STORM PASSES OVER.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 250, 21 October 1926, Page 12

STORM PASSES OVER.

ATTACK ON REV. J. K. ARCHER.

HIS REPLY TOHOHARGE.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

DUNEDINj Wednesday.

The serenity of the proceedings at the feaptist Conference was again disturbed to-day When the Rev. J. K. Archer, who had travelled post haste from Christchurch, faced Mr. W. J. Bardsley and de&ied the layman's allegation that he had held the conference tip to public ridicule.

The president of the conference, Rev. H ; G. HercUs,-invited both Mr. Bardsley arid Mr. Archer to state their case, and expressed the hope that the affair would be soon forgotten.

Mr. Bardsley said he wished the conference to 'knoW that for 25 years ho had been secretary of a local body, the relevancy of which statement would be recognised later. He also wanted it known that he was attacking the question from a conference viewpoint. His attitude" did sot concern politics.

More in sorOW than .in anger Mr. Bardsley described . the merciless attack launched by Mr. Archer at a meeting upon local bodies and their antiquated procedure. Their ponderous methods were derided, and then in the same breath the Labour Mayor said wearily: "I ahi attending a Baptist Conference hefe, and that is how it does its work— it argues for two hours on trivialities like commas."

This remark according to Mr. JBardsley provoked a storm of derisive laughter and mode him squirm, Such comment and derision were unworthy of a minister Of the Gospel and an ex-presi-dent of the union. Moved by that conviction he had protested against Mr. Atoher 3 nomination. As a parthian shot the Speaker said that he may not have played the game by attacking Mr. Archer in his absence but Mr. Archer's attack on an unrepresented body was equally reprehensible.

Mr. Archer, in reply, said bis first intimation of the wretched business was a sensational article, replete with photograph, in a Christchurch paper. He did not like the heading, "Mr: Archer Queried," but deplored still more the Second one, "Baptists at Variance." In spite of the fact that conferences of this sort were inclined to become mutual admiration societies, there were differences, but it was a pity to broadcast them. Mr. Bardsley should have shown a little of his seal at the meeting in question, but that was 'beside the point, as he desired to deny altogether the remarks attributed to him.

"Do you think," he said, "that I would hold up to scorn the Church I love and in which I have ministered lor 30 years?" He was merely speaking to Labour people on the need of getting quickly to the kernel of things.

The president dismissed the matter, saying he was pleased to hear that the basis of the dispute was M email.