THE LATE COL BLOOMFIELD.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 63, 15 March 1915, Page 8

THE LATE COL BLOOMFIELD.

_- - _ Memobiai, tablet unveiled. in st. marts oathedrai*. bishop on "service." A -brass tablet in memory of Lieut.Colonel W. R. Bloomfield, who perished, with Ms wife and daughter, in the wreck of the" Empress of Ireland, was unveiled yesterday morning in St. Mary's Cathedral. The tablet had been subscribed for hy members of the Auckland Garrison Officers' Club, ahout thirty of whom were present at the service, and the unveiling ceremony was performed by the president (Major J. P. Stephenson), who also handed over the memorial to the safekeeping of the churchwardens and vestry of the Cathedral. Dr. Averill, Anglican Bishop of Auckland, said the dedicatory prayers, and afterwards preached the fcarmon. In the course of his address, the Bishop Bald that the real test of Christian discipleship was service, or "social conduct," not self-assertiveness. In spite of popular parodies of Christianity and religion generally—parfcicnkrly the delusion that religion waa the saving of one's own soul •there could he no cohesion in society _ntil the principle of service was recognised. This principle was that everyone must ihave -both -the will and the opportunity to serve. The popular idea of life mras to pet, not to give. The curse of 6ociety in these times was tyrannised andividualism, which was anarchy. "We have heard a lot in the past s'x months of the doctrine that might is right." said the Bishop. "Oh. don't think that is tonly in Germany." Industrialism and many other institutions, he continued, (were divorced from the spirit of Chrisifchmity, and the idea of service. Lack of this idea produced a stunted life and a Character deformed.

"As an Empire," said the preacher, "■we are safe only while the sense of service is diffused among our memb<-rs. Selfishness las nearly caused a wreck already. War should arouse us to a 3eeper sense of duty and the resconsiibility of service, and so it should produce in us a nobler ideal of life."' Referring to the late Colonel Bloomfield. the Bishop said "that he was a man who had realised Eome of the meaning of stewardship. He bad used his talents in the further i nee iof religions education, as a member of She governing body of the Diocesan Girls' High. School, and he had also done much an the cause of civic and military efficiiency. His untimely and tragic" death, iwith those of Ms family, must revive Bad memories in many hearts. The erection of the memorial showed that his work was valued, and that, with his influence, it would live on still. It was sad when lives were -removed from the opportunity of service, hut it was sadder still when men had never iearned the need for crvie and military efforts. If Colonel "Bloomfield had lived he would, doubtless, have been one of the first to offer his services to the Empire in the present war. Many events in recent history had taught British people the greatness of duty, an_ the loss of so many noble lives upon the -battlefield _»d brought home the truth that this life was but a training school, that no life could h e TeaHv lost, and no talents developed in vain.

The service was said hy Tiev. "Walter I/ambert. and Canon HacMu-rray read the lessons.

Among the officers present were: Colonels X E. Hume. O.C.D.- C T Major, D.5.0.; G. W. S. Patterson'and W. H. Parkes, P.M.0.; Lieut.-Colonels A. M Myers, M_P_ E. Sherson and C. Rhodes, and Maior C. B. Macdonald (General Staff officers). Two trumpeters ■of the Garrison Artillery attended and played "The Last Post" after the dedication ceremony.

The inscription on the tablet Teads: '"In affectionate memory of Lieu-tenant-Colonel William Eeid Bloomfield, born at Matawhero. Poverty Bay, New Zealand. 9th Septem- *"■* 1861, lost..in the 'Empress of Ireland* disaster in the St".' THwrehce Biver Canada, r>n 29th May, 1914. A good' soldier, an honourable citizen, was on e of service to his King and Country, and no less in private than in public life, "his loyalty, manliness and integrity endeared him to all. Erected hy the iAnckand Garrison Officers' Club.""