CAMBRIDGE DISPUTE

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 May 1934, Page 2

CAMBRIDGE DISPUTE

DEPOSED VICAR’S LETTERS [special to “star.” I CAMBRIDGE. May 16. Over 75 parishioners were present, last night, at. the annual mooting of St. Andrew's parish. Bisho]) Gherrington as acting vicar presided. Following the proposing of a. motion that the meeting approve the action of the Bishop in declaring the living of St. Andrew's vacant ( and removing the Rev. G. Gordon Bell from office. Mr. D. H. Dallimore, treasurer, traced the history of the parish troubles. He said ■ that the majority of the parishioners were in the dark as to the real reasons for declaring the living vacant. It was time they did know. All along. Mi. Bell had foolishly maintained he was the victim of a devilish scheme of cunning and treachery. He had accused the Bishop, the officers of the church, and even financial magnates of conspiring to get. him out of the parish and also out of the country. Mr. Bell had threatened to make disclosures that would shake the church, and even the State. Mr. Bell had written to all sorts of people and the result of his writings was that it had became necessary to call on the Bishop to take action. The final upshot was that the living was declared vacant and Bell was removed from office. Mr. Dallimore read a number of extracts from letters written by Mr. Bell to prominent commercial men in Auckland. The extracts showed that he had asked in extraordinarily dramatic fashion for general assistance for the parish. The motion supporting all the Bishop’s actions was carried unanimously. Interviewed this morning, Mr. Bell reiterated that it is. his intention to endeavour to obtain from higher authorities in the church, answers to the arguments he. had presented against the Bishop’s action, and meanwhile, he will carry on.