SABBATH OBSERVANCE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1736, 6 September 1919, Page 9

SABBATH OBSERVANCE.

WELCOMING LORD JELLICOfc COUNCIL AND CLERGY AT GRIPS, j The protest made by the Ashburton j Ministers' Association, against the proposal that members of the Ashburton County Council should meet Admiral j Viscount Jellicoe at Rakaia on Sunday, ,1 September 7, was the subject of a \ I lengthy discussion at a meeting of the -council held "yesterday. The upshot of , the discussion was that the council j decided to refuse to join in with the ; Ashburton Borough Council in welcoming Lord Jellicoe in Ashburton on September 12. The chairman (Mr J. Cairns) said that in reference to the peculiar attitude taken, up by the Ashburton Ministers' Association he would like to make an explanation. In the first place the County Clerk had told him that Admiral Jellicoe would be passing through Ashburton on Monday, September 8. He had talked the matter over with the clerk and they decided that members of the council should meet the. Admiral on his entering the county at Rakaia. It had been the custom in the past for the council to meet distinguished visitors as they entered the county. He had attended two such welcomes, which were, only a matter of hand-shaking and of offering a few words of welcome. Later it was- learnt that the Admiral had altered his plans and that he would pass through the county on Sunday, September 7. He (the speaker) • then said he would still go to Rakaia to carry out the welcome. Lord Jellicoe was communicated with and arrangements made to meet him at the Rakaia Post Office on the - Sunday. Since then the ministers of Ashburton and Mr F. Z. D. Ferriman had taken the matter up with the result that the council was not now to encroach on the Sabbath in any way. The ministers who had appended their names to the telegram of protest to Lord Jellicoe were not even ratepayers and he strongly objected to them poking in their noses where they were not wanted. Personally, he felt very strongjy on the matter and in view of the interference he was not going to be one to welcome the Admiral in Ashburton, He considered that if clergymen minded their own business their churches would be better filled. . Cr C. Reid said that, although he held strong opinions on the matter of Sabbath observance, he was . prepared to move that the chairman's action in regard to the welcome to Jhe Admiral at Rakaia be endorsed. He recognised that between meetings the chairman was the council and had to act for it ' and unless Mr Cairns went much further astray over the welcome he was prepared to endorse his action. However, Cr Reid said he did not approve of the •suggestion not to meet the Admiral at Ashburton and he'thought the chairman should reconsider this point. Cr W. T. Lill ,said that although he was prepared to*Bupport the chairman he did not think it right to meet the Admiral on a Sunday. If the King came to the county he would 'not meet him on a Sunday. He considered the British nation had always been looked upon as haying some regard for the Sabbath. Personally had been much concerned when he saw-that Lord Jellicoe . was going to be met by a public body on the Sabbath. The council should rise above that sort of thing. He hoped, the chairman would take a prominent part in the welcome to Lord Jellicoe in Ashburton on September 12 and that members of the council' would put their whole soul into giving the Admiral a royal welcome when he came . to Ashburton. The chairman said he did not see why the council should go back on the proposal to meet Lord Jellicoe at Rakaia just because the day had been altered. . <

After other councillors had expressed their views, the council strongly endorsed the chairman's action.

The •chairman then suggested that the councillors motor to Eangitata bridge on September 12 to meet Admiral Jellicoe and accord him a welcome on his entering the county. In making this' suggestion, he stated he was not going to play second, fiddle to the Borough Council. i . , It Was decided that the matter of arranging to meet the Admiral be left in the hands of the chairman. The chairman announced later that the-Mayor of Ashburton (Mr E. • Galbraith) had sent a message,, asking that the County Council join with the borough in welcoming the Admiral at Ashburton, to which he had replied in the negative. The chairman's reply was approved. ,