CATHEDRAL FOR WELLINGTON

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3149, 30 July 1917, Page 7

CATHEDRAL FOR WELLINGTON

Sny-In tho present flow of correspondence that is appearing in the Press on the abovo subject, there seems to bo a lot of misconception of tho status of cathedrals 1 wish to point out t;,at if tho piTeont proposal is given effect to it should bo known that the officiating clergy oi tho cathedral will 6till bo Iho ministers of St. Mark's parish. No doubt Hio cathedral will have a tendency to draw somo worshippers from other of th(! city churches, but it thould be laid down in tho statutes governing tho cathedral that the ministers attached to Inn cathedral shall not have the rMit of parochial ministrations outside of their own boundary, except of course with the consent of the particular minister of such parish or district: This should clear away any tendency that some of ihe correspondents seem to bo afraid ..f. But then quite a number havo raised the question of the advisability of a cathedral at all. To my mind it seems to be a very peculiar position for the Bishop of Wellington not to have a cathedral I think it will be found that Wellington was an exception, if not the fuly exception, in this respect. I think it will Ire found that few bishoprics in the Anglican communion aro without a cathwtral. homo few years ago threo of the dioceses in Scotland wero without cathed-lils namely, Glasgow, Brechin, and Aberdeen. These three dioceses felt the ..ant of such, and overcame tho difficulty of raising three of their churches to the status of cathedrals, but each had some fine churches to do this with, whereas Wellington has none Then the •lmaricau Church has been building cathedrals. Ono of the finest was recently built in Washington. Liverpool built one a low years ago, and Belfast quite -ccentlv did tho same, although tho Bishop of flown, Connor, and Dromore had at least two ancient cathedrals. Suiroly the Church in Now Zealand can do likewise, if only in honour to the former and present Bishops of Wellington. I notice that a correspondent in your evening contemporary, signing himself "Economist," says that "the Presbyterians and Methodists can rub along without thorn." That may bo true as regards Not' Zealand, but it should be noted that/the

Presbyterian Church in Scotland has a number of cathedrals—St. (iileVs in : l-diu.bu.rjjh, and St. Mungo's in Glasgow —and tu the Presbyterians' credit be it told that within recent rears they have restored St. Columbas's "in iona, mid more recently Dunblane Cathedral lias been restored, after being a rum for many years. It may bo news to "Economist" that at tlio Disestablishment of the Episcopal Church in Scotland by William HI in lcsci a u her ancient cathedrals wero .Winded over to tho Presbyterian form of worship, and they still retain theso cathedrals; and if in.y memory serves me right, tiiero was added to St. Giles's after the .South African war a memorial to the men w'ho had fallen. It was J.amed the Knights of the Thistle Chapel. I remember seeing the description of it, and it seemed to be a very beautiful structure. Surely in honiur. to the men from New Zealand who liavo fallen in the present world war they deserve a lasting memorial, and vhat more fitting than a place in the proposed cathedral, Finally, those who are opposed to the schemo have, the remedy in their own- hands. Those who wish to support it shall have the right to do so. Some'' would like to curtail that right. "They should remember the story of the "fox and the grape*."—l am, etc., THOS. M. MILLIGAN. ■ July 28, 1917. Sir,—This is & great step Wellington contemplates,in providing a lit dwellingplace for its Anglican soul, and ono also for its Catholic soul. But why, with many glorious sites overlooking seal and city, should wo hide them in (he out-of-the-way arid hidden Basin? Surely one lesson should Kuifioc—Government House. Wellington k oftoil compared with Naples. But that out' 'hills are almost ; bare of- noble trees arid noble bmldiiigs, Wellington is the more beautiful; cleaner, sweeter, and altogether more desirable. Let ns build our finest structure on Iho hills facing sea and sky, and open to the four winds of heaven; tho first welcome to the traveller from tho ends of Iho earth., the last farewell (o our sons adventuring afar. From the misty dawn let it shine in the first stimrays, and set its storied windows and jewelled, walls blazing in the sunset. It -will lose :ts soul—its grandest significance—in a hol6 in the earth. Every morning I would wake and see if. gleaming in the mist or pointing heavenward through mist Aiul storm. From tho business view, there are sites, acres and acres in Kelbiirn, Mount Victoria, and Oriental Bay to be had for the exchange. Tho cathedral should have just as many acres as am necessary for its being set in t.hs best ellviroilliie.it; (hey are .freo to all and will be beautified. Then the present proposed sites should be added to the Basin Reserve, .with the intervening street. A. few minor financial adjustments will bo necossn.-y, and if it is illegal to put these buildings on Town Belt or Reserve, tho will of the people is the ultimate law! The wasto of our Town Belt is a scandal; sooner or later some strips of land must be acquired, and a drive made from Wadestown to tho hills overlooking Island Bay and back through the hills overlooking Evans Bay, over Mount Victoria, and Orient nl Bay to Ilosoneath. This road must bo planted and beautified, and lead to, or through, the cathedral grounds; then Wellington's citizens will get some idea of tho beauty of their city.. Tram and road to Newtown, Berhampore, Island on the eastern side, would lose urbs should run straight through the Basin Reserve, wTiich, having gained land on -ho eastern side, would lose nothing. Newtown and all these suburbs would rise in value and thousands of people and ' onr trams would be saved these vexatious corners. The higher land on the western side of the Basin should be a children's garden and pla.vgrnu.iid. Let. us hope it will not be supposed necessary to re-erect that, ugly and barbarous tin fence round the Basin Reserve. It makes one think tho authorities fear tho citizens will catch a glimpse of their own green lawns and garden. Sell the fence, use hurrica.no netting, and creepers and roses. liiinancially. this cutting out the- four corners and bends at the Basin Reserve would save Wellington and its citizens ,£20,000 a year, so the whole thing would pay. It is curious that with the awakening of Wellington to its l.esthetio and spiritual needs there should have been discovered close by a stupendous body of -solid grey nrgillito stone— the stone preferred by great architects for the body of fine buildings, as its weight-carrying capacity is undoubted; its weathering quality assured, and its neu.tral colouring is constant, presenting a perfect background for scroll work, medallions, busts, statuary, etc. The discovery includes almost ns great a quantity of jasperoid 'nrgillito, a rich red stone with beautiful blue and green markings, such as would make glorious pillars, otc. This particular discovery was also niado forty years ago by. the then Government Geologist, and recommended for this purpose and duly pigeonholed. Here a'so there has just been discovered a great body of dead black stone. Perhaps most interesting of all is Jie reef next to the jasperoid argilhte. A true jasper, the precious stone of all others preferred by the builders of the Christian era for the embellishment ot the great world cathedrals. Again, a reef of black jasper, a glorious rich purple stone, mottle-streaked and veined with every known colour, and an outcrop from this reef of an entirely now sort of variegated jasper and pormiyry, seventy feet wide in all, of unknown depths', but tested to forty foot, running from the shore right to the top of the Bed Rock Hill. This will be valuable tot only four our country and our cathedrals, but for the cathedrals of Europe, sacrificed by the Hun. One.architect has already stated his belief that this, great jasperoid will lead to the establishment of Wellington's biggest industry. rTew Zealand should dare to striko out on the bravest and most original lines. I well believe that if Mr. .T. S. Swan were of-, fered a paramount fite .he would cheerfully scrap his own and his staff's twelve months' work and evolve an even nobler building, which the finer f-ito would permit and would demand. Though Ido not know Mr. Peck, I feel that the same remarks would apply to the pupil of his great master.

One of' Wellington's great heritages is its Town Belt. Yet that is mostly wasted. Few people knew its boundaries; few roads lead to it. Opened up, it would show us the beauties of ou>r city. Reasonable people should not object to its being used for cathedral sites, especially if more valuable land is added (o the city reserves, in exchange wholly or partly. For the lands and buildings are still opon to the public, beautified and dignified. One of our best reserves is occupied by a private bowling • green, with a very unarchitectural club structure. We are ail growing older, and if we do not awake, wo will pass away beyond with nothing done. Gcod luck, I say, to tin's bold scheme, and may the site be ns hold and commanding as tho conception.—l am, etc., CITIZEN.