WAR WORK BY ANGLICANS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16946, 7 March 1917, Page 5

WAR WORK BY ANGLICANS

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SOUGHT. , ADDRESS BY ORGANISING SECRETARY. A meeting was held in St. Matthew's Schoolroom last evening to hear an address by Mr R. W. Sinrpson (organising secretary of the Military Affairs Committee) as to the needs of the Church of England chaplains and institutes. Dean Fitchett, who presided, explained that Mr Simpson was goinji through the dominion for the purpose of stimulating interest in and raising funds for the work being clono in the camps at Trentham, and Feathcrston. Mi- Simpson explained hpw and why the Military Aft'ai-'s Committee had been set up, and mentioned tliat in consequence of his appointment lie had left his business for six months and had undertaken tho duties or organising secretary gratuitously. Funds for the maintenance and extension of work at permanent camps, to provide grants for chaplains on active service, and for the support of extra chaplains at home and' abroad', were required. They were thinking of raising £10,020, and he had boon asked why they wanted such a largo sum when the war was practically over. He was not going to say tho war was goiag to bo over this year, and he had received information from tho committee that it was committed to no less a sum than £3000. Thsn there was tho question of making grants to chaplains on active service, and unless this sum was forthcoming thoso grants could not be made. They had 22 chaplains on active service. His (tho speaker's) time was limited to six months for tho whole of New Zealand, and it was necessary that he should have the co-operation of tho clergy and laity. in collecting. Ho pinred liis faith to a pergonal canvass, and he was instituting a system of subscription cares. Ho was frequently told by people that they scarcelv saw tho need for subscribing to this fund, .because the Y.M.C.A. and the Salvation Army wrr" encaged in such work. They said tlmt limy subwribed to these organisations, and that there was no necessity for the Church of England to undertaico the work. He, however, thought it was th-vduty of the Church to do this work, and why should they delegate- it to anyono eke? Many persons admitted that they wero doing good work, but exprosood a preference lor giving to those who wero actually doing work in tho firing line. His reply was to ask them if they had never heard of tho work of tho Giurch Army. It was surprising how little was known of what their Church was doin«in the firing lino. Tho Church Army had hundreds of hats in the camps and "military stations at Homo.. 60 in France had been under shell fire, a large number -under mortar fire, over 50 in Egypt, and others in Salonika, - Mesopotamia., British East Africa, and India. Thoy had raised ovoz £1000, and of this £960 had been banked. In tho event of tho war ceasing and thoro being a surplus, ho had tho assurance of the Military Affairs Committee that not a penny would be deviated from the pnrnoso foj which it had been subscribed: Ho ventured to hopo that would follow the example set by- Canterbury. After i»me conversational discussion it was decided that" Canon Curzon-Sigg'ers Archdeacon Fitchett, and Archdeacon Woodthorpq should meet Mr Simoson on tho following morning and supply him with any information that would assist him in his efforts.