MANGATOKI.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 30 March 1928, Page 7

MANGATOKI.

— : LECTURE. I CON DITIONS- OF CHINA. i • t,. • J (Fmm. Our Own Correspondent). 3 hi the local hull Inst Tuesday even- - ing tire 1.1(3v. Mr- Morseo, ol late a ( Presbyterian missionary jti i lima, gave a very interesting lecture on the conditions of-China and Ms. peop.e. The ji-’c- . tine, was illustrated -by .an lot’ll -slides. - ,n his remarks, the lecturer stated, how, owing to .the time the-nation had been ■ m i-xisteiu.e. tlie Chinese had adopted - idea, which .were, hard to change. How- » ever, once one could persuade them to - do something they become greatly in- , tears ted and reliable. , This made the missionary .work a task and many elans . jv families 'Still continued with the old i fur ills of worship. The establishment ’ dI hospital work had brought .a realisa- ' tiou of tlie work that , these mission- ; a-iie<s weir doing, and this had turncid the minds of many towards Christ ianitv. One of the greatest fears of the Chinese is that of spirits, and through > tliis a Chinaman.’ is very hard to per- ■ stiade ito leavii. his {rouse at night. The L r reat bulk of Olii names’ )x>pui ait ion on 1 the banks of the rivers, and many liuns dieds of famities live bn boats. Mow of these people were born and lived on i the water. The Chinese port*, are from . day to dav crowded with trading ves- ; sels. which showed the great amount- . of trade that was done. The large i cities were continually undergoing gc- ■ construction, wider .streets and more - up-to-date buildings boin.sr built. Ihe . streets were made of stone .slabs, winch afforded great efficiency. The mode of transport was by rick-sliaws or eara- [ vans. No motor vehicle.- or horso- . drawn carts or waggons were to be. seen, and the dense traffic consisted iof human beings. ' With regard to industry, fruit and ! market irardening were of tbei most im- ’ porta,nee. Outside the towns or villager were' .situtaed little plots about oiie half or an acre in area, etch of ■ which consisted of tin- farm of a per- ■ son. No fence, however, was between each farm, and much care was taken . that a neighbour did not encroach on ; the other’s land. Tic? old system of Ploughing the land still existed, nanie- . ]y. a wooden or drawn plough. This valuable land ,however, was not de- . norated with a house, as every square foot of soil was required by tlie farmer. I The farmer has to journey to and fmm ; the villages to his daily work. Tlie ' existence of beggars and trobhers afforded great inconvenience to the fanner wlirTlrad his farm out in the lulls. V notable habit among the Chinese ' wa* tlvat they do not leave their ! homes when they are married. The ■ house was handed down from generation to veneration, and when one of the * family was married another apartment ' was built on to it. and thus the cities ‘ became densely populated Diseases * and plagues' were continually breaking ' out and it would be only by the strictest ’ precautions that these were pre- > vented fmm spreading beyond the eoun- ; trv of origin. f . '