BISHOP LOCKE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18510, 22 March 1922, Page 8

BISHOP LOCKE

HIS IMPRESSIONS OF NEW ZEALAND. MR “ PUSSYFOOT ” JOHNSON. " (Feou Odb Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, March 21. Bishop C. E.. Locke, of Manila, who represented the Methodist Episcopal Church of America at the New Zealand Methodist Centenary Conference, left by the Makura tins afternoon, in company with Mrs Locke, on his return to America. “The loyalty of New Zealanders for their home country is a captivating trait,” said Bishop Locke in speaking of his impressions of the dominion and its people. Their stalwartness is a characteristic that any stranger would notice, and I like their religious fervour. He was prepared to say that perhaps New Zealanders were more largely a church-going people than the Americans, a nhenomenon that he would attribute to the homogeneous character of the people of the dominion. America, on the other hand, was made up'of such a heterogeneous mass of nationalities and creeds, that social problems were engendered _ that scarcely existed in New Zealand. “Nevertheless,” concluded Bishop Locke, “you must give us credit for our win for prohibition.” Speaking of the proposed visit of Mr '‘Pussyfoot” Johnson to New Zealand, Bishop Locke described the great prohibitionis as a unique personality, possessed of a pleasant character. “He will create a great impression here,” said the Bishop. Bishop Locke will proceed first to Vancouver, and thence to the United States, where he will attend a conference of the 53 bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church of America.