ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL SCHEME

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3144, 24 July 1917, Page 6

ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL SCHEME

VIEWS OF CORRESPONDENTS

(To the Editor.)

% r ~ J ! you f i' incli , ncd to ° iTc we sumcient space to reply to tne letter from Interested" in this morning About the architects: I should nc* t'liat I was very pleased to rf-aA tl.a letter. It contains so little arguniunt, and is clearly written so earnestly, that one may reasonably assume that there ia no more argument for it to contain. About the architects: I should not; nave introduced Mr. Clere's name if we had not had so ,much emphasis laid on. the name of another gentleman, a. stranger to the Dominion, as that of the only fitting exponent of the views of th 9 people who have euddenly woko up with the allegation that Wellington vants a; Cathedral. I only wish to point out that Mr. Clere is the diocesan architect by an appointment of many years' standins, and that before anything else iva.i done, it was the business of those who took this scheme in hand to consult Mr. Llero ("Interested" says that Mr. Clew is a gentleman), and to ask him for si design. Aβ eoon as his design or his advice failed to satisfy, it was the bnsiness of the engineers of the scheme to npen a competition-to all Ihe Empire, if they liked. If "Interested" will communicate with me in his own name. T. will name to him ,two gentlemen in New /lealand. both of whom are at least equal, if length of experience in church aichitoctnro makes for analih'cntion, to tW gentleman who ha.s been so linseeminglr dragged into the light on the present occasion. One of the two former rentlemen served many years in Hie office of? , perhaps the most celebrated church architect in the Empire, and the other in the. oßice of a man of very great celebrity indeed as a church architect.

A little point that occurs to me is toask where the subscriptions at present in hand came from. If they came from persons subscribing to the erection of ft building in Taranaki Street they are iiott available to put up a -buildim* on St. Mark's 6ite, without the subscribers" leave.

As "Interested" seems to notice, I feet no trembling of the knees in , ' anproaching , this question: and to be polite to "Interested" I rimy say T am often thankful and usually know what I am thankful: for.—l am, etc., P. V. WATERS. Wellington, July 21, 1917.

Sir,—ln my last letter regarding this Cathedral scheme I described "Humanitas" as an "honest doubter,", and I am. loath to alter that opinion; but his second letter is so grossly unfair that it has shaken my belief in hie capacity for forming an unbiassed judgment on the> question under discussion. Anyone vrho knows the Bishop of Wellington or Mr. Askew will be quite certain that neither of them would for a moment ceunten-' ance such duplicity as that inferred by "Humanitas." Tt is surely possible to disagree with the scheme without at* tributing unworthy motives to its supporters. • .

T.et me assure "X.Y.Z." that lie is quite wrong in giviDg all the credit for the Cathedral scheme to "the Anglican parsons." The Synod—which is composed; of bishops, clergy, and laity—was both, unanimous and remarkably enthusiastic in its approval of the inspiring nronosal placed before Hi em. "X.Y.Z." thinks ifc would be ridiculous to build a memorial cathedral before Hie war is over. But my impression is that the work is not to be commenced until peaco has been restored. It is. however, necessary to make preparations beforehand, and to obtain as many promises or actual -donations a.s possible before the erection oS tfli° building is commenced. The reasonableness of this course is too obvious to need argument. With my whole heart I agree with' "X.T.Z." when he lays stress unon omr eacred duty to five practical a.ssistanco to the men who will come back from the front when victorv has been won—to the sick and wounded and their dependants, aw! tn the dependants of those who'hnvo died for us. But most emphaticallv I contend thai it is the duty of the Government to find all the money that may be required for these tmrpoces. Taxation. o'i thp principle of equality of sacrifice, is the fairest and most effective way of raising whatever amount mar bo neopssary in o v der to enable the SfMra to do its full duty in this respect. The pernile of New Zeilnnd want the Government to act bnldly and fearlessly an rwinls Tv-ir taxation. Oi" - soldiers are p'Ton? life and limb for the Stato as a "•linie, nn<l ; f is th« plainest duty of the State to fulfil ?eneron«ly all its obligations toth»"ie brave men. If is neither risrht nor dignified that the Government should 'rely on nrivate in it, ■mutter of (his kind. This is the view t*ken bv th? Women's National Council, and it is quite certain that puWio oninion has set stron-rlv and unmistakaWv in the sara« direction. ' .

Bnt vt nwe n. di.h- to the d"vl is wit "« to Hip liviif. We have .nil admitted, that it is iimio?sible to oven-estimate onr HpW to flie men who will' upvor eomo Vnck. 'Wo -would cover ourselves wHh shame if wp neglected to prect a suirnMe memorial in rommemoration of t.hpir brave <Ipp<ls. T > n>-.=imo T 'y in such a matter ip withinkahlp. Tt is most fitting that such a memorial should take the form of a qreaf free-will oftVini in token of "in , irrnHtwle. Tt should lip a«O(Matp<l -vith all that is.Tiiirhest ami holiest and beet: and what bettor ronld we An than. . l-o thp sacrifices made, by nnr fallen benie* with the wrifice of thi Son of jrnn. Who died for -us, and taught to to l>? ready to die for oHits,--inst as so many of mir hrave w>ld;prs havp done. I cannot Micve that the AnTlican npon!e of the diocp.=e of Wellintjton will hove much sympathy with the PNijprpstion that this imperative duty In our gallant should b» noetpon»tt till the'more or less distant.fntare. It was for us—for tlv? nrez-ent ceneration— that th?r laid down their lives, and it ia Hie duty, and should bp the nrivilesip. of the prpspnt gpnprafion to prpnt a worthy memorial to perpetuate their memory. . Tt io to h" hoped that the Church anfhnriti"s wil' i:o strp'Tlit on Tvith tlio rnthedral scheme.' If nothin-r is dono till every ijniniMer is satisfind. every flnuMe- co'iv'titml, and all tho lukewarm are converted into enthusiastic supporters of the proposal the day of judgment vill arrive Wore Wellington has an Anglican Cathedral. If the world ha-l li=f(>no<l to thn«p timid and fa.ithle.=s folk whe believe that every sreat adventurn i= floomrfl to failure, mankind would still he !ivin<r in the Stone Arc. Pro-<"-ess would have been impossible.—l am, etc., LATMAN.