LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 17765, 13 September 1921, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

.Returning to the subject of Katana’s , healing, the ‘ Church Gazette ’ (Wellington Diocese) says there appears to bo a good deal of haziftess abroad as regards the meaning of faith healing. What do we mean by it? Do we mean healing by suggestion—that is, by the suggestive power of tho prayer of faith acting on the mind of the patient—or do wo mean healing by the direct, action of God in answer to prayer? There is no doubt that some nine- • tional disorders can_ be healed by suggestion, but not organic diseases or physical deformities. Das there been one ecientific- . .illy authenticated cure of an absolutely '■ blind person by Katana’s agency ? Can one scientifically authenticated case of the cure ' of cancer or of some physical deformity bo ’ produced? But whether the cures are the result of suggestion or other forms of medical skill, they are all ultimately due to tho Divine activity. It is a serious mistake to imagine that God’s agency is more / real in extraordinary such as miraculous cures, than in ordinary hap- ■ penings— such as cures by suggestion or by medicine or surgery. In order that no one may mistake our attitude to the work of Katana we want to make it quite clear ; that wo do not deny that remarkable cures may have taken place. Wo think that ’ Katana’s work is worthy of thorough scientific investigation: that all the evidence should be carefully sifted and examined . by experts; that the actual facts should ,be sorted out from the indefinite mass of ‘ ‘rumors and report. Until -the facts have been collected and classified, the task of ■explaining and interpreting them cannot be rationally undertaken. ; Recently His Excellency the GovernorGeneral received a communication from Dr Philip Harper, who is in chargeof the Leper Asylum, Makogai Island, Fiji, soliciting Christmas gifts for the inmates of the institution, and the question of bringing an appeal before tbo public of New . Zealand has been placed in the hands of the Minister of External Affairs, the Hon. : E. P. Lee. Last week Mr Lee had an interviow with Mr Alfred Nathan, whose firm, Messrs L. D. Nathan and Co., are New Zealand agenfs for the Fijian Go- , rernment, and arrangements have been mads for tho reception of donations, money, books, and other suitable gifts at the premises of Messrs Nathan and-Go.. Auckland. The firm will see that the gifts are carefully packed and shipped to Fiji. Persons whose sympathies towards the unfortunate subjects who are inmates of the leper asylum lead them to make gifts are requested to mark parcels plainly, “ Donations for the Leper Asylum, Fiji.” There ’ are 230 patients at the leper asylum, three being Europeans (one a New Zealander), and the others are Fijians, New Hcbrh cleans, and Solomon Islanders, and shortly eleven additional patients (Samoans) are ’ to ho received in the institution. In the course of an address on ‘ Bud Selection’ before the Canterbury Fruitgrowers’ Association, Mr George A. Green gave an_ interesting account of how the “ poor man’s orange ” got its name. Ho said (states an exchange) that Bir George Grey introduced a number of citrus fruits and grew them on his land of Kawau, 45 or 50 years ago. On one of the occasions when Sir George threw the island open to the public he showed the Auckland nurseryman Mr Hay bis citrus trees, and referring to a prolific bearing orange, he said: “There's the poor man’s orange/’ .-Mr Hay obtained some cuttings from Sir George and wrote ou tho label poor man’s orange,” thinking Geoigos reference was to the name of the orange. From those cuttings had been propagated the “poor man’s oranges” growing in tne Auckland district.

A big fire has been raging in the swamp at Makenu for some days past, a most unusual occurrence for this time or the year. The last few weeks’ dry weather is having an effect. It would be hard for a istranger to believe (says the Wanganui • Chronicle ’k that where the fire now burns was, less than a month ago, covered by many feet of water. Hope for the bald is held out by a machine invented by Dr James Thompson, a Xew York physician, which, it is claimed, can sew hairs on human hcads._ A very fine needle worked by electricity can “ affix” 100 hairs an hour. The machine was exhibited at the annual dinner of the Xew : York Bald Head Club, and, after dinner* the inventor sewed one hair each to the heads of eight members. The value of the gramophone as a factor in education was referred to by Mr L. E. Strachan at a conference of W.E.A. tutors and members of the New Zealand University Senate on Friday. Mr Strachan referred to the valuable adjunct a gramophone had been to him in his course of music lectures, adding that a movement was on foot to demonstrate to the educational authorities what could be done in the schools and colleges with a gramophone. Specially selected educational records were being imported by a local music warehouse, and when these came to hand it was intended to give a demonstration of what actually coirld be done in the schools and colleges if a gramophone and suitable records were available. In the Ihakara district, Wellington, an experiment is being made of breaking in fern land bv means of pigs. The land was subdivided' into small sections about a year ago, and pigs were turned in. The result was that they have practically rooted out all the fern. Aa one section was cleared the pigs were moved on to the next. The ground was then cleared, harrowed, and sown with grass, is now looking extremely well. The pigs also throve well on the fem root, and only needed fattening off for the market. The Be vs. A. C. Lawry,. W. A. Sinclair, and T. G. Brooke, who have been in Christchurch during the last three weeks visiting the various Methodist circuits, conducted several services in the Methodist Churches on Sunday. They have been making appeals for help for the centenary fund, and have been very successful, over £23,000 in cash or in promises having been offered. They are confident that when the New Zealand Centenary Conference opens in Auckland next February the goal of £45,000 will have been reached. Truong those from abroad who will attend are the Rev. Dr Wardle Stafford (ex-presi-dent of the English Conference), Dr Locke (of the American Episcopalian Methodist Church), the Rev. Mr Wheen (general foreign secrelarv), and the Rev. Mr M'CaUum (general president of tho Australian Conference). A juryman was summoned before the Court of Session, Edinburgh, for contempt of court by being drunk while in the jury box. Lord Blackburn said that Smith allowed himself to be chosen as one of the jury, and took his place in tho box. Although ho avoided detection in the morning, his condition .after luncheon made him quite incapable of giving attention to the case. -He was most objectionable to his fellow-jurors, and rendered it difficult for them to give attention to the case. If counsel had not agreed to accept the verdict of the other jurors after Smith had left tho court the whole day would have been , lost, and the parties to the action would have wasted probably £IOO to £2OO expenses. Ho imposed a fine of £25, which Smith paid by cheque. Mr A. C. C. Holtz, general manager of the Melbourne ‘ Argus,’ who responded to the toast of “The Press” at a social function in connection with tho Advertising Convention in Melbourne a few days ago,

paid that the Melbourne newspapers cordially stood behind the association by refusing to accept what were known to bo false and misleading advertisements. A newspaper management realised that it had its duty towards the public, and also that quality as well_ as numbers was an important consideration in a newspaper’s circulation. The Frees was recognised throughout the world as the most direct and economical means of bringing buyer and seller into contact. It was perhaps significant that the first federal president of the association should be the advertising manager of a great newspaper. That wai more than a , tribute to a person* ality j it wan a recognition of the link . which bound the interests of the association to the Press. He commended the high ideals of the association, and said that they bjd the support of the reputable Press of Australia. Advertising which was artistic, clean, and true carried mors conviction than that which was crude or impure. 1 '