P.P.A.

Evening Star, Issue 16778, 5 July 1918, Page 7

P.P.A.

BRANCH FORMED AT MORNINGTON, A meeting was held m the Methodist Hall at Moruington last night to comiuer tho question of forming a branch of tho Protestant Political Association. Theie was a fair attendance. Air J. Patton preSU A J member oi the audience raised the | point whether there was any foundation the rumor that Mr Massey who was a member of the Loyal Orange Lodge, ot which tho association was an ottsl oot. was behind the association tor political pu ; poses. The reason given by the questions ; was that there was a feeling among_ a sec- ; tiou of the public that while they ' e i sympathetically disposed to the n3M)l r and its aims and objects they could not join it if this rumor wore correct. Tho Secretary of the Dunedin Lentie (Mr Miuflinl stated that this was not correct. as tho association would support candidates whoso views com'orined with tno constitution of the association, mysiwc.ive ot whether they were Reform, Lioernl, ol Labor. Thev hoped to nave at least one Labor representative from Dunedin m tho House alter next General Election. the association did not stand for party. Inc local centre had set itself the tasic of forming branches throughout Otago. Nest month the £IOO,OOO campaign would begin, and Southland had guaranteed r.nd he was satisfied that Otago would not bo behind Southland. (Applause.) The Rev. W. Greenslade delivered an address. He said ho desired to dissociate himself from any indiscretions committed by the national lecturer (tho Rev. Howard Elliott). He felt that in the eyes of some people tho association had been almost damned from the beginning, but they could not fit aad out of it because oi the mistakes 0 £ the lecturer. Other institutions had been formed, but they did not stand out of them because they did not altogether approve of some of the statements of the leaders of these institutions. Ho had felt that there was a need for some such association as this, as the war had taught one great lesson, and i£at was a need for unity. He valued the right to think, and ho believed that tho time was ripe for the Protestants of this country to come together as one united body, so that they could demand what they felt was their right and their due. If Mr Massey was going to tty to run the association ho would withdraw from it. Times of great stress were times of great opportunity, and blr Massey had not'risen to tho occasion as he might have done. The Rev. W. Trotter said ho saw great possibilities for the association. Ho felt in sympathy with any movement that would tend to counteract tho political bill nonce of the Roman Catholic Church. The time bad certainly come when, they ought to impress that upon the public. jt was decided that a branch of idea association be formed, but that the nun ter of electing a Local committee bo deferred until a future meeting.