TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16396, 16 December 1918, Page 8

TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THJB PRESS."

I Sir, —I have read with pain and inI dignation the report in your issue of the 14th inst. of the meeting of tho Board of GovernQgs, held on the 13th inst., and in which I read for the first i time the so-called "prayer" which has been the subject of so much discussion. I may premise the following remarks by stating that I have known Mr George Scott for many years as one of our ablest and most enterprising public men, and as a man well known in private life for his liberality and benevolence. The director of the College, Mr is also well known, not only for his conspicuous ability as a teacher, but for generosity and other virtues in private life. I think it desirable to say this much about tho gentlemen referred to lest it might be supposed that I am advocating the cause of , Mr Marriner against them. For tho latter I hold _no brief, nor is he aware that I am writing this letter. At the same time. lam of opinion, that he deserves the thanks of tne community for calling attention to a form of so-called "prayer"* which has been in vogue at thfe Technical College for a considerable period, with, it is presumed, the of the Board of Governors. I can readily understand that, having regard to the hfgh estimation in which the director is deservedly held, it may have happened that the members of the Board nave not troubled' themselves to look into the question of the "prayer" as closely as they other-, .wise would have done. The consequence is that the "prayer" referred to is reat} out to the pupils at the termination of each day's work. As the full text of the "prayer'' appears in your issue of the 14th inst., I .desire, with your kind permission, to direct attention to. only one passage, which reads as follows: "Grant that . . . we may live together in trust and fellowship, following in all things the standard of the Son of Man. . Whom we have denied, and put to shame and crucified again from the Calvary of pnr battle-ground." Now, Sir when I think of the galaxy of brave boys, of all classes and of all creeds, who have left these shores, thousands of whom were trained at their mothers' knee to reverence and follow in the footsteps of their Great Exemplar, and who have fought f*r the rights and freedom, not of the Empire alone, but of the whole world': when I think of those noble hearts, thousands of tliem as brave and as true as ever couched lanco in the days of old for the recovery from the Tnrk of the Holy Sepulchre: when I think of such spir'ts being falsely accused of having denied their Lord and Master, my heart burns with indignation. Amongst the many black and foul things that the Huns have perpetrated there appears to me to be "nothing that exceeds in refined and Satanic cruelty this devilish imprecation (miscalled a prayer} which, by direct implication, is a libel on the noble dea' 1 and an insult to the living. Again I ■wish to emphasise that I do riot for a moment think that either the Board of Governors or the director have been aware of the infamous wrontr to the dead and to the living, which is embalmed in the so-called "prayer," but now that they must lx» fully aware of it. and how it hurts, I tnisrt that the unclean thing will be speedily removed. Just one word' more respecting the authorship of the "player." We are told that the author was, or is, chaplain to the King. 0? e could say a pood deal on the subject, but I "will content myself with remarking that the race of apostate sycophants does not appear to be yet extinct—Vonn etc., A FERGUSON. Canterbury Ckb. Christchurch. 3>ecember 15th.

TO THK EDITOR OF "THE msSS.** Sir,—ln common with the majority of the citizens of this city, I -was strongly opposed to the action of the Technical College when it first decided to give one of its officers, who had been guilty of breaking the military law, leave of absence, but that mistake has •now been rectified, and it seems to me that in pursuing the matter further Mr llarriner, consciously, or. unconsciously, is exhibiting that intolerant Prussian spirit which he has for the past fc/ar years professed to abhoT. Let us be latriotoc "by all means, but let us not ] be ramd with it. —Yours, etc., aNTI-PBtUBSLINISM.

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Mr Richard C. Dixon has been elected unopposed for the £yre Riding of the Eyre County Council. Colonel Creswell, Father McCarthy, Fither Buckley, Mr Andrew Anderson, and Mr C. M. Luke wor© among the passengers by yesterday's ferry stoamer from Wellington.

Captain T. J. Rowley, N.ZJXC., Feat hers ton, left for England by the Paparoa last week, to assist in dental work on New Zealand troops prior to embarkation.

The Rev. John Reid, who for tho past eight or nine months has been in charge of the Gonville Methodist Church, has resigned for the purpose of takinf up individual work under the Y.M.C.A.

At the last meeting of the Board of Directors of the Southland Frozen Meat and Export Company, Mr W. Cochrane, secretary, was appointed manager, vice Mr J McQueen, who has resigned through ill-health. Mr Cochrane has been 21 years with the company.

After almost 46 years of service in the Union Bank of Australia, Mr F. T. Morgan, manager of the Gisborne branch, will retire early next year. He has been given six months' leave, commencing on February lltli, which will complete his term of service up to the retiring ago. Mr Morgan went to Gisborne in IS3I as accountant in tho Bank, and was appointed manager 27 years'ago, a position which he has filled ever since. He will be succeeded by Mr Lawford, of Dannovirke.

The Hon. G. AV. Russell, Minister of Public Health, and Minister of Internal Affairs, arrived from Wellington, bv yesterday's ferry steapaer. He told a "Press" representative last night that he had come to Christchurch "for a rest." He intended, therefore, to deal with nothing but urgent business, and would only attend at the Government Buildings for an hour each afternoon. He would return to Wellington at the end of the week.

According to the Dunedin correspondent of the Auckland "Herald," the Primate of Now Zealand, Dr. S. T. Nevill, has not yet received Dr. Cecil Wood's resignation as Bishop of Melanesia. He was very much surprised to read the message telegraphed, as it was a most unusual procedure for the staff to suggest the resignation of a bishop. It was possible Bisnop Wood's resignation would not be accepted, but that could not be decided before it was received.

The Rev. F. Greenwood, Methodist minister, of Balclutha, who came to New Zealand from Queensland two years ago, has found it necessary for family reasons to return to. Queensland. Tho president of the • Conference has therefore appointed as supply for the remainder of the connexial year the Rev. Harold T. Peat, of Rotorua, who for nearly two years has rendered valuable service as chaplain to the Expeditionary Forces, both in Trentham and in France. He returned to New Zealand in October last, invalided home owing to nerve strain. The voyage and subsequent rest have restored his health.

A very successful function was held on Friday afternoon at the Fire Underwriters' Association's rooms, to bid farewell to Mr G. Kerruish, manager of the Queensland Insurance Co., who has been promoted to the position of manager of the Perth branch of the company. Mr H. P. Hopkins, vicechairman of the Association, presided, and there was a very large attendance of representatives of insurance companies. Mr Kerrnish was presented with a handsome suit-case, and was handed a silver manicure set for Mrs Kerruish. Very complimentary remarks were made with reference to the ability and courtesy shown by Mr Kerruish during the seven years of nis residence Christchurch, together with expressions of regret at his departure and best' wishes for his future success.