SUNDAY IN CAMP.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 16061, 16 October 1912, Page 2

SUNDAY IN CAMP.

SPIRITUAL SEEDS OF BEALEY FLAT. SUGGESTED RELIEF. Sunday lias temporarily departed from tho six, hundred souls, tunnel workers and others, who make up the colony between Bealey Flat and Cass on tho Midland line, and their lack of spiritual ministration perturbed the Diocesan Synod last night, when Canon Carririgton, in the absence of Canon Sedgwick, moved that the Standing Committee, taking into consideration tho pressing spiritual needs of Bealoy Flat, should be asked to set apart such moneys as will enable a clergyman to pay at least a quarterly visit and to hold Sunday services there. Canon Carrington said that the works at the tunnel had been provided for hy sending the Rev E. K. Mules Up for two years, but at present between Bealoy Flat and Cass there were about six hundred souls, made up of 256 single 'men and about seventy families, without any spiritual ministration whatever, except that Miss Holland, a daughter of the vicar of Kaiapoi. was keeping a day school and also a Sunday school. ' It was suggested that a clergyman should visit the colony about once a fortnight, and Canon Sedgwick had volunteered as one to go.

Archdeacon Elisor said that ho had spent a few days in tho neighbourhood recently, taking his own blankets and putting up at tho hut of one of the workers, and he had found a roil spiritual need and one acknowledged by the young men. By tho help of notices, in the billiard saloon, the smithy and the store he had informed tho little community that Sunday had como to Bealev Flat once more, and that"service would be held. His visit had been appreciated, and the most unlikely folk had bow- e< J him to use his influence to send somebodv up. He could imaorine nothing that would do a run-down clergyman more good than to visit Bealoy Flat, which was not a flat at all, and to enjoy its bracing atmosphere while absorbing fresh vigour in contact with a side of humanity that was not met with in the cities.

Mr T. Hughes said that there could he no more promising ground for church work, and any action would be appreciated. The motion was carried.