NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Issue 21, 15 October 1898, Page 3

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

[By Bbueba.]

The thanks of the residents of Waimate County and Borough are due to the Hon J. M. Twomey for the stand he, took in the- Legislative Council on behalf, of our Hospital. He must-have gone to* a great deal of trouble to acquaint" himself so thoroughly with alTthe facts. l His'speech will be found in Hansard No. 26 (If you have room you f Bh6uld'giye your readers an .eftar act from; it^fij Editor), ;Tha% there is a considerable amount , of sympathy in position,, mjwhich t it , has <been; placed is evidenced, by the remarks of-several rcoun'wflors, butnoneof .them hwljsuoh • "fall

knowledge and grasp of the situation as Mr Twomey. One thing very clear is that the Government is not likely to exert itself to exempt Waimate people from the obnoxious condition of raising that under clause 8. The speeches oorf r the Hon. W. 0. Walker, the representative of the Government in the Council, were not at all friendly to Waimate. The Government attitude will probably be largely, influenced by the Hon Hall-Jones, member for Timaru, who^ will do Ms utmost to relieve the taxes of his constituents at our expense. We must therefore keep up the interest of the subject till this district gets at least a measure of justice. I want ,to protest in this column against what, at certain seasons of 'the year, is an almost unbearable nuisance. When the religious bodies and others are pushing the sale of entertainment tickets or raising funds by house-to-house canvass, there is an almost constant rat-rat at the door, commencing as early as seven ,in the morning. One does not mind being called on once for each object, but after three or four times , for each, it becomes rather monotonous. During the last few days, I have had at least three, requests from each of three religious bodies for help in special efforts they are making. - - Let me make, a suggestiontoTthe'different church authorities, " Ladies and gentlemen, if you feel it a duty, incumbent upon you to give all and sundry 'an opportunity to contribute to your different funds, map out the town and* district 'and give - each collector or ticket seller a defined area to canvass, you r wilT thus prevent a deal of disappointment to your agents, and" endless to 1 'those from whom, you ..desire/ help.*!,, lt ,is a species ,of thoughtless flruelty.io, subject young children to" the rebuflt they -are certain l to' mcct -with under the present over-lapping system^ • br-'i rather A no* system." „ v « , Your local contemporary is mildly excited over l a statement "made by the Waimate "correspondent "of th'e7* North Otag^Tmies; J t«iMe^^ciK ministers who,,declin^^to'>oyia[dAfe-iot

the Knox Church vacancy have done bo for the charge where the stipend offered it mgher. The editor assures his readers ha is in a position to state" that no minister who had declined to "candidate here , has since done so. in a church where. th« stipend offered is higher. This is only * &£ V* case 'o f Wentiiy with a difference. When Knox Church becamevaeant it wa§ decided to offer the > incoming v minister £250, a reduetion.of £50 on the stipend paid during, the. past rfew- '.years. The Timaru Presbytery, which has jurisdiction over- the KnW Church, J made no demur, evidently recognising that- .£250- was- aa much as the Waimate Church could aftord. In the case of the " other church " which proposed to pay only £250 (also a reduc tion on the stipend previously given), iti Presbytery was very indignant, and . most of the members strongly protested that the other churdh " could well aftord the stipend, previously paid: "Of course -the minister appointed would have to take ms chance of ;a rise, but it will ■ -easily bo seen that '■ the . prospect -is * better ; there than at Waimate: The fact remains; however, that- ministers^ who on high grounds refused to candidate-h ere havd since done so in thY" other church.!'