TOTARA CHURCH GROUND DISCUSSION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9270, 24 May 1906, Page 3

TOTARA CHURCH GROUND DISCUSSION.

To the Kditor. Sir, —And the cry was, "Uehold stiil they come"-- "Kartlujiiakes in San Francisco," "Volcano Kruptionsat Mount Vesuvius," "Zulu Rising* in South Africa," and just. a iitrii k ecclesiastical disturbance at Totara, where the atmosphere at present is pregnant with a something which is emitting an old llihlical war try of "The Philistines !:;• upon thee, Samson." The oria.sion brings out tlu; man, and so there lias an>rn another champion of the rights til' church property, who calks himself a member of Totara I'hurch, and who apparently knows enough of church law, both ancient and modem, from the time ho was a hoy tip until now, to be fairly qualified to go home and settle the- groat Free I'hurch property dispute so long troubling people there. This eainp poison says some tiling which are very nice and ipiite 11 ue, luit he also says other things which are not so nice, and some of which art- absolutely false. There ha* Iveen no fence opened, for my < ouveiiieace, but it is as it has always been since I came in possession severai y.vis ago, and. more over 1 also go in and out through the only L r ale, like any other good Christian. T may also stale that the people of the congregation were never asked for any money, either for the erection or upkeep of the gli-be femes. So, if our solicitous church member loyally pays up his ordinary lawful dues, ite need not be in any anxiety on that score. It teems tpiite stupid and cowardly that when people ha,ve any complaints to make, or u- good cause to chain-, pion, they do not make certain beforehand instead o'f rushing into print with baseless inferences and acsertiotki, and then taking refuge bthind a nom do plume. Those kind of folic have not the grit to toe the mark like honorable men and stand behind their statements recognisable before the publie. So they are therefore not neiessarily ot the "first water." Now, sir, after what has so \ividly ami recently come to ii g ht concerning tlu* awful desecration and destruction of church property, I foci certain that there will lie a constant pilgrimage to tlu* fhriiu' nf St. Xinian's. Weather and lieali h permitting, .1 will lie ill attendance for tlio next week or two, when 1 will most gladly give any pilgrim till the information. I can. This is my timi] offer and answer concerning the aliove snhjeet. —r am, otc.. \V. V. MATCH r.s. [This correspondence is now closed.].