CHURCH IN A DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 300, 16 December 1912, Page 8

CHURCH IN A DAY.

1 QUICK WORK AT PAPATOETOE. American hustle methods have even invaded religious circles, and the habit of running up places of worship between the rising and setting of the sun have percolated through to New Zealand, which has already experienced the rush method in the raising of funds for the Y.M.C-A. The quiet but progressive suburb of Papatoetoe, elev*a miles from Auckland, has earned the distinction of initiating us into the mysteries of the new style. We are told that the Temple was quite a while building, and that it rose in silence. But we have changed all that. On Satnrday the Papatoetoe larks, and incidentally many good people who usually turn over for another ten minutes, were rudely awakened by the banging of hammers and the buzz of saws. Before the sun had risen and there was just a suspicion of grey in the sky over the Flat Bush hills "a partr of- carpenters was hard at work on the heaps of material lying about on the site of the Methodist Church. Funds are not plentiful, so the people decided to erect a hall in the meantime and contrive it to "pay a double debt"—a hall on week days and a place of worship on the Sabbath. For this reason it is more ornate than the usual building of its class. Friday night there was nothing up but the concrete foundations and the flooring. On Saturday before town people were thinking about hieing them down to Queen Street and business, a row of spider-like studs had been reared on -the foundations, and with a "heave-oh!" the roof beams lying ready on the graes were slung into position, and the hall stood in skeleton. Large heaps of painted weather-boards stacked up on the site were attached by willing hands, and the outer walls crept up from ■base to eaves with a speed that rivalled the growth of the famous beanstalk upon which Jack performed his wonderful feat. While this work -was going on parties of workmen were hard at it in various parts of tbe ground, some sawing up boards into required lengths, pain-tine? internal fittings, .and erecting scaffoldings. Plumbers working against time toiled in the broiling sun alongside the fire where their irons were heating, making long snake-like lengths of piping. Another gang -was busy fitting up an acetylene gas plant. All round small parties of two and three hammered and planed and sawed at various things, such as sashes, doors, cornices, all ready to be clapped into position as the rapidrygrowing structure reached various stages of progression. One volunteer is worth ten pressed men, and if <3»ere be any special virtue in willing help the hall should be richly endowed. All except the white plaster roof and walls—large squares and slabs of which were stacked in one corner of the ground—and the gas plant which were contracted for, the work was gratuitously done, and in these days when there are a* many complaints about men getting as mnch as they can for as little work as possible, it was refreshing to see the way everyone " opened out hk shoulders" to the task. And be it remembered that the building was going up on one of the hottest days we have had for a long while. At midday practically the whole of the weather-boarding was nailed in position, some of the spouting was up, and a start was then made with the roof, made of corrugated iron. When work was begun at four a.m., there were about a down carpenters and as many men assisting them. More bands came on as the day advanced, and in the afternoon the forces were augmented by the arrival of a contingent from town. Numerous visitors also arrived and took a. great interest in the race against time. As an instance of the speed with which the operations were conducted, it may be mentioned that one side of the roof was put on in just under forty-five minutes. Work was continued right on into the night, and though the building was not absolutely finished, it was for all practical purposes erected in a day, and yesterday services were held in it morning, afternoon, and evening. Mr. F. Souster, the architect for the building, kept a general supervision over the operations of the small army of workmen that swarmed over the building, and to the uninitiated it was astonishing the rapidity with which the various tasks of building, plumbing and painting followed on the heels of each other, without the slightest suspicion of anybody getting in the way of Ids neighbour. Mr. H. Farnsworth, the secretary, made an able first lieutenant, and, in fact, everyone worked with the greatest enthusiasm. The ladies helped by looking after the eatables and providing tempting meaU for the men. The services yesterday were attended by large congregations. In the morning the Rev. W. Ready preached from the text, "So built we the wall, for the people all had a mind to work."' Mr. Souster, the architect, took the afternoon service, and in the evening the preacher was the Rev. W. Rowe, who is in charge of Papatoetoe.