CHARITY ART UNION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21225, 4 July 1932, Page 11

CHARITY ART UNION.

CHURCH GAZETTE'S COMMENT

REPLY BY CITY MISSIONER.

"PREFER BLAME TO PRAISE."

" I would regard a vote of censure from the Church Gazette something in the nature of a compliment," said the Rev. Jasper Calder, Anglican city missioner, yesterday, in connection with the comment of the Gazette on his action in promoting an art union to raise funds for his mission work. "Nobody worries about the Gazette, and, personally, I would rather have its blame than its praise, he added.

Mr. Calder said he did not pretend that an art nnion was the best method of raising money for charitable purposes, but it must be borne in mir.id that tha present times were exceptional, and that he could not turn away hungry people because other clergymen did not approve of certain methods. Although he did not resent the criticism of the Gazette, which he considered rather ignorant, he did resent the Church prohibiting a method of gaining income, without providing an alternative. The art union was being run on behalf of the Jasper Calder charity fund, and was handled by members of the trust board, without responsibility to the Church or synod, Mr. Calder said. He felt compelled to accept money from almost any source, in view of the number of cases where help was urgently required. Although ho had never been associated with an art union previously, he felt that to refuse the money would be a greater social wrong than to accept it. He had a "dual personality," inasmuch as he was city missioner and chairman of the trust board, and in that capacity he had agreed to permit an art union to be run on behalf of the fund.

Mr. Calder emphasised the fact that the Clergy Association's resolution was most mildly given, practically every speaker stating he was voting on principle, and applauding the good work of the mission. Archbishop Averill had forwarded him a courteously-worded protest, and he had later explained the position to the archbishop. The amusing feature was the number of devout Anglicans who were purchasing tickets, and he could not see that they would be damned for their action.