METHODIST FELLOWSHIP.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 257, 27 September 1940, Page 5

METHODIST FELLOWSHIP.

ADDRESSES TO MEMBERS

Mr E. Lock gave a very interesting account of life in the Channel Islands to the men of the St. Paul’s Methodist Fellowship on Tuesday. Mr H. LCunninghame presided. Mr Lock is a native of Guernsey, and was able therefore to describe in detail the geographical setting.of the island. The coastal scenery was wild and very imposing, he said. Wellington reminded him more than any other place of Guernsey, the homes of the people often being placed in almost inaccessible places. Hilly and very narrow roads afforded difficult communication, and the towns were made up of highly congested streets.—lt was only just possible for two vehicles to pass. The width of the pavements also was very much restricted. Cyclists were not allowed to ride in the town areas. Beautiful bays on the coastline were visited annually by large numbers of people. There were no fences inland; hedges of hawthorn and honeysuckle surrounded the fields, all making the scenery chaining and picturesque. Ancient Druidic altars and the famous defensive Martello towers were everywhere to be seen. Of course, there was also the well-known island dairy cattle .which were always tethered, grazing on the sunny meadows. Glass houses for the culture of tomatoes abounded on all sides, most of the produce finding its way to the London market. Stone quarrying, fishing and dairy cattle exports were other sources of revenue.

Suggesting that Guernsey was perhaps a taxpayer’s paradise, the speaker said “income tax when he left the island was at the rate of only sixpence in the pound; the last he knew was that it had risen to lid. This, with wines and spirits at low prices, tobacco at two shillings a lb and cigarettes at ten for a penny gave attractions to visitors not slow to take advantage of them. The laws of the island were very antiquated. The speaker, who said lie was greatly concerned over the fate of the islanders since the German occupation, mentioned that 68,000 tons of coal were imported from Britain annually. This supply was, of course, cut off, and there were many other reasons for concern.

Mr Lock was accorded thanks for his talk.

“Plant life” was the subject Mr C. Woodfield chose for his talk to the fellowship. The speaker spent 10 years with the’ Christchurch Wheat Research Institute, and his remarks dealt principally with wheat culture. His account of visits to Canada as part of research work, and of the wide areas under wheat cultivation there was no less interesting than the outline of the patient research work which goes on continually by the Wheat Research Institute to give Now Zealand the wheat best suited to its needs. In the course of his talk Mr Woodfield showed how agricultural science, the engineer, the chemist, the biologist, the plant breeder and the farmer played very necessary parts so that man might have his daily bread. A demonstration of how wheat breeding is practised, with a display of many of the types now known in New Zealand, combined to make the talk well worth hearing. Mr. Woodfield also received a vote of thanks.