LOCAL ARRANGEMENTS.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15318, 4 August 1915, Page 10

LOCAL ARRANGEMENTS.

TO-DArs MEETINGS AND SERVICES. Declaration Day will be observed today by the holding of many services and meetings. At the latter the EmDire resolution, tho terms of which have been communicated to all Mayors bv tho Prime Minister, will bo adopted, Tho City official celebration will take place in the evening at tho King Edward Barracks. The Citizens' Defence Corps Band will play at 8 o'clock, and tho meeting will commence at 8.30 o'clock. Tho Mayor will preside, and representatives of suburban boroughs have been invited to bo present. Several speeches will bo made, and the Emi Tiire resolution will be carried. A series of services will bo held at the Cathedral throughout the day. There will bo a special intercession service at noon, and an address will be ' delivered bv Bishop Julius. Similar Ren-ices will be held at St. Michael's Church, when addressos will he given by Canon Burton at 2.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. In other churches also tho day will be observed as one of special intercession. Tho local Ministers' Association have arranged special services. Earlv morning services will be held in the various churches for inter-1 cession, and a united service of intercession will take place in St. Paul's from 12 noon to 2 p.m. In the evening at 7.45 a special united patriotic service will be held in Durham street. The Mayor, Mr H. Holland, will preside, and representatives of public Ihklios will bo in attendance. The patriotic resolution will bo carried, and a collection taken no in aid of the Patriotic Fund. The Rev. J. J. North will sneak on "Imperishable Gains of the War," and review the work accomplished during the past year. Dr. Erwin will take as' his subject "The Remaining Task," and deal with the work still to be accomplished. Tho Revs. J. Faterson, H. Johnson,. S. Lawry, and R. Gebbio will also take part. The special hymns including Kipling's Recessional and Bishop Boyd Carpenter's "0 God, Our Strength.". The, residents of Riccarton are reGueeted to attend the meeting in tho Barracks at 8.30 p.m. A similar request is made to members of the Victoria League. A natriotic meeting will be held at the Lvttelton Borough Council Chambers at 4 o'clock this afternoon, instead of 8 p.m., as previously announced. The alteration will enablo tho Lyttelton people to attend the City meeting ot 8.30 p.m. At the request of the Mayor of New Brighton, the Revs. H. H. Mathias . (Anglican), P. T. Harris (Methodist), and J. Tennent (Presbyterian), havo made arrangements for a United Service for Intercession to bo held in the Preubyterian Hall this evening, the; anniversary of the declaration of war against Germany. A collection will be taken up, which, after payment _ of necessary expenses, will be handed over to the Canterbury Patriotic Fund. The resolution reoommended by the Government to be passed expressing determination to continue to a victorious end the righteous war in which the Empire is at present engaged, will be submitted to tho burgesses at the conclusion of the service. The Mayor, of Sumner (Mr J. B. Laurenson) has arranged the following for the patriotic meeting to be held /in the Sumner Town Hall to-day:—A parade o? the local unit of the fi.D.C. will be held, and the corps, headed bv the brass .band, will march to the Town. Hall, where the parents of some at the front will be accom- . modated on the stage, together with the returned soldiers. The clergy of .the district will .be present, including the Rov. Mackenzie Gibson, from Trontham, and special prayers will be offered. Patriotic will be sung, find the Declaration Day resolution irabmitted to the meeting.' A patriotic demonstration by the people of the Rangiora Boroush and Counties will bo held at. the Drill Hall, - BaiMciora, to-night. There will be a ! . band and military narado at 7.30 "o'clock, and tho- meeting will commence at 8. A collection will be made in aid of the Lady Liverpool .Fund. the public meeting special services of intercession will be held in the churches. ' <

The attitude adopted by the majority: •of headmasters and teachers of tho pubno schools' in Christehureh in regard to Declaration Day' has in somo quarters been- interpreted to .mean that the scholars ore to. be giv'en a holiday, but finch is not tho case—-the teachers recognwe that if that were done the true significance of the day wonld not bo impressed on the child mind. Thero■t 5? as eon decided to give a short lecture to the scholars before commencing the dnv's work, and then to proceedwith tho ordinary school routine. Owine to the monster meeting in Christehureh, the Mayor of. Woolston has cancolled tho demonstration set •down for thft Oddfellows' Hall to-night. This evening, at 8 o'clock, the Salvatioii Army will hold a special meeting at Lyttelton when the following resolution mil be passed by those present:— "That on this anniversary of the declaration of a righteous war this meeting of the citizens of Lyttelton records its inflexible, determination to continuo to a victorious end the striigdo in maintenance of those ideals of liberty and justice which are tho common and sacred cause of the Alli.ts." The meeting will bo conducted by Major New by, , Provincial Commander of the Salvation Army, assisted by Staff-Captain Gunn, There will be present Adjutant Macaulay, trade manairer for th.s South Island, and Adjutant Wellington Young People's Provincial t?ocretary. Captain McKenzie. Officer Cominnmling "tho Lyttelton Corps, will also be pr<?s?nt, and is anxious that tho citizens of Lyttelton should come forward -and assist in ■tho passim; of th;> resolution. Prayers will bo offered during the meeting for the success of Great Britain and hor Allies.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE TRESS." Sir, —To-morrow (Wednesday) has been lixed upon as n day of general intercession by a large number of Christian churches, for the purpose of interceding to Almighty God for « speedy conclusion of this terrible world war, and lor a victory for the cause of right v. might, for justice for Ifce v- v.ik and down-trodden, and for the utter defeat of the nation of darkness and frightfuluejs, that has shown ij.sclf so prominently during the year just closing. It is right and meet that all Christian people of all denominations should take part in this? day' 3 special ccrvices, and show by their actions that they believe what they profess. But my object in writing those few lines is to appeal to those in authority over the many • place® of amusement in and around . the city, ' that they show their sympathy m this movement by closing down entirely on "Wednesday, ar.d thus ahbist in making the day of interceshion a reai hearty one ..." It ..will be unseemly, if not a mockcry, if some sacrifice is not made." If, ' on ono hand, a section of the com- — mnnity arc on their knees, or their innermost thoughts in tune with the

Infinite, whilst the picture shows and dancing halls, ctc., are crowded witli unthinking and irreligious people. This is a time to he awake to , the awfulness of what might bo if the powers of darkness, represented by Germany, should obtain a victory over the Allies. It makes one shudder at the utter recklessness of the who throng the uightiv amusements —it likens one to being on the blink ol a_ bursting volcano, and many arc like Nero, who 13 reputed to have fiddled whilst the city was burning. It is surely time that we were in earnest and aroused from our in matters, and this day of intercession >s the one thing to bring us to remembi a nee.—Yours, etc., _ R.M.B. Linwcod, August 2nd. TO THE EDITOR OF "THE TRESS.'* sir, —I am ftlad to see 'n to-day's paper .A. 11. Cole's letter regarding the Caledonian Society and the day of intercession. Truly, I am ashamed of my country men and women, to think of colebrai.iiig the declaration of war by music and dar.cir.g. when our brothers are bleeding on the battlefield for lis. It is just about as had as the Kaiser giving 'the school-children a holiday over the sinking of the Lusitania. If wo cannot go to their assist ance, surety the next best thing is to pi ay for them, and make declaration day a day of special intercession. So, d'vn't you think it is a little incongruous to up with a dance? It really seems as if some of us were not awake to the real fact yet. —Yours, ctc A SCOTCH WOMAN. August 3rd.

PROCEEDINGS IN PARLIAMENT.

(special to "the press.") WELLINGTON, August 3. la the Houso of Representatives today, in rei>ly to a (jucstion by Sir. Joseph Ward, whether anything would be done by Parliament in the way of expressing a determination to" see tho war through to a finish, on the occasion of the anniversary of the declaration of .war. the Prime Minister said that m accordance with his suggestion, local bodies throughout New Zealand intended to move puch a resolution. Ho proposed that Parliament should meet in the afternoon to-morrow, when a similar resolution would bo passed. The House would not sit in the evening.

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. PRAYERS FOR SPEEDY AND COMPLETE VICTORY. The following letter has been sent by his Grace Archbishop Redwood to the clergy of his Archdiocese: — Rev. Dear Father, —Sunday, August Bth, hxm been chosen as Intercession Day in this Dominion, on account of the great European war. Accordingly, we enjoin that,- in all the churches and public oratories of the Archdiocese, the last Mass shall be celebrated for the intentions of the conflict, namely, that the gracious and merciful Almighty may vouchsafe to grant to tho brave and heroic armies of the Allies a speedy and complete victory. Also at Benediction, after the O Salutaris, the Litany of 1 the Blessed Virgin shall be either recited or sung. The clergy are exhorted to jut this matter forcibly before their "congregations in order to stimulate their ruety, patriotism, and fervour. ■ Yours faithfully in Christ, FRANCIS REDWOOD, S.M., Archbishop of Wellington., The Archbishop preached a powerful and impressive sermon in the Basilica on Sunday, in the course of. which he said:— "Now, this is a struggle that must be followed up to the bitter end. It must be a fight to a finish. Either the German Empire, or the British Empire must go down. . . . If anything could prove that this war was not brought about by England and France it would be the fact of their uimreparodness. There was no better proof of the fact that the war was brought about by Germany than the fact that she was fully prepared." His Grace went on to suggest that the war had bean allowed by Almighty God in order to flactellate those nations which had neglected or broken His laws, and in doing so used one nation as His instrument, but after th'at flagellation had ceased we could only hope that full retribution would be demanded for the inhuman methods adopted by His instruments. "Christianity is at stake," he went on to say. "Truth is at stake. True civilisation is at stake; and we have to contend for the victory on the side of right, on the side of truth, on the side of justice, and on the side of civilisation. This war is the greatest crisis that has eve/ happened in the history of the* British Empire, and we must use all our powers to crush our mighty enemy. We must recoil from no sacrifice," and his Grace added a fervent appeal to Catholics to pray for the success of the Emuire's arms. "Remember," he said, "that they are fighting for you. that,they are fighting for your freedom, your liberty, your prosperity. Pray not only for thoso who fight, but for those who have fallen. No matter how negligent they may have been in other matters, they made the great sacrifice."