WYNDHAM MILITARY CAMP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2978, 12 April 1911, Page 13

WYNDHAM MILITARY CAMP.

OPERATIONS ON THE SABBATH. DISCUSSION BY MATAURA PRESBYTERY The Matuura Presbytery on the 4th, at the request of the Waikaka Valley Kirk Session, reopened consideration of an overture presented at the previous meeting complaining of the work don© at the military training camp on Sunday. January 15. M A. J. Nichol, one of a deputation in support of the overture, formulated tha charges. Members of the session of the> Waikaka Valley Chmrch, he said, had eight sons in the military forces, and tha question was one of great importance to them. As parents they had talked with their sons about the conduct of the camp at Wyndham. The Sabbath day's work was not much less vigorous than that of any other day while in camp. During church parade on January 15 and divine service 13 tents were removed. At 10.45 a.m. the anen were called out for footparade and an hour's hard work was put in. That surely was not necessary. The horses had to be attended to, and after ' lunch at 3 o'clock the mem were again paraded and put through a lot of work. Colonel Smyth had said that there would be six days' hard work far the men. To give those six days' work the Sunday must be included, as _ the camp broke up on the Saturday morning. It was evident thai the intention was to make these men work on the Sabbath. A Wyndham paper reported the fact that the public was treated to a mounted parade on the Sunday morning. Taking all the facts . into consideration, tho session was doing the right thing in bringing the matter before the Presbytery. If they broke down the sanctity of the Sabbath it would be a ead day for the country. Mr J. M'Phail corroborated these statements. The Rev. A. dray said he was just as keen for Sabbath observance as anyone, but he could not agree with much that had been said. Some tents were removed during divine service, but there were good reasons for this. Some men would not attend divine service, and they very often had to do fatigue duty. The camp commenced on Saturday and finished on Saturday, and the squadron work was not carried out on Sunday. The work in the camp was reduced to a minimum. Did farmers feed and groom horses and do other work on the farms on Sunday? That was all that was done at Wyndham. He wished that all the 300 young men in that camp were Christian Endeavourers and sons of elders, but they were not. They were away from homo and had no books to read and felt no home restraints. Did it harm the men to have an hour's drill. It was good exercise. Several of the men complained to him and said the sore point was that they did not get general leave to visit..their friends. It was not Sabbath desecration that was their trouble. He had been at several camps, and the Wyndham one was one of the quietest and best conducted he had ever attended. He wished also to say that civilians were not allowed in the camp except on the Wednesday afternoon, so ■ where did the spectacular display come in on the Sabbath? There was absolutely no liquor brought into camp. The Rev. Messrs Maclennan, Sangstei-, M 'Donald, Maclnnes, Evans, and tha Moderator sooke at length. All agreed with the purity of motive of the Waikaka Valley Kirk Session in the matter, and while %hey had sympathy with it, dt was thought that nothing would be gained by adopting the overture submitted by the - deputation and to forward a complaint to the General Assembly Committee for presentment to the military authorities. ._ Several motions and amendments wera suggested, and the debate, which lasted two and three-quarter hours, was at times somewhat acrimtoniotis. _ Eventually tha following motion, submitted by Rev. A. Gray, was carried by six votes to two, several abstaining from voting: "That tho Presbytery is gratified to learn that at the military training camp of the Second Regiment Otago Mounted Rifles, held aS Wyndham from January 14 to 21 last, two chaplains of the church were present, that Divine service was conducted in the camp on the Sabbath morning, and general leava was granted to the men on the Sabbath evening, thus allowing all who would to *■ attend church, and that many availed themselves of the opportunity. (2) That unnecessary work was reduced to a minimum. (3) That the camp was closed against! civilians, thus preventing the general publio from the temptation to Sabbath desecration that such a sight might have been. (4) That no intoxicating liquor was allowed in the camp; and the Presbytery further expresses the hope that under the new conditions of military training the Saobath day may be treated with all aue reverence and respect and everything possible done for the moral and spiritual wellbeing of the officers and men. (5) That a copy of this motion be sent to the officer commanding the regiment."—(Mat aura Ensign).