MAYORAL DUTIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 34, 9 February 1904, Page 3

MAYORAL DUTIES.

A MISUNDERSTAN'DINO AT CHRISTCHURCH. ' i (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.') j CHKISTCHfRCH, Saturday. Tliere has l>epn a mild passage-at-arms between the Mayor and the local clergy . uuder whose auspices l>r, Clark, the Christian Endeavour lecturer, is holding meet- • lugs iv Christchurch. At Dr. Clark's first weetiutf ou Wednesday evening tue chair- , iniiD i-xplained tliut through an error the programme bad auuounced that trie Mayor uf Chrisichurch vvuaJc! publicly welcome Uγ. Clark. The Hon. H. F. Wlgram had stated that he regretted he could not welcome Dr. Clark, as he was not assured that the Anglican Church, was represented 'n the arrangements for Dr. Clark's visit. He (the chairman) was sorry that the Mayor could not se his way to act, as the mayors u£ uther cities had done, for l>r. Clark represented a world-wide and interdenominational movement. Dr. Erwin iof the Presbyterian Church) said that Iμ hoped the. citizens would not choose another mayor wbo was under the thumb of the Bishop. He would have thought that Dr. Clark's work was of such vr Ji-ld-wide importance that even if he did not belong to the communion of the 1 bishops, the Mayor laight have had a free - haDd in regard "to the welcome. Mr T. E. Taylor, M.U.K.. said that he c thought the 'Mayor had made a mistake, for Dr. Clark represented a movement that 1 was quite unsectarian He thought that f the Mayor would have been quite justified c In welcoming Dr. Clark. i- lv yesterday morning's paper the Mayor I gives his version of the story. lie states that he never deUnltely refused io puh- '' Ik-ly receive Dr. Clark. Mc had felt that i- before agreeing to do this he was bound to d ascertain that Dr. Clark's mission was Un(l denominational, and this information was not forthcoming. As a matter of fact, he p says yesterday's paper was the fim intiII matlon he had of the attitude of the Anil (jilcan Church In the matter. He expresses r surprise at the remarks made, as the p speakers must have been aware that lie had invariably assisted, when asked, at c functions for "the Catholics, the Baptists, i, uud any other denomination. He had actuenclosed correspondence between himself and the Endeavour Union's secretary , which showed that he made several fruit- [ i. loss attempt* to obtain an assurance liom the Union that it was undenominational, aud that his lust letter asking for an assurance was not even answered. CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Rev. E. S. Gray, president of the local lP branch of the" Christian Endeavour y> Union in a letter to the papers dist_ claims, on behalf of .the branch, all rers sponsibility for the Mayor not receiving n " Dr. Clark", lie. says the branch's atti--3V tude was dictated" by the opinion that in it did not seem consistent with the rene speet due to Dr Clark, or to tbe free churches of the city that "we should take any steps to obtain the consent or expression of the desire of the episcopal of bodies that His Worship should receive our distinguished visitor.