DUNEDIN NOTES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11580, 11 May 1903, Page 4

DUNEDIN NOTES.

(special to "the tress.")

DUNEDIN, May 9.

The Protestant Defeuce Association of New Zealand is now in full swing. The office bearers, who, by tho "way, are all prominent prohibitionists, have been elected, and over one hundred members enrolled. At the meeting held this week the Chairman explained that their motto was "Defence, not defiance. - ' He believed thai Protestantism in this country should be strong enough to rally and to defend the cause of liberty and" freedom. Some of those who were standing aloof forgot that the Roman Church was a great political organisation. So far as the Association was concerned, it did not wish to interfere with •my man's religion, but it would certainly resist the encroachments of the Romish priesthood itself. He than made, reference to Cardinal Newman and his hymn, "Lead, kindly light"—addressed, the speaker assured" the audience, to the misty light of tb© Church of Rome. He felt disposed to re-write it in this form:—"Lead, kindly light, amid th' encircling gloom! My way is dark, and I am bound for Rome " He" hoped some day the hymn he had referred to would be one of the hymns of the past in the Protestant churches. Mr A. L. Herdinan, the member for Mount Ida, lias been getting into hot water for his remarks in the construction of the Otago Central Railway beyond the present terminus at Ophir. Mr Hexdman's condemnation is especially unfortunate at the present time, when a "dead" set is being made against the line by the northern members, and great indignation is felt by the advocates of "the Central" at an Otago member throwing them over at a stage when the question of railway construction promises to resolve itself into a tight between the North and the South.

The route of the Otago-Canterbury members through Central Otago from Queenstown will be to the head of the hike and thence via Queenstown to Arrow, Crown Terrace, Cromwell, Wanaka, and Hawea. The return will be made through Clyde and Alexandra, and thence to Dunedin, via the Central line.

The parade of school cadets and the inspection by Colonel Babington has been definitely abandoned.

A letter Is published this morning from Colonel White, D.5.0., acknowledging the receipt of a gold, watch and chain and sovereign case and greenstone pendant, with _ gold fern leaf, from members of the Seventh Contingent. He writes, "that the officers and men of so distinguished a corps should have thought fit to give me so beautiful a memento, I take as the greatest compliment ever paid me. Any success I may have had is attributable to those gallant New Zeahuukrs who so ably carried out my orders."