WAIHI NOTES.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 12, 21 March 1901, Page 5

WAIHI NOTES.

(From our own correspondent.)

March G,

On Monday last the Waihi Miner, the bi-weekly paper published in Waihi for the last five years ceased to exist, being merged into the Waihi Daily Telegrajih which was born on that day. In my last I mentioned that the Miners' Union were endeavoring to get the men employed about the mines an increase of pay. A scale of wages was drawn up and submitted to the managers, and immediately afterwards all officials of the union were dismissed from the employment of the Waihi Company. On Saturday night last Mr. Jackson Palmer, M.H.R., addressed the men on the matter, and a telegram has since been received from Mr. Seddon that Mr. Tregear, of the Labor Department, is on hia way to Waihi to make enquiries. Last night a most successful meeting of parishioners was held in the church, when the Very Rev. Dean Hackett took farewell of the Catholics of Waihi and introduced the Rev. Father Brodie. The Very Rev. Dean Hackett stated that he left with regret the people who had appreciated his labors so well, but he would not be far from them, and was pleased to know the parish would have the services of so able a man as Father Brodie. lit* then read the balance sheet showing that during the live years since the erection of the church in Waihi that from voluntary contributions, sports and socials, enough funds had been raised to leave the church entirely free of debt, so that Father Brodie could stnrt with a clean sheet The Rev. Father Brodie said that he was pleased to know that he could startwith a clean sheet, as he could foresee a lot of work. There must be at least a thousand Catholics in Waihi, and the present building was far from suitable even for the presi nt congregation. He would ask the meeting to elect a com-aittee -md then he would put his plan of campaign before them. A committee of IS was then elected, of which Mr. E J. Drumm wa-. cho-eu s< cretary. Father Brodie then stated that it was absolutely necessary to have a new church, and asked the meeting to empower the committee to take the necessary steps to procure one. A resolution w.is then passed empowering the committee to do so. Mr. Lees offered to donate £5 provided each member of the committee would also do the name, and £7."> was promised right away. Mr. Jackson Palmer. M.H.R., member for the district was also present, and spoke a few words of encouragement, and stated that he had stoud up tor the Catholics' rights in Parliament re the Stoke case, and would always do his best for them. The Rev. Dean Hackett proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the outgoing committee, specially mentioning the secretary, Mr. Collins, who could always be depended on to advance the best interests of the church. The meeting then closed.