GENERAL NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2650, 4 November 1909, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

“The parson wlio’.d a missionary been, and hardship and privation Jix had seen,” was (writes the Maryborough correspondent of the Brisbane “Courier”) dilating recently at a local church on missionary enterprise, illustrating its triumphs and laying stress upon the Master's command. “Go ye out into all the world and prikoh.” This command the speaker enforced with the fact that there are millions in India and China, where “'the heathen. in his blindness bows down to wood and stone” —millions who are dying without the glad tidings of great joy. So as to illuminate this statement and compel his hearers to realise its gravity and significance, he said: c is now about twenty minutes since we sang that last hymn, and, will you believe it, since we sang that hymn 1500 people have died in China and 1000 in India!” The organist looked reproachfully at the choir; the choir, with one accord, looked reproachfully at the congregation. The congregation returned the accusing glance to the choir, and the choir returned it to the person whence it came —all in a few moments while the speaker, having reached his climax, paused for effect. Then a person, who “seemed to have a load to bear, a heavy, choking grief, said ,in broken accents, to his neighbor: “I admit the singing was awlnl bad, but I never thought it would kill so many people in China anil India.’

The question used to. be.: “What Ires around the. North Pole ?” “Now,” sat- • jrically observes* the ‘ ]Sew \ oiKWorld,” “it is ‘Who lies about itt ' Here is a delightful example of school humor, unintentional, and refreshingly naive:—The children were asked to write oil the journeyings of Cornniandei Peary and' Dr. Cook. “Captain Peary.” wrote one, “reached the North Pole on a Dreadnought. The reason why he went by sea was because it was cheaper than going by train. The discovery cf the North Pole is a good thin ol because it is the end of the world.” “There, is a lot of talk about the discovery of the North Pole,” observed a girl of ten. “Dr. Cook was supposed to have reached it, but when he got there Captain Peary came up over the side and told Dr. Cook that the Pole belonged to him. They both became very angry, and waved the Stars and Stripes, hut presently, agreed to leave it in the hands cf the,-Presi-dent" of America.” A third"essayist assorted that the reason why Dr. Cook and Commander Peary did not die was that they were Americans. Another who had read • somewhere about the birth of the Peary baby in the Arctic some years ago,,said that Airs. Peary accompanied her husband to the Pdle, and a child was,born there and christened the Snow' Baby. “It was born covered with hair, and had a lot of fur round its .eyes.”

“An old and intimate friend of Mr. Chamberlain, just returned from a visit to Highbury, tells me (says the ‘Daily Express” Parliamentary correspondent) that he found the right hon.- gentlemanintellectually as keen and alert as ewer. He is pot able to walk without assistance, but- in bis conversation there is no sign of decadence from the keen insight and incisive force of expression that marked.it in other days. His interest in public affairs is undinmied. He daily fellows proceedings in the House of Commons, and expresses opinions thereon with all his ancient frankness. While resigned to the situation forced upon him at a time when lie is still in the prime of intellectual vigor, he' is.never known to utter a complaint, cheerilv making the best ,cf everything.”

A terrible accident lia’ppened recently in Crewe Works, England. A young man named George Williams- Parker was assisting to lift a huge ingot of red-hot steel when is became released from the chain and fell on to a -carriage on the top Of which was another 17G01bs in, weight. The ingot of hot steel fell on to Parker below, pinning him to the gropnd. His cries for help were pitiful, and it took several minutes before the burning ingot could be removed. He was burnt from head to loot, his' flesh being torn off-.to the bone, several of his ribs were broken, and liis lungs injured.. Small hope was given for his recovery.

A Socialist resolution of protest from Wellington describes the doctrinaire “modern school” extreme Socialist or anarchist Ferrer as the Robert Owen,of Spain. In only one matter, that we are aware-of did the dead Catalonian at all resemble Owen—namely, in his hostility to religion. With the revolutionary party in Spain such hostility is an obsession, as we, who have had such opportunities of perusing their ferocious squibs and news-sheets in Barcelona and ;elsewhere, have sufficient reason to know. Owen’s hostility to Christianity was open and openly,' expressed; it never, however, even got within long, range of the,; frantic fanaticism which marks radical Socialism and anarchical Socialism on Continental Europe.---' ‘New Zealand Tablet.”

The difficulties in connection with education in the backblocks are well illustrated in a petition i irom the settlers of Horopito, on the Alain Trunk line, which has been presented to the Alinister of Education by Air. AV. 1. Jennings', AI.P. The grievances of the householders of the district were set out at a. recent indignation meeting at which it was stated that the manner in which the children* are at present receiving tlieir education was “a disgrace to civilisation. . At present there are nineteen, children attending the school, which is being carried on in an old bil-liard-room. There is no fireplace, and the ordinary sanitary conveniences are also wanting. 'lt is stated that one new sawmill in the district, which lias just started cutting, will employ about twenty men when in full swing, and that another mill-which is expected to start about tlie end of the year will provide work for about forty men, about three-fourths of whom it is estimated 1 will be married men with families. It; was decided to petition for a new school to accommodate not less than sixty children.

Speaking at the Presbyterian General Assembly in Christchurch on the. commercial system in vogUo amongst fh° Maoris, the Rev. D. J. Ward, Presbyterian Maori - missionary at Taumariniui, said that if Tom Alarm studied the Socialism practised by tlie Natives a fexv years ago, “it would raise-crows’ feet on the biggest eyes he knew how to possess. —“Press.”