THE CITY'S RELIGION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3087, 18 May 1917, Page 6

THE CITY'S RELIGION

DR. GIBB AND THE UNITARIANS CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSION. It is aucient history now that there was a littlo trouble about the exclusion l'rom tho Anzac service of the K-ev. Mr. Hale, minister ol the Unitarian Church in Wellington. The Mayor made reference at the City Council meeting last night to the charges made against him in connection with the affair. At tho previous Anzac commemoration service, held in 1916, he said, the position he luul taken up was the ouitcome of what was decided at the meeting by which the Patriotic Committee was formed two nights war was declared. When that meeting came to consider the nomination of a committee to deal with religious functions, he said to the clergymen present that he could not undertake to organise the religious communities, ami that this should be the duty of the clergy themselves. When there was to be a divine service he put himself into communication with iiisuop fcprott, Archbishop O'Shea, and Dr. Gibb (who was the president of tho Council of the Churches, a body embracing, lie understood, all non-Anglican denominations;. Dr. Sprott and Dr. Gibb organised a service, and it was a very good service. This year he followed the sauio procedure. A day or two niterwarus he received a communication from Mr. Hale, of tho Unitarian Church, to the eflect that he had not been invited to the service. lie (the Mayor) said that tlie instruction'ho had given to the council officer responsible for the issue of the invitations was that he should, by reteience to the Directory, send invitations to the ministers of all religious demonillations. The invitations were sent out rather late, ou the Monday preceding the service, which was held ou Wednesdav, and before his invitation reached him Mr. Hale wrote the letter'. When he (the Mayor) received the letter he Bent it 011 without comment to Dr. Gibb. Subsequently Mr. Hale wrote again and it was evident from his letter that there was some friction between Dr. Gibb and himself. He (the Mayor) asked Mr. Hale not lo make any public statement of his complaint until after the service was .held. This Mr. Hale agreed to do, and liis. action 111 this regard was worthy of corn nidation. Hie Mayor said that if he had done anything that was not in keeping with, religious etiquette he had done it in-in-nocence. As Mayor lie did not discriminate as between religious bodies. Councillor A. R. Atkinson said that while he was prepared -to acquit the Mayor entirely of any desire to do anything contrary to the harmony of denominations, lie did not see how the Mayor, or lie himself as councillor, could escape responsibility concerning the Anzac service. It was sound doctrine that the council must not discriminate as between denominations, and if it mu6t not do this as the council it was wrong in discriminating by deputy. The authority given must be revoked before another memorial service was to be held. ■ The Mayor: I am wise after the eTent, as well as you. Councillor Barber said lie agreed that no denomination should be excluded from a civic service, and lie hoped that it would not occur again, because of "the outrageous puritanism of the Presbyterian parsons." Tho city must not submit to such coercive conduct as had been exhibited. He hoped that nothing of the sort would ever happen again.

Councillor M'Kenzie suggested that in future the conduct of these civic services be handed over to the military chaplains. He offered to movo to this effect, but the Mayor would not accept k resolution.

Councillor Fitzgerald ! supported the views of other speakers that there should be 110 exclusion in future of any relifious sects from a commemoration servico under the auspices of the city.

Th» Mayor, in reply, said that he had nothing to regret, and if councillors would judge him in the'light of free knowledge instead of with "twisted imagination," they would see that he had done nothing iTTong. He was sorry that the trouble "liad arisen; and he would do Ms best 7iot to allow a, similar trouble to arise again.