THE CATHEDRAL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11546, 31 March 1903, Page 2

THE CATHEDRAL.

TO IKB KDITOK OF TEE P&ESS. Sir,—The Dean has not made out a strong case for the Cathedral. 1 sincerely wish that the materials at his disposal had enabled him to do so. .My own lament took the form of saying that "in almost every instance" the authorities had f.iilrfi t.> voice and direct public eentinwnt. The Dean replies that "on several occasions arrangements had been made for holding special services. There is not much dis»crepancy between our respective wave of putting things But the "several occasions" on Which the Cathedra! rose to a national or patriotic emergency are few indeed, and not all of them come within the meaning of " special services," for I carefully explained that I took no account of those services -which were held at the usual hours on Sundays or week days. I gladly accept the Dean's reminder that one service was held at 9.30 p.m. to welcome returning officers and troopers from South Africa. Just one, apparently, and that did duty for the whole war, and our ten Contingents going and coming. The ur.veiling of a brass tablet, being a memorial within the Cathedral itself, of course necessitated ft eervice of dedication. But were all " four services" associated with the death of the Queen ••special?" I cannot remember, but I think not. The Dean says my "memory is singularly defeutive,"*but his, too, needs jogging. The news of the King's illness, did not reach our city on a Monday, as he states, and I think he must be referring to the Proclamation of Peace when he alludes to two special services attended by crowded congregations. If so, let me remind him that one of these was at the ordinary hour of 5.15 p.m., while the other was only an hour or so earlier, after o vast crowd had been .swarming in the Square since 10 o'clock in the morning, and clamouring all day to know whether the Cathedral people were yet awake, or asleep, as usual. —Your.s, etc., LOOKKR-ON. Christchurch, 'March 28th, 1903.