SUNDAY WORK AT NIUE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16618, 23 December 1924, Page 8

SUNDAY WORK AT NIUE.

VETOED BY THE ELEMENTS.

TWO SUDDEN STORMS

Nothing on earth, or on the sea. either, can now induce the Niue watersiders to work a ship on the Sabbath. One Sunday, when the now defunct Rama. wa s at the island and. it was required 10 get her away in a hurry, four of the islanders who attend to these matters on the waterfront were induced, against the "mahinary" advice, to turn to tumbling the cargo out of the steamer. They had not been long at the job before a quite unexpected and violent storm arose. 11 rained, thundered, and lightning Hashed. Four people, were struck, and two were killed—the latter being two of

(he lour men who had the temerity to desecrate the Sabbath. Naturally the incident left a very lasting impression, and the Sabbath-keepers were nut slow () point the moral of the .calamity. On [lie present visit of the Government steamer Tutanckai, which replaced the wrecked. Kama, it' would, however, have greatly expedited matters if a. gang of men coj'.d have been, got to work on Sunday, and eventually the influence that was brought to bear was sufficient to overcome the impression of the last experience and the deep-rooted island, dislike to Sunday work. It was a lovely] dav. and the subsequent happenings we're, therefore., all the more, dramatic, j Suddenly from out of the horizon there leaped a hurricane that swept the littlo, port of A lull. Coooanuts rained on the i\iiTU';.aU>d iron roofs, and, the Tulanekai' was forced lo seek shelter. That Mas the end of Ihe cocond attempt lo introduce Sunday labor into Nine. Of comw, l lie 'missionary party was now absolutely convinced that Heaven was' visiting its wrath oh the wrong-doors.' ft, is useless lo speak of such a thing as coincidence; (hey now produce Hie posilive evidence, and w liih- the present Generation exists Sunday work on the waterfront will he an, impossibility.