EDWRDES-STREET PRIMITIVE METHODIST ANNUAL SOIREE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXV, Issue 3650, 31 March 1869, Page 4

EDWRDES-STREET PRIMITIVE METHODIST ANNUAL SOIREE.

The Rev. Warlow Davies moved the adoption of the report, in a very pleasant and appropriate speech, and congratulated the congregation at the very promising aspect which things now wore in connection with their church, fie also congratulated them upon the acquisition of the Rev. Mr. Dean as their pastor, who was evidently fitted to perform the work fur which he had now been appointed. Referring to the present aspect of the country, he said it seemed to him that whenever a country was destined for a great and glorious future it had to go through great and commensurate trials and sufferings, and this was not only the case with countries but with individuals, Iv reference to the New Zealand war, Mr. Davies said that, if the Home Government would not render us assistance in our hour of need, then it was our duty to put our shoulders to the wheel, and we might depend upon it that all would yet be well, and that New Zealand would grow up to be a great and glorious country. The speaker then proceeded to review the tooial and domestic condition of the colony, and said that unleis schools were planted more thickly over the country than they were at present, and, unless sacrifices were made, the next generation of r«ople would be far inferior to the present Several instances were cited to prove the words of the speaker, who said that unless the colonists would consent to adopt some Imperial plan of education, and insist upon tome system being based upon a sound foundation, they would be very sorry for it. He would alio briefly refer to another thing which would rapidly ruin their country, and that whs the great evil of .intoxication, which was eating up the vitals of the country. He was by no means a teetotaller, or a total abstainer, but he could not shut his «yes to the fact that drink was becoming one of the greatest curses of the country. (Hear, hear.) He should like to see a common platform adopted on this subject where nil could meet together, and endeavour to do something to put down this horrible vice. Again, he found that there was accommodation in the various churches and chapels for ten thousand persons, but he was sorry to say that not half of that number were ever to be found' in them. The Chairman agreed with, the last speaker. In no province was education at so low an ebb as it was in Auckland at the present time. The Rev. Mr. Mxcniccol seconded the adoption of the report in a few pleading and appropriate remarks. Referring to the observations Made by Mr. Davies about the future generation of this country beiug an inferior one, the speaker said it seemed to be that physically, and even intellectually, the children of this country seemed to him to be slightly advanced upon the children of the old country : bnfc they mußt remember that they were but the raw material, and required an education to give them, as it were, the polished finish necessary to make them practically useful, and capable of doing service to their ndopted country in various way*. (Hear, hear.) Every child should be so educated as to be able to follow in the footsteps of his father at the very least, but he must admit that there was * danger of the future generation being less eduoated>than the present, unless strenuous efforts were made to avert such a state of things. The speaker referred in satisfactory terms to the commingling together at these social gatherings of ministers of all sects and denominations, which he considered to be an exceedingly good sign of what was to follow; for never was there ft greater need foe » universal feeling of brotherly love and uaiity than at the present time. (Hear, bear.} The report was then put and carried unanimously. The meeting was afterwards addressed by the Rev. Messrs. Wallis, Dsan, Maodonald, and others. The pleasure of the proceedings waa greatly enhanced by the performance of a number of musical selections during the evening by Mr. Lambert and Mr. W. Culpan, junior, and a very efficient choir of ladies and gentlemen. At the conclusion of the proceedings votes of thanks were tendered to these ladie« and gentlemen, as well aa to the ladies who bad co kindly provided the tea. The benediction brought a most pleasaut evening to » couolution.

TUB aamvematy tea meetiug in connection with the •bbve Chapel was held l»Bt evening in th» School* room, which wah very artistically deobrafccd'for th« oooasion with flags and evergreens, the coloura of which blending together cave, a very pretty effeot to the room ; which effeot was considerablyjheightened by the gay dresses of the ladies, who partjiok of ten, as well as of those ladies who kindly presided.' Altogether a hundred and fifty persons sat down to tea. The following Indies kindly provided trays for the oceaskm :— Mesdinies Hanson, ||Goiaie, Oroker, Collen, Holmes, Blakey, and Smitti. \ t , . . The w>r. James Bailer presided at the public meeting, which wa« afterwards held in tbo ohapsl, and was •upportad by the ilev. Menn. Mxcniocol, Dean, Daviei, Macdonuld, Cornford, and others. A letter was read from the Rer. E. Nugent Bree, expreisire of hit regret at not being -able to be present on the oooasion. The Ghahupan, having briefly opened the proceedings, called upon the Rev, Mr. Bean, pastor of the church, to read the annual report;. The report was on 'the whole of a most satisfactory nature, and showed that £213 15s. Bd, had been eithe comfort of those who attend it. Thii, with a former debt of £124, and outstanding debts to the amount of £10, left the committee when they took office liabilities to the amount of £347 155. 3d., but through the exertion! of the ladies who laboured in getting up the bazaar, the liberality of many kind friend*, and especially through the help of a cove-ntnt-keeping God, these liabilities havo been reduced to £212. The following is the balance-sheet : —

Faem Machiniry.— With our fixed atem-engines we thrash our grain, pump water, grind corn for the feeding atook, as well as break aud grind the various feeding cakes. One of our farm?, situated within an easy distance of a railway station, is made the corn store for 600 horses and ponies employed upon the estate, chiefly in the mines. The corn for these horses is ail bruised by machinery. When brought from the station the bags are drawn up to the granary by a simple but clever hoist, fotmed by two sheaves o wheels, which are supported by a small triaogula r frame to the wall, the one sheave being a few iacher from the ground, aud the other above the door head, where the grain is taken in. A large rope works on these sheaves, drawn by ahorie, and the bags are sent up as fa&t as three or four men can take them in. The o»t» being frequently ex-shipped there is a greater or less quantity of dust and refuse in them. They are emptied ioto a spout, which, takes them to a whmowing m*chine, where they are cleared of the dust. An elevator lifts them as they come from the fanner*, and empties them into the brniser, after passing through which they are ready for being sent off to the various pits, &q. The winnowing machine, elevator, and bruiser >re all " driven limultaneously by the steam engine. On tHe farm under the management of the writer,^here is also a bone mill, driven by steam power, with which we grind amnually about £1,000 worth ot bonelf.V We only apply the half-inch bones to tho lighter- olau of soils, their aofcipn, being top!8low r 'to,%e;p|afiwble op our clays. <Twontbr«;machin,es ? ; de#!nd,fa^ Vf*»ng, notice, as valuable i^onismiser^of the: fooa<o£it^okit l mz. t the ,turnip:polp» audc^ff-c td^fltfamfyn: %manner thtnec%ary«djttn6t to^e:ptb:eTf.^y;ln 44- ; mixture of piapldiroot^andtoatatraw yA^^jtflkp 100 toni of roots in the ijx months whilesthojsfcook straws w OM.ifirni hdrsflii ;bnt ,ye cannotifay/taae we

-EXPENDITUBE. To insurance Lighting and cleaning church Outufcanding debti paid Repairs and alterations of church Incidental expenses Part oE debt paid , ... £5 12 6 ... 22 16 3 ... 8 0 0 ... 213 15 8 ... I 110 ... 30 0 0 £281 6 3 Balanoi in hand „. £4 15 10

Inoomu. By leat rents (sixj'naonths) _ k Collections at re-opening Proceeds of tea meeting Donations towards repairs ... Sabbath collections Rent of schoolroom Money borrowed upon interest ..,£l6 18 0 ... 618 2 ... 14 0 0 ... 48 16 8 ... 17 14 3 ... 315 0 ... 181 0 0

IBeport of the Treasurer of the Primitive Metho* disfc Church, Edwardes-itreet, Auckland, for the jear ending Much 30, 1869.