Page 5 Advertisements Column 7

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 2474, 14 October 1922, Page 5

(Published by Arrangement.) THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND PROHIBITION. (To the Editor N.Z. Times.)' Sir,' —On my return from Auckland my attention is called to the fact that His Grace Archbishop Redwood has taken exception to a reported statement of mine in the Town Hall (Wellington), on Sunday, September 10, to the effect that "the clergy and the laity of the Roman Catholic Church are combining to assist in the movement (in favour of Prohibition).” I note that His Grace hastened to state that such assertions were entirely devoid of truth. Will you, therefore, permit me to give some of the facts on which my statement is based, for they serve to provide the foundation of the announcement I made. First, let me say that during many of ray 30 years’ life in New Zealand I have not been aware of any Catholic priest or layman who has taken an active part in the work for the abolition of the liquor traffic. But, during the last few years I have had association with several laymen of the Church, who have been active and enthusiastic in the cause of Pronibition. Over three years ago Bishop Cleary, of Auckland, made public, through the diocesan paper, “The Month,” not only that h$ was a believer in Prohibition, but also that the members 01! the Catholic Church were perfectly free to vote on this issue as their judgment and conviction decided. His Lordship further devored such advocacy to this cause a 3 showed him to be in hearty and sincere 00-operatiou, with other citizens in seeking hid weaker brethren’s good. Since then I have had the pleasure of meeting in prohibition conferences with both priests and laity of the Catholic Church In Canada and U.S.A. Again, the day before I made this announcement in the Town Hall, I was introduced by a Catholic layman to Father Zurcher, of U.S.A., and was informed that he had come to New Zealand on the invitation of members of his Church to tell the facts of Prohibition to the people of his own Church In particular and the public generally of New Zealand. Then, on Wednesday last, Rev. Father Wright, of Auckland, -was on the platform in a crowded meeting in the Town Hail seated next the Ven. Archdeacon Murray, of the Anglican Church, and other ministers and laymen of various churches, who gathered to welcome Mr W. E. ("Pussyfoot") Johnson to New Zealand, and, in a stirring speech, Father Wright moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Johnson for hi" telling speech, and expressed a hope that Prohibition -would be carried at the next poll. I conclude, therefore, that I have good ground for my statement that the clergy and laity of the Roman Catholic Church are combining to assist the movement in favour of Prohibition. May I further say, notwithstanding the announcement of His Grace the Archbishop, that he and his clergy "have always been strenuous and consistent opponents of Prohibition," 1 hope and pray that, with the increasing testimonies of science, and the sad experiences of life, together with the fuller realisation of the brotherhood of man, we shall have the joy of fellowship of the whole Church of God in this humane cause of emancipation from the legalised beverage traffic In intoxicants..—Thanking you for this opportunity of giving the reason of my statement. JOHN DAWSON, General Secretary N.Z. Alliance, Wellington, Sept. 18.

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