WAIMATUKU.

Otago Witness, Issue 2433, 31 October 1900, Page 33

WAIMATUKU.

October 27. — Our Southland climate is somc•what capricious and deceptive. The winter "Ijerng so unusually mild, we expected an early and abundant supply of grass, but with the 'exception of young gra3s paddocks, green feed is as late as, if not later than, it was last year. •Southland, particularly this part with its gravelly formation, needs frequent refreshing showers ; so that we are almost wishing that some of the superabundant supply of rain up north would come south. Even now the ground in the gardens is beginning to crack. Dairying. — Our dairy faotory has again com-

menced operations for the season. There are a few changes among the milk-suppliers. Some of those who milked last yeai have sold their cows; one supplier has lett the district, while others have increased their number of cows, and one new supplier has entered the list. On the whole, the evtpply will probably be about the same as last year.

School Matters. — Our school has had a change af*pupil teachers. Miss Anderson, who had been pupil teacher for the past two years, has left the service, and Miss White, from the Wallacetown Manse, has been appointed. Miss White was relieving for a month while Mies Anderson was off on sick leave, and gave such general satisfaction that we were glad she secured the appointment. The committee and teachers have again met with a disappointment in not being able to persuade the Education Board to grant us another room to the school. We are in the preeariovis position of having too many pupils for our one room, ai;d too few for two rooms; at^least so the board decided.

Ecclesiastical. — The itineracy of Wesleyan imimsters has again broiight its ch?nge, and this year a greater change than ever before. The Rev. J. Burrows, who has had charge of the Western District Wesleyan circuit during the past three years, has not only left the circtut, but also the Wesleyan Church. Mr Burrows being a man the value of whose work would increase with time felt keenly that, when his work in a district was beginning to be interesting, and the people were beginning to appreciate his real worth, the law of the church said "Shiift. ' For thi3 reason Mr Burrows has severed his connection with the Wesleyan Church, and is applying to be admitted to the Presbyterian Church. If he is accepted, which the synod v/ill probably decide next week, our church will have one other good man, one of "God's gentbrnen." A young man, whose name I cannot al the moment recall, but which reminds me of George Eliot's "Scenes in Clerical Life," is to take up Mr Burrows's work. Strenuous efforts are to be made to combine and divide the neighbouring Presbyterian parishes, with a view to making another parish, Waimatuku to belong to a new charge. A deputation from the Southland Presbytery and Synod is to visit the districts interested, arranging financial (matters, which, if the people are willing, should present but little difficulty, being, I suppose, in the hands, or rather the purses, of the congregations. Fixing geographical boundaries, which may cause some difficulty, will be decided by the ministers.