 May 1893, Page 2

PAPAROA.

[from our cm correspondent]. On Sunduy evening last, in the Wesleyan Church,,the Rev. J. J. Mather, in response to a request Dl'om the Auckland Band of Hope Union, preached an especially ‘‘temperance” sermon, taking as his text (Mark xvi, 3) — “ Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?’’’ He said that the fearful ravages and devastation caused by strong drink lead us to ask “ Who shall roll ns away the ."tone?” The preacher dwelt in telling language on the ruin caused by this deadly curse, which, greater than plague, pestilence, or famine, was working the wide world over, carrying disaster and misery in its train, blasting the brightest intellects, dragging preachers from I heir-pulpits, and lowering to the lowest depths of poverty men who would otherwise have been the pride of their country and a benefit to their fellow men. The rev. gentleman quoted a case of a couple bvou . ht under his notice, who married in good ciicumstances ; the wife receiving as a wedding gift no less a sum than £50,000. When visited a few months ago, the wife and children were living in a wretched hovel (the father having a short time previously died in a common lodging house), and now the eldest daughter had gone out on Ihe streets to earn, at the cost of her virtue, money* on which to support the remainder of the family. One of the most cultured ladies he had met south of the line was a slave to drink. The speaker quoted the opinions of various eminent men who denounced this wretched traffic, among ■whom were Dr. Guthrie and Wm. E Gladstone —who is an outsider. We could fight against the evil by legislative measures, by individual effort, and by the force of example, and as Christians we should never rest satisfied till we had swept the greitest of nil curses from our shores. There were homes in this circuit which had been ruined by drink, and he hoped the young men especially would enlist under the banner of the cross, and join in fighting this agency of the evil one Your Jtlii ungaturoto correspondent, writing in a recent issue, is evidently labouring under an error. He is seemingly not aware that the date of the North Kaipara Show had been fixed by the Committee before any intimation had beeu received as to the date on which ihc Maungaturoto Show was to he held. Some amusement was caused here on reading Mr T. SI a ter’s remarks at Mr Houston’s meeting at Aratapu. Could not Mr Slater explain himself more fully, or were his feelings too deep for utterance ?

There is a ‘ split in the camp ’ here in respect to political matters. Branches of the opposing parties, the Liberal and .National Associations, being in course of formation. Being away from home at the time the inaugural meeting of the Liberal Association was held, I was prevented from sending you a report. The movement, however, is still going on, and a second meeting •will I presume be held shortly, to further discuss the matter. A preliminary meeting to form a branch of the National Association of New Zealand took place in the Hall on Monday evening, May 22nd. There was a fair attendance. Mr Wilson occupying the chair. The platform and objects of the Society were read, also those of tVie Natio. al Liberal Association, and the two platforms compared. Considerable discussion ensued: objection being expressed to the tendency to Socialism of the Liberal party. It was resolved ‘ That this meeting form itself into a branch of the National Association of N.Z., to be called the Paparoa Branch, and agree to the authorised platform, rules, and decisions.’ Mr G Cliff was the proposer and Mr T. Skelton the seconder of the above, which was carried. Mr G, Skelton was elected President, :’.■■■ ••. . he ••v-nt of the officers and a Committee being left for u future meeting.