The New Australia-Paraguan Settlement.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4770, 11 July 1894, Page 3

The New Australia-Paraguan Settlement.

The following from tho "Times of Argentina," will be of interest to' many in this district: — " The bondage of the New Australians under their taskmaster Lane has at last reached its limit. Both the pioneers and second batch also who have soon found out theit miserable bargain, held a meeting to elect a new Board of Management and Trustees, This was principally brought about by the activity of Mr Gilbert Casey, Lano's great friend and colleague in Australia. The meeting was held or the land midway between the iSvo camps. ' The question was put " Arc you satisfied with tho present chairman and his management," which was answered by a ringing shotiib of "No." A vote was then taken, 101 voting against the continuance of Lane as manager, and six voting in his favor, The decision had no legal effect over the position and status of Lane, as he is the legal, representative of the association, recognised by the Paraguayan Government, and its members had no power to remove him, In the face of such an adverse vote, however. Lane had sense enough to resign his position, and after leaving the Colony, applied to the Paraguayan Government for a grant of land in his own private capacity. The resignation of Lane docs not appear to have had a tranquilizing effect on the Colony, for already there is a quarrel as to who shall succeed him, Three black sheep of tho settlement— Towsor, Leek and another - have been ejected for unseemly conduct, following tho advice of the Angel Lane, who recently has been carrying himself in a very high and mighty manner, and had oven gone so far as to threaten to shoot a man if he resisted his authority, Among the articles brought out by the pioneers wore two boats which wore left at Villa Rica, Four men named Graham, Anderson, Simpson, ami another, being without money, and desirous of getting away from the country, started to float down the river, hoping to reach Hosario. They conveyed the boat fifteen miles, mid launched it on the river Tibiquiari, but as they had at timo of writing been out some days, and there aro no tidings of them, grave fears of their fate arc entertained.

The following account of an evening concert in an orange grove in New Australia has a pathos all its own in view of the subsequent collapse of the settlement:—" When night fell we heard the sound of the horn summoning us to the feast of sweet sounds. Taking each our own scats, we wended our way to the orange grove not far distant. There the lower houghs had been lopped, and we could move under tho dense shade. Under a tree sat the chairman. Two milk-tin lamps, with wicks stuck in with clay, and the upper part tilled with bee fat, stood on tho table. The flickering light made ghostly the faces around, and helped to make the darkness outside seem more dense, Groups were hero and there lying on the ground, or leaning against the trunks of trees. Boys were in the majority, There was no platform erected, and no instrument to accompany thorn. Still the soloists managed very well, and the choir of about twenty certainly did credit to the training of the old bandmaster, He led with precision. I could not help applauding, but the rest seemed little moved, The choir stood in a circle round the tabic, the better to get light on their music from tho only two lamps, The effect of the lit-up faces of girls and men on one-half of the circle, and the dark figures of those between us and the light was weird. At the close they sang thoir anthem with vigour, These are tho words ; Shoulder to shoulder, mates— Shoulders together. Hands'clasped in bauds, my males; Fair and line weather. Hearts beating close, my mates; Each man a brother. Building a homo, my mates, All for each ofhef. , My mind went tqwards the men whose inp.ney and work had helped fho assqeiatipn,, but, who had been imperatively expelled, Thoy had sung jt and meant it j but they sing it no more,"