THE LATE MAJOR HOULKER.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14156, 5 August 1916, Page 4

THE LATE MAJOR HOULKER.

MIORIAL TABLET UNVEILKD

- A-brass.-toolet in.memory of the late Major James^ xioulker was unveiled i n the Cathedra] yesterday evening in-the presence of a large congregation. The ceremony: was.performed'by the Bishop ot.lSelKm at the request of the vicar Dr. Weeks) on 'behalf of the Catiiedral. authorities. After the unre'ling, tho hymn, "For all the saints who from their labours rest," was sung lne tablet bears the'following inscription :— .^

In Memory af . ' James Houlker, 8.A., LL.B., „ Canterbury Infantry, _ New Zealand Expeditionary Fore«. * rilv f^i-1915' W wounds ltceucd m action'at GallipolJ - All power .and honour we ascribe ±o Ihee, who only niakest brave - frS teWet risplace{lhere by his friends as. a lasting remembrance da good citizen and. gallant soldier The Bishop, in the course of a shortsaddress .aid that at tho close of ad ; memorable in our history" as an £ u-nTl' 3f Hl'^^ within the walls of that Cathedral- as a, day of mibroken prayer, they had now met to uufSL n i m memoi"y of one of their iellow-Churehmen and fellow-citizens 1- was necessary to remind themselves of the personality of the man in memory of whom the tablet was erected. 4 S * boy he gre^np in this city, ,and attended Nelson College. In all their inter•ccrarse with him he was found to* be always reauy to.speak and always ready •to act on behalf of the boyhood" of their country As a public school boy he wa s proud- of .ms school. Moreover his school tool-: a pri.de in him, and it war--not the least part of the memorial which was unveiled'that evening nor was it the least pleasurable part, to know that- his memory would be handed down by means of a prize which had been lounued by his friends in memory or inr.i. As lie passed from school to the tmivomty of New Zealand to prepare tor his professional life, AMior .Houlker made a great decision. It was possible for a man in those days to quality for a profession and to do nothing more But he determined; in his ideal of the calling which he had chosen to bring- to its practice a cultivated iriind and an education which would enable hsm, if God, so permitted, to real--ISI i .hlenest ideals. And so from school he passed to Canterbury College and graduated in the arts school and then passed on to the law school, and obtained his degrees in both. As m> settled down to the life of a citizen he foresaw what it could be wished that more of their young men had foreseen —that the day might come when God would call him to defend his country with his life, and as he prepared for -years beforehand for the practice of a, noble profession, so he prepared fbefore-l-and for the call that eventually came to hhr, as a soldier. He was full of enthtipiasm for his country, and som© of them would remember that .when the war broke cut he was anxious to place nis service* at the disposal of the Empire. There was some delay and some disappointment, Jnit everyone sympathised R-ith him in the desire of his heart. The time came when he was called it;>, and he passed on to a battlefield wliidi would live in tho annals of British history, and there he receiver] tl'.o wounds from which he sub•secjimiitly oiiod. There was a dearth of I news «>.ct!.:l> him for a time, but when !.it miuo it told that Jamos Houlker had i flied as a Christian and as a soldier. Thereuas.an aspect of his life which he did not obtrude on the notice of his fellow-men, but those who were more i intimately associated with the religions [life of this city knew how deep " landjfcow sincere were his convictions af; a Churchman. He was an attendant at the Cathedral; he devoted his gift of music to the service of God in the choir. 5 and for many years he was the treasurer of one of ttieir Church socities. Religion did not make him any the less a- man. Was it not really tho completion of his manhood ?' - He was one- of the most lovable of men, and whilst they .mourned their own persona) jloss and .sympathised with his'kindred jin their- bereavement, they could not hrlp but feel that he had left them air a noble example as a professional man, as ft soldier, and as a Christian^ in everything filled with high ideals,'and never allowing anything to stop him in i the working out of those ideals. In his I closing-years, the Bishop added, Ruskin I gave utterance to ■some of the most j profound truths that had ever been. i uttered in the English language. One jo'f his writings contained these stramrely prophetic words:—"The great mystery of the idea of Sacrifice itself, which |!i:is b«-:i .manifested as one united and solemn instinct by all thoughtful and aflectioiia-to races, since the" world ;oecaino rv-uphu', is founded on the sec-rut ■truth oi fwiiovolent energy which all iiH.<n vi!*> have tried to gain it have lea moo—-, hai, you ckirnnot save menhorn d-vry? but by facing it for them, nor troiii mn but by resisting it for them. . . . Some day or "other— probably -now very soon,'too orobably by heavy afflictions of the State we snail be taught. . . . that all £mo good and glory even of" this world, 'not to speak of any that is to come, must be bought still, as it always ha.s been, •with our boil and with our tears." That was the lesson which inniressed them more to-day than it did a ye*r ago. that at the basis of everything that was good there lay vicarious sacrifice. Let who would reject it, let who would deny the fact by living a life contrary to it, but the Cross of the Lord Jesus. [Christ, which exhibited to them tho | Eternal Sacrifice for others, because more- real to them when they saw it shadowed forth in the life of a man like Mai or Houlker. And the closer they got to the Cro,ss of Jesus, the closer they would get to that secret which lu> had loarnt and which ho demonstrated in his life.

Before the congregation left the qrganist (Mr IST. R. Williams) played Maillr'v ' 'Marche Solenelle.''