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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 840, 21 July 1879, Page 2

Yesterday morning, as the bells had commenced to ring out the warning notes that worship m the Churches would soon commence, the Editor of this paper was stopped m the street by one who asked him m an angry tone of voice why he advocated the reduction of wages to the working man 1 The reply was that if the working man could show where m the columns of the Herald any such thing was advocated he might do some good for himself and for others more m need than he appeared to be. The Editor,although not overwhelmed with wealth, would give him, or any other working man, ten pounds, and the same sum to the hospital funds if m the columns of the Herald he would point out one line or a sentence which advocated the reducing of working men's wages. That promise should hold good for all time, and the files of the Herald should be placed at his or any man's service who might feel inclined to overhaul them. . The Editor went on to say that he respecfced th« working mini, or the man who-did not work, just as he did the tradesman, the merchant, the politician or the clergyman ; but he respected no one class more than another. ' Every man who respected himself, and his ways were clear and straight to hi> fellow-iimn, would always be resp cied. The working man had a fair right to sell his labor m the best market he could find for it, and there was no class who had a better right to do this, than the class to .wh »m he belonged. -Then our friend told the E.litor that he had no.- seen such a siatemtut m the Herald, but he had been told that this had been said of it m another newspaper. ■" Just so," was the reply of the Editor, 'J such an assertion may h ye been made m another paper." It was probably made by one who had attempted to inflict a great wrong upon the Editor of the Herald ; one who had done his utmost to sully his name, to blast his character, and to injure his ' position m life, and had employed a very powerful engine for. the purpose ; but finding that his aim had missed the mark, and that the injury he had attempted to inflict had recoiled .on himself, he became angry, even to being enraged, and had from time to time repeated bis attacks which still fell harmless upon the man he would insist should be considered his adversary. The paper m which the calumny had appeared, was rapidly being pushed out of the field by auother, which had secured * the confidence of the public and consequently its support. The man who owned and conducted the paper containing the calumny might have held a foremost position m the community m which his paper once largely circulated and now scarcely circulates at all. He might, m doing good for others, have done great good for himself, but he had allowed his many chances to pass by him, and he now is just what he is. Nemesis had overtaken him. And the working man, thinking for a little, and passing his fingers up the side of his whisker, asked what sort of a thing a Nemesis was. A " Nemesis," said the*' Editor, "is this: That when a man takes his fellowman at an advantage to do him an injury, to wound aud lacerate his feelings, and to pain those to whom he may be all m all —his wife, his family, and his friends, he may sometimes serve his naughty purpose; but the injury he would do to another seldom — probably, never failed at some time or other —in some shape or form,.to fall upon himself. That was " Nemesis ;" aud the working man said it was all right, and would the Editor drink with him; and the Editor said he would with the greatest pleasure, but for the fact that it was Sunday morning ; that all the hotels were closed, and that no landlord would open his doors for the wealth of the Indies, not even if a man was perishing from thirst. But the Editor desired that tne working man should come himself m the morning to the Herald office, and endeavor to earn the reward offered, if he could point out m any one of its columns where a reduction of working men's wages had been advocated.

We have before us a second insta'tnent. of the Census for 1878, which tells of the conjugal condition, of the people, their birth places and religioas beliefs. We think a very great deal of unnecessary trouble has been taken, and a large expense incurred to inform us h'>w m my people married under twenfy md how niiiny over sixty. The information can serve no purpose whatever. Ll does not even gratify sin Mle curiosity •Neither can we conceive how information lespecting people's birth-places can 'lo any good ; nor again as to their* religious beliefs. We are told that of the total of 414,412 representing the whole population 176.337 are returned under the head v< Church of England, and Protestants not otherwise defined." Presbyieiia <a numbered 95,103 ; Methodists, 37,879 ; Roman Catholics, 58,881 ; Hr brews, 1424 ; Pagans, 4379 ; Baptists, 9159 ; Congregational Independents, 5555 ; Lutlieratis, 5645. Of the whole number, 10,564 object to state their reli-ion, and 8873 are either wndes-* cribed or "otherwise described." The Census does not tell us the number of people who have no religion at all ;or of the number of people who pmfess some reiigi oi3 belief&to subserve trade purposes «>r to conceal their iniquities fro.v an nnlisceming multitude. Tl\«re are oidy 183 of the Society of Friends who do not " object to state" the fad, and 432 Unitarians. The principal interest of these tabes at this moment turns on the relation between the Roman Catholics aud the other religious bodies. It will be seen that 65,000 is their present numbers. They numbered 40,371 m 1874, aiid increased therefore by 18,610 m the four years sinue that period. They also increased somewhat more m relative proportion to the other bodies, for m 1874 ihey represented 13 48 . of the . opuiation, and m 1878 14 21 per cent. We have the number of babies born of married women ; but there is nothing said of babies born of women who are not married ; nor have we particulars of single women who should not be single if much that is said be true.