ROTORUA NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8815, 2 March 1892, Page 5

ROTORUA NEWS.

The tourist arrivals during the past week numbered (is, amongst whom was Lord Gordon, a son of the Duke of lluntly. His lordship spent a few days here, and left on Saturday morning for Wairakei, en route to Napier and Wellington. Another person of rank is still amongst us in the person of Lady Magdelen Herbert, from hngland. Her ladyship, who is accompanied by some friends, intends making a prolonged stay, taking the baths and devoting attention to sketching. There are now S'J tourists remaining at the hotels, and 10 patients at the Government Sanatorium. The total arrivals lor the month of February numbered 330. The old warrior To Kooti passed through here 011 Sunday last on his way to Ohiwa, where In; intends taking up his permanent abode, providing arrangements can be made with the Government for a grant of land. The Native Minister has been communicated with 011 the matter, and Te Kooti expects to get a telegraphic reply 011 his reaching \\ hakatane.

A large native meeting is announced to be held here 011 Tuesday, being the adjourned deliberations of the gathering at Maketu, some months ago, when the autocrat chief of that place tried to foist his .uiti-Govonimcnt views 011 the Arawa people, which they have so far regarded with disfavour, and the next sitting ot this native congress is not likely to strengthen the hands of those whoso cry is apparently—New Zealand for the Maoris. As a result of the public meeting held last month to discuss the question of roads, etc., in this district, and 011 which occasion Mr. Kelly was asked to urge our claims before the Government, our member has faithfully attended to this, and is now in Wellington, accompanied by W. 11. Mitchell, who has ever been unceasing in his advocacy of roads being opened up via Rotoiti to the East Coast. Mr. Kelly wires to Mr. King, who was appointed secretary of the public meeting, and says that instructions have been sent to Mr. liursthouse to attend to this important matter, which we hope will be done without unnecessary delay. About 150 men are now at work on the Rotorua railway section, now under construction, the contractors being Messrs. W. McLean. Satisfactory progress is being made with the undertaking.

Another Sunday has none— as usual in visiting and friendly chat, or in reclining at ease at home, resting after the labours of the week But though rest can here be obtained for the body and for the mind, yet the other and deener wants of our settlers can not be fulfilled, l'ublic worship is almost unknown in our district. For fully eighteen months only one service has been held here, and that was due to the spirit of one man, the teacher of a native school some twelve miles away. Why is it, we ask ourselves, that the spiritual interests of our village are thus neglected by the religious bodies of Auckland and of other long - established places? Is it*because the funds likely to be raised in a struggling settlement may not be sufficient to defray the expense of sending a preacher here? If that lie all, surely this is the more reason why Christian charity should stretch out a helping hand. Can it be that the public do not know that there are fully ninety young people growing up among us in ignorance even of the common facts of Bible history ? Is it that the public imagine we arc past praying for, simply because some of our "leading" men are loud in their expression of atheism ? If that be, why let it i>e remembered that empty vessels make the most noise, and these men may not express the general opinions. But whatever be the cause of the neglect, certain it is that here we are, a settlement of over a hundred and fifty souls, placed but twenty miles from Kaitaia, and little more from Hokianga, and yet, from all the abundance of preachers in Auckland, not one is ever sent to us to preach sermon or to read a service.—[Herekino Correspondent.]