CITY'S SINS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 46, 31 August 1928, Page 9

CITY'S SINS

AUCKLAND'S DAY OF MOURNING AMUSEMENT IN AUSTRALIA (From '-The ,'ost's" Representative.) SYDNEY, 2Srd August. Sydney, which has the imputation of bqiiig tho bad girl of the Commonwealth family, is chuckling over tho Salvation Army's day of mourning for Auckland's sins on 31st August. Auckland alone, it seems, is being singled out for the Army's spectacular lament. There'is to. bo no manifestation o£ grief for the trnnsgrossions of Sydney, .Brisbane, or any oJ: the other big cities in Australasia. A leading Now South .Wales officer of the Salvation Army was asked why Auckland had boon singled out for a day of lamentation, especially in view of tho prevailing idea hero that th.it city was somowhat Puritanical, if anything, in its deportment and bohavioiir. "Well,""ho said, with a broad grin, 'Ut's this way: It's a local affair. Thoy arc opening a. new Army centro there, and arc having a big time genorally." "But what is particularly wrong with Auckland?" he was askeil, "I don't know," ho replied. If Auckland has gone to the '^domniton dogs," and needs a special day of lament for its sins,-Sydney will be interested to know in what particular direction 'it has fallen from grace. It will perhaps bo a crumb of comfort to Auckland to know that it has got quite, a lot of cheap advertisnient but of its day of mourning. One of tho Sydney morning papers, in a sub-leader on the coming lament, states:—r"lf tho Salvation Army could only get the civic authorities of Auckland to co-oper-ato with them, the day of mourning might bo quito an impressivo affair. Tho chances, are that they may oven, unintentionally, add to the gaioty of Kipling's exquisite city. It is interesting to recall that, 300 years ago, a religious sect put tho whole of England in mourning, but with most pooplo the vogue of gloom, as an aid to roligipn, has gone by."