GENERAL NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14328, 19 October 1910, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS.

SHEARING UNDER CUARD. Shearing with non-union Maoris lias commenced at threo oi.' the largest sheds in tho district, states a telegram from Gisborne. Maoris from Urewera Country were got in at night, and other natives wore not allowed to communicate with them, whilst swaggers are being warned off all stations while shearing is in progress. THE GOVERNMENT SHIP. "The Ward Administration," said Mr A. L. Herdman, 5*..P., in a speech on Monday night, •' is like. a. ship on tho sea, it is the plaything of every passing breeze. One day a breeze comes from Otago in regard to, say the Lawrence-Roxburgh railway, and the old ship heels over. Then over comes a deputation from the West Coast, say, in regard to trouble in the mines; again the old ship moves over. Next comes a deputation with a complaint from Canterbury; down on their bonded knees go tho Ministers, and the old ship heaves dangerously, and when we get a perfect hurricane from Auckland, the winds blow, the waves heat, and the tempest comes along and strikes the old ship, and she. goes n.-arly over, but the Minister gives way. ami on she goes again." (Much laughter.) THE OPPOSITION LEADER. A splendid tribute was paid to Mr Massey, the Leader of the Opposition, by Mr Herdman. in the course of his sessional address on. Monday night. He had sometimes heard, he remarked, that if tbe Opposition got into power they might do no good. Those who held such a vjew, were, in his opinion, totally mistaken. He did not think that people understood what a deep personal regard members of the Opposition had for their respected leader. Mr Massey was a man not only of great enormous energy, and of great capacity, but he was a man of high ability, and great courage. When he remembered how Mr Massey had stuck to his guns when his following was not nearly so large as at present, he felt that at such a time some men might have preferred to have dropped out of the light, but not so Mr Massey j he had fought on and on, and he deserved the best encouragement which could he given him. Speaking as a junior member of the party, he would say:—"Give the men on' the front benches of the Opposition a chance, and they will. I feel certain, do a great deal better than the party now in power." (Loud applause.) " CATHOLIC BECAUSE PROTESTANT." The Anglican General Synod at its meeting in Sydney (states the " Daily Telegraph") decided "to place on record its emphatic disapproval of the practice too prevalent even among Anglicans of applying tho word 'Catholic' exclusively to tho members of thl religious denomination which acknow-< ledges tho supremacy of the Bishop of Rome, and to earnestly remind all Anglicans that such use by them of the term in question is inconsistent, with well-established historical fact, involves a surrender of a vital principle, and inflicts a grievous wrong upon tho church of their baptism by implying that it is a 'non-Catholic' and sehi* matical body." Dr Leoper, at whose instance the resolution was carried, mentioned that since, he had given notice that ho intended to bring forward his motion he had bad some delightful minutes' reading in Unman Catholic journals the jeers at his motion. He had been held up to ridicule as a Protestant Catholic. He confessed that he was not ashamed of the name. He thought it not onlv represented his creed, but also fairly represented the creed of the Church of England. If it wore not paradoxical be would say tuat the Church of England was Catholie because it was Protestant, and Protestant because, it was .Catholic. COOD REASONS FOR BAPTISM. Church of England clergymen referred at the evangelical conference held [last week in Sydney to the hap-hazard way people brought children to be baptised, and the superstitious notions some parents bad on tbe matter. One minister said people bad told him that their reason for having their children baptised was that the children throve better alter baptism', and therefore they would like to have them "done" early. Several clergymen spoke of the need for having baptisms always performed on Sundays lit the C.'mivh services. Rev. Beghie said when he bad objected to baptising children on week days parents had said: "We will go to the Methodists. They «ill do it,"" or " We will go to the Presbyterians; they'll do it." "If they waiit to do that." he said, " let them go." Some people who had a superstitious fear on the subject of baptism once said to him, '• Wo wanted to com''' here because it is a lucky church." Another speaker mentioned that some Presbyterian ministers would not, haptiste children unless both parents attended nt the public service when tbe sacra-' ment took place. _ With reference to tho need of securing suitable sponsors, a minister said he once knew a deaf woman bring a child to be baptised, and when the minister asked, " Dost thou, in the name of this child, renounce the devil and all his works " she made no reply. The clergyman prompted her several times, and fit last, instead of saying. "] renounce them all," sho said. " I recommend them nil." The need of concerted action by the clergy to place the administration of tho Sacrament on a more satisfnetcry basis was strongly emphasised.—Sydney "Daily Telegraph."

PARLIAMENT AND CORONATION. A suggestion lias btvn made, tlial Sir Joseph. \\ artl should attend tll« Coronation ill Jjonciun next year aoeompameu by at. least ono in" his colleagues by the Leader of the Opposition, ana by sis or eight ruemoers chosen from butit Houses 01 the Legislature. The project ls designed With the object oi securing nik'nuute representation for i\sw Zealand at tbe <Joronation. It is further suggested, as a carollary to this scheme, thai i'arlialnent should not meet until late m tuo year, say August, and that the elections should be postponed till early il IUI2. These proposals have Ijcei/ strongly, and we think very properly, condemned by " The Dominion," "Tin Press," and other Opposition papers. The Wellington '• Kvenmg .News" of Monday last has the following paragraph :

Leaders of the two parties in tlir House of Representatives are walking warily in the Coronation domain. Though .Sir Joseph Ward lias sent a message from Christchureh, lie has not committed the Government to any sat course. The Opposition Party is* hostile to the proposal that New Zealand should be represented by eight delegates, ami it is understood that a preponderating section of the party strongly favours the despatch of onl'v one envoy, the- Prime Minister As far as can be gathered, the Opposition seems determined to press for' a minimum of interference with the normal course of next year's session.