FAREWELL TO THE REV. W. J. ELLIOTT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 17 April 1901, Page 11

FAREWELL TO THE REV. W. J. ELLIOTT.

A farewell social to the Rev. "W. J Elliott, who is leaving Balclutha for Wellington, was held m the Wesleyan Church, Balclutha, on Wednesday night. The Rev. P. W. Fairclough presided, and the building was crowded. The ministers present were the Revs. P. B. Fiaser (Lovell's Flat), Ivilpatrick (Warepa), E. S. Curne (Balclutha), and Bellhouso (Milton). Mr James Henry (Clutha) wrote regietting he could not be present, and hoping the gathering would be a success. All praise, he said, was duo Mr Elliott for his unselfish and untiring energy m a good cause duung his sojourn in Balchitha. The Rev. P. B. Fraser, who was tho fiist speaker, said the reason he had pleasure m being present was to show his goodwill to Mr Elliott, and his hearty appieciation of his ministry. Mr Elliott was able to fight 1.1 a good cause — (applause), — and he (Mr Fiaser) had sympathy with a fighting man — (laughter) — consequently he was drawn to Mr Elliott, and always would be diavvn to a mm of his kind. Mr Fraser then went on to speak on the probable forces which the church of the future would have to encounter. The great question, he said, would be the old battle cry of the seventeenth ceniury — the authenticity and infallibility of the Holy Scriptures. At the present timo there were two forces — sacerdotalism and rationah=iii— eating into the life of the church. From the univeisities they were spreading into the leviews and into some of the pvilpits, and would cause division. Anyone who proohcsied division m the church might be suspected to bs likely to take a band in bringing about that division, but if his j reading and the reading of his brother mmistpis, who studied the reviews and who were acquainted with professors of univeisities both : abroad and m our own country, were coriect, theie would come, sooner or lailcr/ a division in the Chrismn church on these mam points that vveie already beginning to agitate the Christian world. He hoped there would be a union of the Piesbytcnan, Wesleyan, Ar-ghcan, and every other church that held by the authenticity and infallibility of Holy Scripture to resist tho tendency in the direction of reducing Scripture to the level of ordinary literature and not an inspired revelation — (Applause) Befoie sitting down Mr Fraser again wished Mr Elliott piosperity and success. The Rev. Mr Bellhonse, who said he was at college with Mr Elliott, expressed his sincere appreciation of the lattoi gentleman's vvoik in Balclutha dtmng the past four years. Mr Elliott had won his spins befoie lie came to Balclutha, and he would go to Wellington v. ith a first-class record, hardly excelled by any young minister of his year 3. He was a man as v/ell as a minister, and, speaking on behalf of the Miltor. cucuit, he wished him the utmost prosperity and happiness m the sphere he was about to enter. — (Applause.) The Rev. Mr Kilpatrick said ho had rot come much in contact wn « Mr Elliott, unless it was in connection with his views as far as the hquoj traffic was concerned. He had admned with all his heart the courage with which Mr Elliott expressed his convictions, often in the face of great opposition, but he spoke out fearlessly. Might his shadow never grow less. (Laughter end applause.) An interval for refreshments followed, ard tea and cakes were liberally dispensed by the ladies. The Rev. Mi Elliott, m reply, said that his raind went back to the night when they gave Mrs Elliott and himself such a solendid reception to Balclutha. On that occasion they had travelled some 600 miles, and arrived in Duneclm to find themselves ccnipaiatively among strangers. They took the afternoon tiam to Balc'utha, and weie cordially greeted at the station. The paisonage was lighted up, and they ielt at home at once. His predecessor, Mr Chapman, left matters in connection with the chvirck m very good, order, and; lie

was enabled to carry on the work v/.thtrut an# confusion.. The foundation of the pieseni; church had been laid, and the majority of tha promised &üb3criptions had been gathered in. The building cost about £440, and that night there was but £25 owing on it — (Appkusc.) In 1897 the membership of the circuit was 42, and it went up to 58. At present it was about 53. There had been a considerable improvement in the Balclutha collections, and a very encouraging though slight improvement in the Kaitangata coHecrions. At Kaitangata £270 had bsen laisscl during the past four years, and tho propcitics in connection with the cur cuit there were almost entirely free of debt. Hs thought the congregation would soon b« able to merer se the stipend. The total amounf raised in the charge during the past four years was £1200, which amounted to ±'300 per year. A great deal of his work in the district had been veiy pleasant, and he was satisfied that thf> best position any man could occupy on this side of th<-> qrpve- was a position in the ministry. "When he enne to Balclutha he found a cricket club, and, having a taste for the game, ha decidea to jOin it. He incurred the displeasure cf a few good Christiifci friends, whose piety he did not doubt for one moment. Still he felt lie cou'd visit the cricket field and play cricket without the slightest indignity to the position he~^bccupied — (applause) — and co ha eiijoyed mpny pleasant hours in the cricket, field with the young men, and he could say,Ji9 rarely ever heard any profanity indulged in. when he was there. Of course he knew that sport was becoming a terrible passion in New Zealand, but he did sot think the church ought to fiov/M on sport. Tha church ought rather to -take up spoits, and run them on mojaJ and manly hne3. The gambling mania had infoeleJ somo of the best old English sporta and degiaded them. Ministers of religion, however, would r.ot offer any indignity to their profession if they frequently visited the cricket and football fields and tried to lift these sport 3 into a higher and nobler atmosphere — (Applause ) When he arrived at Balclutha hi 3 ideas on the liquor question were in a very crude condition ; in fact, they were in solution. He had been m Christchurch, and ha<i listened to almost every argument that cci.jl be advanced in favour of prohibition, bi.t tb^i did not make very mush impression <*. hAAf In fact, he was very deeply prejudiced i-gfii^iG some of the leaders of the prohibition !3<<*?%ment. He was quite prepared to '"ay cnnctidly that after six months' experience ar.£ observation there m Clutha he became a cor.fhmed prohibitionist, and he was going to l4*\e tho Clutha more- deeply confirmed in a beMef m tho efficacy of prohibition than ever. After four years study of prohibition he was quite* prepared to say that it had been an immense gain to the Clutha electorate. When one considered the present sympathy with law-breakers, the indifference of the Government, the small end totally inadequate fines imposed by soma of the magistrates for sly grog-selling, and yet? there was a reduction of 90 per cent, in drunkenness, and a great reduction in crime, he hazarded the opinion that no man couldi honestly say that prohibition had not been a. success under the circumstances with which ifc had to contend. Because there was sly grogselling-, some said that prohibition was a. failure. Could they have any prohibition that totally prohibited? The Ten Commandments were all prohibitions- — the majority of them were strong; and absolute prohibitions — but no one would! contend that they entirely prohibited. They weie told that prohibition had injured tha prospects of the Clutha, but he wanted them to know that this was one of the most absurd aud unreasonable charges levelled against tha prohibitory law. Clutha never was more prosperous in its history than it was that day. — (Applause.) He did not want to infer thab prohibition had brought this prosperity about, but it was a perfectly valid argument to use against those who said prohibition had injured the prosperity of the district, commercially j"id financially. During the past! six yeais the rate of progress m Ba,lclutha. in the shape of new buildings, additions, and! minor improvements had been at the rate off £2000 j-sr year, making a total of £12,000 for the six year 3. Other towns in the district hatl grown in the following proportions- — Tananui, £3000 ; "Waiwera, £6500 ; Owaka. £4500 , Clinton, £4000, Warepa, £3000; Port Molyneux, £2600; Romahipa, £1500 ; Pueitta, £1000; Te Houka, £1500, Kaihiku, £700; and other places, £6500. Clutha had also laised £15,000 in ccnnection. with religious pvirposes during the same period : £6000 had been spent on bicvoles, and about £1500 or sewing machines. The total for rew btuldii ss. improvements, etc.. religion- nurposes bicycles, and sowing machines wac^bevi J575.000, n->d this was not bad for a district rnad^ binkrupt by mohibihon. Fioai the stq -dooivt oi moiahty he was quite satisfied th?: there wps not a better district in the whole co'om. and they would find no electorate wh«re t'^ere were 10 c 11 irnmsters workii_' in the sain« extent of territory. Clutha hod sent out about 20 youns? men aiid women to the Christ-an. ministry ard the m ssion field. In connection with h"s nd'.coacy of prohibition be had received no less than 19 nnonvmous letters, pome of them of the most diabolical character. Som<» of them weie strong encugh and black enough to break a yoviir; man's heart. Ove of them, contained a te^riblf description of the Phoenix Park murder" — (laugbtcr), — and it v. put on to lennnd him that some night on his journey b?ck ficm Kaitangatr. the horroia of the Phceni< Park tragedy would be repeated m \w- own exper ence Portions oi his body would bo fou.id scattered over different parts of the load — (Renewed laughter) The writer j)lead°d with hi n veiv pathetically to lerounce the theory cf p-ohibition. and signed the letter ' A Friend." — (Laughter.) It was hard!}' necesto pdd that he continued his pastoral visits to Kpitaigata weekly, and went up and down e\-ery Wednesday right quite unconccrr.ed O: cor two of the letters were handed over to the police, but the writing; could r.ot be identified. Of course he strongly suspected one or two, but had not enough evidence to proceed again=t anyone. In conclusion, MrEll lott asked the svmnathy of the congregation! for h\b successor, Mr Thomas, who was a cultured and consecrated minister He thankee? them rU foi their kindness to him. and hope<s some day to come back again — (Applause.) Mr V 7. Guest then presented Mr Elliott with a ptiT^o of sovereigns on liphalf of the rongi cgation and the people of Bpluclutha, who, he c aid, had responded veiy liberally to the fy'-s Tie al=o presented him with a travelling hig for Mis Elliott After Mr Elliots had replied, Mr Curr!» •-poktt briefly, wishing him Gocl-speecl During tho eveni"g musical items were rendered by Mi— Labatt. Misses Muir, Grant, Clark, and Rigor. Mis* Stewart played a violin solo with a good dep.l of artistic skill ard svrapatny, ard the choir rendered a ccupla of anthems Vcffs of thinks were parsed to the ladies for supplying the refreshments, to the vocalists end to the reverend gentlemen who had com? from a distunes, and *he proceedings ther dosed wit'i the benediction. Eight in every 1000 wounded soldiers get lockjaw, and 70 per cent, of lockjaw cases are fatal. It needs Lord Byron's brilliant pen, His clever, brainy head, To tell us how and why and when Some people are not dead. But since he's gone we'll tell the way How pfood health to a^sine, And colds and hacking coughs allay : Take Woods' Geeat PEFFEKiiixT jpsSlKj