THE CHILDRENS’ CHURCH.

Western Star, Issue 9, 10 January 1874, Page 6

THE CHILDRENS’ CHURCH.

[TRANSLATED pROW THE GERMAN OF PAUL GEROK.] The bells of the churches are ringing— Papa and mamma have both gone— And three little clildren sit singing Together, this still Sunday morp. ’(Vhile the hells toll away in the steeple, Though too small to sit still in a pew, ‘ These busy religious small people Determine to have their church, too. So, free as the birds, or the breezes By which their, fair ringlets are fanned, Each rogue sings away as he pleases, With book upside down in his hand, Their hymn has no sense in its letter, Their music no rhythm nor tune : Qur worship, perhaps, may be better— But their’s reaches God quite as soon, Their angels stand close to the Father ; His heaven is made bright by these flowers; And the dear. God above us would rather Hear praises from their lips than purs. Sing on, little children—your, voices Fill the air with contentment and love; All nature around you rejoices, And the birds warble sweetly above, Sing on —for the proudest orations, The litprgics sacred and long, The anthems and worship pf nations Are poor to your innocent song, Sing on—our devotion is colder, Though wisely our prayers may be planned, For often we, too, who are older, u: Hold our book the wrong way in our hand. Sing on—our harmonic inventions We study with labour and pain ; Fet often our angry contentions Take the harmony put of pur strain, Sing on —all our str iggle and battle, Our. cry, when most deep and sincere— What are they ? A child’s simple prattle, breath in the Infinite ear. JMidTßipT'-FARMERS’ CLUB. y', ( * ■ A meeting of the Western District Farmers’ : 3Pub was held on the evening of Friday, the 2nd MMLmyny, gt the Qunuoie’s. Bush school-house, President (James Mackintosh, Esq.) occuthe chair. s|Jfr qijjg minutes of the previous meeting were read IPlnd confirmed, The Secretary (Mr. Camming, M.P.C.) iiltirew attention to the advisability of having the iSland at Jacob’s Fiver, on which the meetingClub was erected, st)d which had ffiSeen purchased and paid for some twelve months |fego, conveyed to the Club. On the motion of ifplV Hamilton, seconded by Mr. Hopcroft, the was instructed to take the necessary pfitcpß to have the land conveyed, Hf The Secretary also drew attention to the fact Sgthat the three and three-quarter acres granted by jShe Government to the Western District Agriculrafural and Pastoral Association had never been &taade oyer to them. The Club had, consesifyuently no power to. deal with or improve the |wjand. SgL. Mr. Daniel, M.P.C., said that the fact of the not having been made over to the Club was Improbably an oversight on the part of himself and fifpoll.jague. He suggested that the Secretary com;Vfnumicate with the Government on the matter. The Secretary was directed to ask the Govcrnjfcmfait to invest the Club with the powers necessary PAo deal with- (he land. yihe Secretary mentioned that a resident of pUertpn offered to fence the land for the use of § it, and, probably, if it were advertised for lease, a gbod rental could be got for it. W. Hamilton gave notice that at next •meetiiTg'hc"would moverthat the Superintendent lie asked to convey the land to the Club in the names of the President, the Vice-President (J. _W. Hamilton), Mr. Instone, Mr. Daniel, M.P.C., *3®d Mr. J. Gumming, M.P.C. (Secretary). then addressed the meeting on val and pastoral shows. KleTlirqd Invercargill shows had not deteriorated from the reason was not hard to The held at the same place yt nrery year, the same stock was shown, and the bpfeme people were always on the committee. In old country, after fifty years of experience, it |(»as found that the only successful shows were gMioae yhich were held alternately at the different centres. The show at Invercargill held under the auspices of a society holding pretentious title of “ The Southland Agricultural and Pastoral Association,” but that associa- ‘ was merely an Invercargill club. Never C since its inauguration had there been a member on its committee from west of the s%Waimatukii. The Western District people atS||pnded and sent stock, yet they were practically Wad within itself the germs of dissolution—it Jfrjnust inevitably collapse. It was the duty of the Western District Farmers’ Club to point out to "dwie Invercargill people, the desirability of holding . alternately at Riverton and Invercargill, tj?»nd not only at these two places, but at the Ma- : Sfeura. Unless this course was adopted, the );'iSowfl would lose in public favour, and dwindle iilpto insignificance. They might go even further, piThey might have alternate shows at the Taieri, Pilhe Mojyneux, Invercargill, Riverton, and other places! Of course there always would be local shows, hut a general show must be on a different foorirrg. Unless the people of the various districts co-operated and offered prizes worthy of ecHtesting, the shows would lose interest. There had been very little co-operation in Otago, but it was now time, to commence. When railways were made the principle could be extended, to embrace all the districts in the province, which - plight unite to have one grand annual show Ipelcl

each year at a place different from the last. Living in a small district, men were apt to consider that some animal therein was the finest in the world, but it might be but a poor one compared with those existing in other districts, which they never saw. He hoped the time was not far distant when there would he great interprovincial shows held at Dunedin and Christchurch. He would say no more on that occasion, but would commit his views to paper, and submit them to the Club on some future day.

The Secretary stated that the chairman and himself had been appointed to urge the Road Board to enforce the Thistle Ordinance. They, had, however, been unable to procure a copy of the Thistle Ordinance, and were not therefore aware who the proper parties were to set it in motion. The authorities he thought ought to lose no time in taking this matter up.

Mr. Hamilton said that at Spar Bush there was a complete field of thistles, and they were spreading rapidly at Wright’s Bush and Jacob’s River. If something were not speedily done the whole country would be overrun. Mr. Daniel, M.P.C., attributed the thistle nuisance to the Southland Government. That Government took the Maori Reserve as a quarantine ground for Mr. Basstian’s sheep some years ago, and from thence the thistles spread. Some years ago the Southland Government voted £SO for the extirpation of the thistles, but it was too late —the mischief had been done —the thistles had been scattered- by the wind over the length and breadth of the land. He considered that if the law were enforced against the Maoris, it would be gross injustice. Their gardens had been ruined by those thistles, and it would be unfair to compel them to keep down those nuisances which had been forced upon them, and which had inflicted upon them so much injury. Mr. J. W. Hamilton understood that Messrs. Sutton Bros., were given a piece of land for keeping down thistles. Those gentlemen did keep the thistles down for some time, but did not do so now, he believed. The President ridiculed Mi’. Stafford’s idea that thistles were a benefit. In Victoria in the early days Edward Wilson imported sixty donkeys to keep down the thistles, but they proved inadequate to the task. From 1848 to 1852 the Melbourne “Argus” had articles every couple of days, warning the people of Victoria against the thistles, and pointing out their evil effects in Tasmania and South Australia. The thistles were then in compact beds in a few localities, and £SOO would have completely eradicated them. In 1851, however, there was a period during which hot dry winds prevailed, which caused the thistles to overspread the country, inflicting an immense amount of damage. The people of Southland were in somewhat the same position as the people of Victoria in 1850. It behoved them, then, to lose no time in putting a stop to the nuisance. While on this matter lie thought it would be as well to refer to the rabbit nuisance. While the thistles inflicted immense injuries, there was still a chance of overcoming them ; but once allow the rabbits to overrun the land, absolute ruin would stare every farmer in the face. Many farmers who were not now troubled might plume themselves on the fact that they were safe; but if steps were not taken to prevent the spread of these animals, they would take possession of the entire country, making all farmers alike share in the common ruin that would inevitably the' history of the world there was no plague so terrible as that of the rabbits which was now threatening Southland. Other plagues had devastated other countries, but they had passed away. But if this plague of rabbits were allowed to progress, it would last for ever. The rabbits would destroy every other living thing in the country. He pointed to the sandhills on the Riverton beach. There these animals had cleared out every other animal, eaten up the tussocks, but still existed, and appeared to be doing very well. They were now breeding with alarming rapidity in the Longwood, and on the rich flats of Jacob’s River. Mr. Elliott, of the Hokanuis, had said that he had destroyed the rabbits in his place with a few eats. That gentleman was mistaken. He had’not destroyed them, but merely driven them temporarily away to other places where they were not molested. Once they became numerous, they would assuredly return in tenfold strength, and all the cats could do to check their ravages would he harmless. The proper thing to do was to introduce the natural enemies of these animals —stoats and weasels. Some might pooh-pooh the danger, but it bad not been overstated. Even if a few were secure from tbeir baneful presence, how could they prosper if all the others were ruined ? Once the rabbits got a firm foot-hold, there would scarcely be a hqpe of getting rid of them. Then it would be impossible to grow a blade of grass, and when the grass was gone, the trees would be attacked. This might be thought to be an extreme view of the matter, but it was already within bis knowledge that the rabbits bad already cut down cabbage trees. These rabbit and thistle questions demanded the earnest and immediate attention of the co7nmunity.

Mr. Hopcroft thought that if the rabbits could be induced to tackle the thistles, the difficulty would be at an end.

Mr. Gumming, M.P.C., said that Mr. Brydonc, the manager for the Land Company, had stated that he would defy any one to put the Thistle Ordinance in force.

Some discussion ensued, during which it was elicited that in Appleby the Thistle Ordinance appeared to have been enforced. Finally, on the motion of Mr. Hopcroft, seconded by Mr. John Officer it was unanimously resolved to ask the Government to at once, put the Thistle Ordinance in force. The Secretary was instructed to communicate with Mr. Dalr.ymple, of Appleby, to ascertain what had been done there in the matter.

Mr. Gumming, M.P.C., said that the. Canterbury farmers had asked the Provincial and General Governments, to stop public works for a time, in order to allow them to obtain men to reap the harvest. He believed that both applications were successful. In the Western District

there wore not near enough men to harvest anything like half the crops. They could scarcely ask the Government to stop public works, but thought the matter might bo put in such a way as to obtain for the contractors extension of time, so that the men might be at liberty to harvest. Such an extension of time would be of great benefit to the contractors. The farmers were bound to obtain men, as if they did not then’ whole year’s labour would be lost, They would therefore offer higher terms than the contractors, who having taken their work at a certain price, could not afford to give beyond a certain rate of wages. Mr. Hamilton concurred in Mr. Cumming’s remarks. The Government, he thought, by giving the proposed extension of time, would get their work done cheaper, as the contractors could obtain labour cheaper than they otherwise would. Mr. Daniel, M.P.C., said that most of the contracts were nearly completed, and the whole of them would scarcely employ as many men as one of the largo farmers. He was in a position to say that one of the large steamers chartered to convey immigrants to the colony would probably arrive in Port Chalmers about the 20th January, and that steamer was to convey the February San Francisco mail. He read a communication from Mr. Allan, the immigration agent at Dune, din, inquiring if 20 or 30 immigrants were sent to Riverton whether they would be at once employed. The reply he sent back was that there was no accommodation for immigrants at Riverton, but that any quantity of them could find employment. He stated'that The Westeek Stae since its establishment had been bringing the necessity for sending a quantity of labour to the Western District prominently before the Government, and concluded by observing that he scarcely thought it necessary for contractors to have an extension of time, as labour would be had somewhere.

Mr. Gumming, M.P.C., was of opinion that the farmers of the Western District should take a broad view of the matter, and not selfishly confine their endeavours to benefit only west of the New River.

The President said Mr. Allan’s ideas of the labour requirements of the Western District were absurd. Instead of 20 or 30 men, the district would quickly absorb from 300 to 400. Labour was more urgently required here, he believed, than in any other part of the colony. In consequence of the large quantity of land purchased within the last two years, the amount of work required to be done, irrespective altogether of public works, was unprecedented. The contracts in the Western district were, it was true, not very extensive ; but they must look to the whole province and colony. If an extension of time, say of one month, were given, a great boon would be conferred. Some works, of course, could not bo stopped ; but the country would not be injured by others being delayed a month. He believed that if the extension sought for were obtained, a benefit would be conferred on contractors, farmers, and workmen. It would operate as a kind of safety valve. When labour rose too high there was a tendency to introduce too much labour, and, therefore, he would like more for the workmen’s sake alone that the Government woidd concede the months’ extension. Mr. Hamilton stated that it was within his knowledge that there was an immense amount of work required to be done in the Western District.

Mr. Gumming, M.P.C., pointed out that allowing the farmers to obtain labour would be a general benefit to the community, and would tend to continue the demand for labour. ■ It was very certain that if the farmers could not get in their crops this year they would not put in another, but would lay down their land in grass. He moved “ That it is the opinion of this meeting that contractors should be allowed an extension of time to the extent of one month, in order to liberate labour to gather in.the harvest.” Mr. Daniel, M.P.G., seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. Mr. Daniel, M.P.C., stated that it was the duty of every member of the community to see that the public funds were judiciously expended. He drew attention to the gravel on the Gummie’s Bush road, which he characterised as rubbish and not capable of standing any traffic. That gravel had been refused by the Southland Government, and how the Engineer allowed it to pass surprised him. The road board he noticed would have none of it, but insisted on gravel placed on its roads being screened. It was very certain had it been known that such stuff would have been placed on the road the contract would have been taken at a much lower figure. Mr. Walker and Mr. Hopcroft defended the quality of the gravel. The latter said that the Inspector of Roads had informed him that the stuff though small was of a flinty nature, and excellent gravel. The President said that fully one-third of the stuff on the Wallacetown road was mere dirt. The Government might take it as good gravel, but that did not alter the fact that it was rubbish that no other Government would accept. The cost of gravel was the cartage, and it would be far cheaper to pay extra for screening than to have roads made of rubbish. Mr. Walker said that the gravel on the Wallacetown road was vastly inferior to that on the Gummie’s Bush road —in fact was not gravel at all. The stuff on the Gummie’s Bush road was not ns good as it might he, but it was the best that could be got. The contract specified good river gravel, of wliich only a limited quantity could be obtained. Mr. Hamilton mentioned that several parties in his district would have tendered for the Wallacetown road had they known that the stuff now being put on would be allowed. He considered it, however, a gross injustice, if the contractor, after being allowed to lay the grgyel on the road, was compelled to take* it away and substitute other stuff. After a few more remarks the matter dropped. ■ The President drew attention to the approaching visit of the Governor, and suggested that

some arrangements should be made for his relation. Mr. Hamilton moved that the following gen - tlemen be appointed a reception committee to co-operate with the Riverton Reception Commit? tee : —Messrs. L. Fraser, T, Sutton, Faler, M‘lntyre, Lyon, Teviotdale, M'lntosh, Johnston, John Gumming, Bath, Nurse, M'Naughton, Officer, Walker, Hamilton, Stuck, and J, Boyd. The motion was carried, A meeting of the Rabbit Committee was after? wards held. After discussion it was resolved to hold a monster meeting in Invercargill after the harvest,