“JUST LIKE ENGLAND”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23014, 17 October 1936, Page 3

“JUST LIKE ENGLAND”

VISITING MISSIONERS’ APPRECIATION Mr and Mrs G, E, Wright, visitors from England, who have arrived in New Zealand, via Canada, the United States, South Africa and Australia, are already enthusiastic concerning what they have seen of the Dominion scenery, particularly that portion of it which lies between Christchurch and Dunedin. Arriving at Wellington early this week, Mr and Mrs Wright came on almost immediately to Dunedin, but their powers of observation were fully employed on the way. and their delight at the refreshingly green country (“so like England”) and the spring beauty of the environs of Dunedin was manifested in the warmth of their praise. ' The object of this tour by Mr and Mrs Wright is an altruistic one. They are ardent Spiritualists, regarding the movement, however, from its highest aspect, and being frank in their expressions of regret that so much of the lower aspect had been seen in operation almost everywhere they had visited. That the groat name of Spiritualism should be tarnished by people whose main aim was, apparently, the gaining of notoriety and money by what was nothing less than fortune-telling, was greatly to be deplored, said Mr Wright, who, however, added that it had been noticeable that, in spite of all this, increasingly large numbers of people throughout the world —earnest, thinking people, were accepting the proofs which were being offered on behalf of the higher Spiritualist movements concerning continuity of life, communication with the spirit world, and so on. The disturbed state of the world at the moment, the uncertainty which beset the lives of the vast majority of human beings, the natural yearning for something more tangible, more hopeful, was, Mr Wright said, largely responsible for this eager turning towards Spiritualism. And this very fact, added Mrs Wright, made it imperative that the movement should be kept pure and that its power of attraction should be regarded as entirely a spiritual one. Mrs Wright related one or two incidents which had occurred at meetings addressed by her in certain other parts of the Empire, and which demonstrated what might perhaps be called the attitude of mind of the average uninformed person towards Spiritualism. On one of these occasions Mrs Wright had delivered what she considered to have been a clear explanation of the movement and all that it meant, and, in conclusion, had intimated her willingness to clear up any points upon which members of her audience might be doubtful. "Ask any questions at all,” she remarked, “and I will do my best to answer them.” Whereupon a lady rose and said, "My daughter lost a pair of red gloves last week; could you tell me where they can be found? ” On being informed tnat Mrs Wright was, not a fortune teller the lady remarked in aggrieved tones: ,r Well, our local medium answers those sort of questions ” Similar incidents elsewhere, such as requests for information as to whether the inquirer “would have any luck in the forthcoming lottery ” was indicative of the general attitude towards mediums. Mrs Wright added that she even heard messages given in connection with church services in certain Australian centres which conveyed hints as to the probable winner of some big racing event. On the other hand, in Sydney a number of professional men—doctors, lawyers, even priests and ministers—had banded together and formed a Society for Psychical Research for the purpose of investigating from a purely scientific point of view in the meantime, cases of psychic phenomena. Another instance of how the interest of the average person may be attracted was related by Mrs Wright, who told of a Spiritualist church service, sanctioned and attended by the captain and officers, which she and Mr Wright had conducted on board the liner Cyramic en route from Capetown to Fremantle, and which most of the passengers had also attended. A pleasing experience which befell Mr and Mrs Wright in the course of their tour was the receipt of a request by the Spiritualist section of the coloured population of Brooklyn. U.S.A., to deliver a series of addresses. This request was complied with, and the enthusiasm and intelligence displayed by the coloured people was remarkable. Mr and Mrs Wright, who, it may be added, are concerned less about the financial than with the spiritual results of their tour, are not attached to any particular organisation in England or. elsewhere. They speak upon the broad principles of the Spiritualist movement and will, for this purpose, spend the next few weeks in Dunedin, afterwards visitine the northern centres and then returning to their home, via Canada.