THE P.P.A. MEETINGS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18292, 8 July 1921, Page 2

THE P.P.A. MEETINGS

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Mr Howard Elliott has left Dunedin. Your columns arc furnishing the usual fusillage that follows. The same "brave” tactics are noticeable in co-religionists of Ireland who shoot unarmed or sleeping men. Mr Elliott has made certain statements. They were not made in a corner but in our largest hulls. There is little advantage in statement and counter-statement in a newspaper controversy. If those who attack Mr Elliott believe they have truth on their side they will accept his challenge to debate the questions where the people may hear both cases stated and decide whore truth lies. The P.P.A. makes no bid for special favour. We have no need to fear the light of- investigation. Nothing would do our cause more good than a public discussion by accredited representatives.

One of your correspondents this morning strives to refute the statement that tho Irish question :s a religious question at bottom by naming certain persons classed as Protestants who arc claimed for Sinn Fent. It is argument is futilo to one \vho knows that Home always prefers to use Protestant fingers to get her nuts, when possible, anti also that there have always been Protestants whom Rome has beguiled. Every Roman institution is supported by Prolestant money. By this means Protestants, in ignorance oi their danger and duty, provide considerable sums to keep up Roman convents by sending pupils fer music, etc. To argue that Rom© lias some Protestants who cannot see through her camouflage is bn*, another proof of her subtlety.—l ai.i, etc., S. G. Griffith, President, Otago P.P.A. Dunedin, July 7.

Sir,—ln the latter portion of Father Hum s letter to you on “Catholics’ Privileges, ' ho staled that a iow outers and mysed gave patronage and support 10 tue cause oi sectarian smie and iiaued.

Jt is a \cry vague staiemont, and quite unsupported uy pioot; Put 1 take trom it that, oeeausc j. presided and introduced the ■Kevs. S. G. Grimm and upward Eutott o an Alexandra audience, m me eyes ot me rev, tauter I have been guilty oi tne cuarges lie Jias so bawtty levelled against me.

the Mayor of a counlry town is called upon to uiko tiic chair on an occasions at uiiica j;oiuic;u questions aie being uotut witn. lie jiv.cs so us tilt! represt-iuauvo ot tao ratepayers, wiio in turn represent all snuac.v oi political opinion; anu tne tact tnat no is in ilie cliuir ones not mean tnat he is giving supnon or patronage to tne .spoaucr or ms politics. Uuring tiro last lour years 1 have presided at many poliuca. giiuienngs—Keionn, L.uerai, na-ixuir, —as v.e.i as uv nice.mgs in me interests ol "IJlltrauc and tne prolliDiuon movement. 1 Hav e opened i resoy lenan, Anglican, aaiu rvo.nan vmuuo.ic pazanrs, and have presided at a lecture given uy a Cutnobc priest. Dues catuer arum suggest tnat i gave puvivniage and support to all uu.se'! tie Knows x old not. it i'atner Hunt or any representative ot nis vvomd care to rop.y to me i\ev. riouard El.iuit, i eliouid oe p. eased 10 preside at mo met ting il tiuy ticsireu u; and u it was a wry vo.il mgnt 1 snou.d also oe pieasea to Suf.piy a cup ot tea alter me meeting, us I d.d to the itev. Howard Jil.iott.

rrau X ret used to take the ciiair at the request oi ilio i-.x-kA., X snouid nave lost a.l c.aim to ben.g consistent, and nave ran the risk oi being oranued us a coward —a nosi tion m wmi'll i wouid not place iiiyseli, even ior X'amer XXunt.

Xn conclusion, x won.d like to tell Father Xlmu mat X am responsible to the ratepayers ol Alexandra lor my action, and not lo him.—X am, etc., v\ iLLiAit Black, Mayor. Alexandra, Juiy b.

Sin,—lt is not my custom to reply to correspondents who ambusn in anonymity, but me letter by "Loyal Citizen ’ in your columns oi this morning is such as to call lor a reply. in attacKing the of Dunedin lor presiding at Mr xroward Ebiott’s lecture, your coirespondent cornpans his atiuuoe witn that ot tne authorities at Roxiburgn, who absolutely denied Mr Elliott the use ot the town nab. Xt .s given to some to canonise tnoso wiio serve mem well, and no oouDi the locat aufctiorities will esteem this gracious act on tne part ot "Loyal Citizen." Your readers wib undoubtedly Oe pieased to read wnat "Loyal Citizen’’ thinks oi our civic authorities, and perhaps wib, too, be at least interested to bear wbat the citizens ot Roxburgh themselves think. Assuming this, I pass on the following roso.unon unannnous.y adopted at a public meeting of upwards ot 200 citizens: “'this meeting of residents of Roxburgh and the ’ieviot district, without necessarily identiiying ourselves with the Rev. Howard Elliott or the Protestant Political Association ior expressing any opinion thereanent), hereby record our regret and extreme disapproval at the action of the Borough Council of Roxburgh in refusing the use of the Athemeum Hall for Mr Elliott’s lecture, believing such action to be un-British, an unwarrantable interference with the rights of free speech, and calculated to stir _ uj> denominational ttrilo in the community.”

Your correspondent further cites us as pcop.e who live in peace and comfort. We, like all mortals, endeavour to get as much ol both as possible; but some of us are ne ginning to realise that we have been paying too high a price for Community peace, and that at best it has been but a fool’s paradise.—l am, etc., William H. Hocking. Roxburgh, July 6.

Sip., —Every man, be he white, black, or yellow, and no matter what his creed, is entitled to a square deal. A phrase commonly made use ot here is British justice. How mum of it is accoided by certain peoplo to Catholicslf Mr Howard Elliott wore to speak personally to me, as bo speaks publicly with reference to Catholics, 1 would have no hesitation in knocking him down, nor would any other Catholic who had a spark of sriirit in him. Why, therefore, should ho bo allowed to insult, misrepresent, and calumniate Catholics in the bulk? There is not the slightest justification whatever for it, and why any decent community allows this sort of thing to continue can only be attributed to one or other of three causes—(a) that Catholics are hated by them; (b) that they are indifferent; (c that they consider Mr Elliott beneath contempt, in which latter case most of the Catholics would bo in agreement with them. A quotation runs “Be bold, be bold, and again be bold; be not too bold”; so let Mr Howard Elliott and his following take heed. On the lust occasion he was here he accused the Catholic Church with making an alliance with Labour. Labour is foolish and will not have the old Liberal Party; hence, it is where it is. I am a Catholic, and therefore have n bettor chance than any Howard Elliott of knowing if such an alliance existed; but it is another of his bogeys. Sinn Fein, according to him, is a purely Catholic movement. Tour correspondent, Mr Morrow, points out to-day that Mr Arthur Griffith, the father of Sinn Fejn, is a Protestant. He refers also to Dr Irwin, a Belfast Presbyterian minister, who, you say, was released from gaol almost immediately after his arrest. This Dr Irwin says that the movement is economic and political. Ho also said, in his Canadian address, that he hfid written to four Presbyterian clergymen in the South and West of Ireland, ask. ing if they had ever experienced any intolerance at the hands of Catholics, and the replies he got were to the contrary. “On the other hand.” said one of them, “we often receive help, financial and otherwise.” He quoted an instance of a Presbyterian clergyman being rim into by a motor car and being taken to a Catholic home, where ho was fed and nursed back to health in six weeks, two nurses being engaged and not. a penny accepted, though proffered, for his accommodation. This is what happens in Ireland, but it is not “British justice” as practised here. A further reference made by Mr Howard Billiot t was to the number of Catholics in the civil service. How do they get there? My hoys, on passing the civil service examinations, wore immediately offered appointments. Thank God. they did not accept them. But I presume the majority of (ho Catholics in the public service got (hero by passing examinations, in which case they are under no compliment to any one. Nor arc any of as outside the public service under any compliment to bo allowed to live here if wo are giving value in return, and most of us have to do so. Mr i. Hicti, however, hud the assurance to

Miy on rb r> platform the other night ihit ‘‘Wo tolerate them and Rive them rope.” Who is lie to say this? A new-comer, eotnparfcd with many of us, according to rumour, and a man who is enRaped in a. campaign of abuse and misrepresentation. —I am, etc., F. IT. Thompson. Bellcknowes, July 7.

Sir, —Tf Mr Elliott reckons that he is telling the (ruth everv time that he mounts a nl at form, lot him keen lectures to himself. and save the strife and ill-feeling which has already sprung up through him among people who use'll to ho friends. I have many Catholic friends, and. therefore, know a good deal about their religion, and let mP ° tell you they are far truer to faith than most Protestants. It is plainly teen that Mr Elliott and his followers are out merely to cause strife and -..rouble between the two religions, :tnd it, would be better for the people yvho attend

liis meetings to keep away from them in tlie future, and thus help to broaden their own minds.—l am, etc.,' July 7. Keep Peace.

SIR. —“Loyal Citizen” and Mr J. Robinson seem to be rather annoyed at our Mu yor taking the chair at one of the recent P.P.A. meetings. Thtiy seem to forget that it is his duty, as Mayor, to preside over any public meeting of citizens \yho stand for their God, their King, and their country.

In, other places where the Mayor does not preside over these meetings ho must be a Roman Catholic, a weak Protestant, or one who is not sufficiently enlightened with regard to the special privileges • that the Catholics of this country have been allowed to enjoy. All that worries Mr J, Robinson is the fact that (he Rev, Howard Elliott is enlightening the Catholics too much by hitting home the truth. He could not possibly stand and contradict the statements made by Mr Elliott. If he can, why dors he not come out into the open and challenge Mr Elliott face to face at the P.P.A. meetings as to the correctness of his statements I am sure Mr Robinson would be heartily welcomed, and bo given a chair on the platform. I think it is high time' some of our ministers who call themselves Protestant ministers woke up. and preached “Protestantism” in our churches, and so helped Mr Griffith and Mr Howard Elliott, who have to bear the brunt of all that is said, and who arc helping to keep this country Pro-testant.—-I am. etc.. Wounded Ex-T t lster Volunteer. July 7.

MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I hop? you will permit mo to correct a rather important error whirh appears in your copy of my letter on "Marriage and Divorce” in this morning’s issue of your paper. I had written that Scriptural appeals to man “proceed upon the threefold characteristics of his nature,’’ which sentence appears as “procures upon the threshhold characteristic’s.” The Greek word “Pseukikos” would b” bettor transliterated into “Psychikos,” but this may be my fault.—l am, etc., S. T. Nevill. July 7

Sir, —Tt has been very interesting and informative to rekd the articles cn the above subject hv vonr learned contributors, but, to the plain man in the street, it seems to be wrong to blame any but the people themselves for their being jo imd together. Also, when fiod jo’ns man and woman in the holv bonds of matrimony through the agency of any church. why is that not sufficient? What nnoji is t'’ere for that same chureb to fortify the br.'v bonds with the civil haw? Surely find’s work does not need that kind of help. Tt seems to me to be a. poor religion that needs bclterinv an n that way. Wbat T understand Mr kkcfiregnr to be copte"d : ng f or ic an untrammelled e : vil marrine-e contract. whieh ay’ll not virlnte the religious views of nm-me.— T am, etc., .Sincerity.

A RABBIT! ESS FARM. TO THE POITOU Sir.— A word in replv to “Central Otago” respecting that rabbitless farm. Is “Central Ohngo” a resident of that district from which he takes his name? There is a farm hero with no rabbits, and we do not need to climb the beanstalk to find it. It is just about 100 miles from Dunedin by train and motor. It was lately owned by Mr Panett. and Ins been taken over by the Government. —T am. etc., Oxe Who Knows. Beaumont, July 6. THE GEORGE STREET SCHOOL HALL. TO THE EDITOR Sir. —Kindly allow me to cxnress mv opinion urwm the so-cnllcd imaginary nuisance, alluded to by Mr Bingham, in connection whh the dances and odnr gatherings in tin fioorn Street School Hall, I live in the house at the south side. 10f‘ distance from the hall, and I must state that the noise created in the hall is absolutely unbearable, and there is no possibility of anyone sleeping soundly in the house until the dancing ceases —which has never been before 10.30 any night this winter, a good number of dances having, moreover, been carried on until a later hour While I am writing this there is a dance in progress, and the stamping and shou 1 - ing of some of the men and the screaming of some of *he women are anything but good hall room manners. I have three vounir children attending the George Street School, and it is not giving them a fair chance when they are startled up out of their sleep several times nearly every night during the week by tbe noise caused by the dancing in the hall. Children must have pronor rest if they are to do justice to their schooling. Some thoughtless person who attends dances in the hall starts up a high-powered motor cycle, with the exhaust silencer open, and mately 6ft away from one of our bedroom windows after tho conclusion of some of these dances, and has done so on at leas* two occasions after 2 o’clock in the morning. I ajn not objecting to dancing, as X have had just as much enjoyment from respectable dances as any person. The whole trouble is that tho hall has been built toe close lo residences, with only wooden walls, and, the floor being at least 3ft from the ground, every movement resounds from under the floor to a very large extent. If it were not for the scarcity of houses, I would not live five minutes longer beside the hall, and I am quite sure no one else would.

In conclusion, I extend an invitoficn to any member of Ih© school committee to sit out a dance any night in the week in my kitchen, and for him to form his own opinion as to whether he would suffer the continual nuisance himself.—l am, etc. H. Thomson. George street, July 6.

THE RABBIT QUESTION, TO THE EDITOR •

Sib, —I have followed all the correspondence on this matter with great interest, having been the first to write in condemnation of the attitude taken up by the department in inflicting preposterously heavy fines on so many Good and honourable settlers in Central Otago. Having had 1 experience from the first advent of the rabbit nuisance until quite recently, I feel that few can speak with greater confidence and knowledge than 1 can, for I know what it is to have to work hard at all varieties of rabbit extermination inventions in all seasons of the year from the highest hill to the lowest flat. With all the long experience that nmholders and settlers (myself ,included) in Central Otago have had, and, 'knowing well the results, I am sure I express the mind of practically every intelligent experienced settler when X write in condemnation of the methods at present adopted by the department to eradicate the pest. The settlers in Central Otago are not a band of criminals who should be up before the court at every courthouse in tho province and subjected to all the indignity and prosecutions, regardless of all extenuating circumstances, before a magistrate who may at hia discretion take only the evidence of the inspector and fine the victim according to this evidence, and to his own feelings in the matter. Strang© to say, the department seem to have found at least one friend in «. Centra! settler, who claims to have complied with the Act and to have exterminated nil the' rabbits on 5000 acres in 16 years. I know of more than one settler who successfully cleared tho rabbits from several hundred acres of farm lands after netting and subdividing with wire netting fences, but who failed utterly, like his neighbours, in tho effort efficiently to clear hill country. I feel positively certain that there is not one settler in all Otago who has 5000 acres of hilly country free from rabbits. The only lands free from rabbits are the low-lying levels —firm tussock lands originally—that nro securely netted in comparatively small areas which especially lend themselves to the eradication of the pest. My warning to the Minister of Agriculture on his rounds in Central Otago is: Beware of any flattering remarks of approval. There is a danger that he may be imposed upon. The sheep farmer is quite sufficiently up against it in the Central at the present time without being harassed unnecessarily, and without their positions being made unbearable by the attitude of overbearing officialdom.—l am, etc., R. D. Polson.