LATE MAJOR HOULKER

Nelson Evening Mail, 5 August 1916, Page 7

LATE MAJOR HOULKER

MEMORIAL TABLET UNVEILED AT CATHEDRAL. A ibrass tablet in; memory of the late Major James Houlker was unveiled' in the Cathedral yesterday evening in the presence of a .large congregation. T'he. ceremonv was performed by Bishop Sadlier at the request of the vicar (Rev. Dr. Weeks) on behalf of the Cathedral authorities. After the unveiling, the hymn-, "Foi' all the saints who from their labours rest," was sung. The tablet bears the following inscription : In Memory of James Houlker, 8.A., LL.B., Major, Canterbury Infantry, New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Died 10th August-, 1915, from wounds received in action at Gallipoli. All power and honour we ascribe To Thee, who only makest brave. This tablet is placed here by his friends as a lasting remembrance of itgood citizen and 'gallant soldier.

T'ho Bishop, in 'the course of an address, said that at the close of a day memorable in our history as an Empire, and fittingly observed within the walls of that Cathedral as a day of unbroken prayer, they had not met to unveil a tablet in memory of one of their fellow-Churchmen and fellow-citizens. It was necessary to remind themselves of the personality'of the man ill memory j of whom the. tablet was erected. As a r boy 'he (grew up in this city, and attended* Nelson College. In all their intercourse with hkni he was found to be always ready to speak and always ready to act on behalf of the boyhood of their country . Aa a. public school boy he was proud of his school. Moreover, his school took a pride in him, and it was not the .least part of the memorial which was unveiled that evening, 1:01- was it the least pleasurable part, to know that his memory would be handed down by means of a prize which had been founded by his friends in memory of him. As he passed from school to the University of New Zealand to prepare lor \ his professional life. Major Houlker made a great decision'. It was possible for a man in those days to qualify for a profession and to do nothing more. But he determined, in his ideal of the calling which lie had chosen, to bring to its practice a cultivated mind and an education which would enable him, if God so permitted, to realise his highest ideals. And so from school he passed to Canterbury College and graduated in the arts school and then passed on to the law school, and obtained his degrees in both. As he settled down to the life of a citizen he foresaw what it could be wished that more of their young men had foreseen—that the day might come when God would call him to defend his country with his life, and as he prepared for years beforehand for the practice of a noble profession, so he prepared (beforehand' for the call that eventually came to him, as a soldier. He was full of enthusiasm for h : s country, and some of them would remember that when, the war broke out he was anxious to nlace his services at the dis no sal of the Empire. There were some delays and some disappointments, but everyone sympathised' w'th him in the desire of his heart. The time came when he was called uri, and he passed on to a battlefield which would live in the annals of British history, and there, he received the wounds from which he •subsequently died. There was a dearth of news about- him for a time, but when it came it told' that James Houlker had died as a Christian and as a soldier. There was an aspect of his life which he did not obtrude on' the notice

of.his fellow men. but. those who were ,mw) mUm-aileiy associated with :the religious lit".--, of this city knew hmv deep and how sincere were his convictions as n. Churchman. He was an attendant fit the Cathedral; he devoted his gift of .music to the- service of God in the- choir, and for many years he was the treasurer of one of their Clin ch societies. Religion did not- make him any less a man. Was it not really the completion of his manhood? He was one. of the imost loyal of men, and whilst- they mourned the : r own 'personal loss and sympathised with his kindred in their bereavement, they could not help hut feel that he had left- them all a noble, example as a. professional man, as a soldier, and as a. Christian, in < everything' filled -with, high .ideals, -ind f| never allowing anything to stop: him in i the working of those ideals. In his I closing years', the Bishop added, Raskin •pave utterance to some of the- most profound truths that had even iheen uttered in the English language. One of his writings contained these strangely prophetic, words: —"The great mystery of tho idea of Sacrifice itself, which lias been manifested as one united and solemn instinct by all thoughtful -ind affectionate races since the world' became peopled, is founded on tho secret truth of benevolent energy which 1 all men who have tried' to gain it have learned —that you cannot save men: from death but by facing it for them, nor from sin but by resisting it for them. ■Some day or other—probably nowvery soon, tco probably by heavy afflictions of the State, we shall be taught. that all true good and glory even of this world, not to speak of any that is to come, aroust be bought still, as it always has been, with our toil and with our tears." That 'was the lea-son which impressed them more and more to-day than it did a year ago. that at the basis of everything that was good- there lav vicarious sacrifice. Let who would reject it. let who would deny the fact by living a life contrary to it, but the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ-, which exhibited to thorn the Eternal Sacrifice for others, because more real to them when they saw it shadowed forth in the I. -<■ of a man like Major Honlker. -And the closer they got- to the Cross of Jesus, the closer they would get to that secret which he had learnt and which he demonstrated in his life.

Before the congregation l left the or■gairst (Mr N. R. Williams) playedM a illy "Ma-rche Solenelle." ,