CLAUDELANDS ANGLICANS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20130, 15 December 1928, Page 16

CLAUDELANDS ANGLICANS.

Sir, —The little coterie of so-called churchmen in Claudelands that has been tho fons et origo of all the diocesan dissension in tho past and made the Church of England here a by-word and laughingstock throughout and beyond New Zealand—emulating the tailors of Tooley Street, who styled themselves, "We, the People of England"—imagine that they are the representatives and exponents of Anglicanism, when, as a matter of fact, they don't know the first thing about it. Assuming your- report of the meeting at Claudelands last Wednesday night to be correct, from the nature of their remarks it is clear that they are neither loyal churchmen nor true Christians, in that they demonstrated that they are not actuated by any desire to promote the glory of God or the welfare of the Church, but rather by a spirit of vindictiveness toward a man who is head and shoulders above them in culture, intellect, erudition, courage and experience—th 9 Bishop of Waikato. Being hide-bound by their own narrow-minded Puritanism, they are not game to face the bishop in personal and amicable conference with open minds, but prefer to indulge in fatuous ebullitions of "envy, hatred, malice and all uncharitableness." I hold no brief for the bishop, with whom I do not see eye to eye in many things, but, as an Englishman, I like fair play and detest this persistent hitting below the belt, which appears to be the policy of Mr. H. M. Hammond and his satellites. It was a lady—Mrs. Valder—who made the only sensible speech at the meeting, in which she deprecated the gratuitous criticism of the bishop. John W. Wabren. Hamilton, December 14, 1928.