CATHEDRAL PARISH.

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17586, 15 December 1928, Page 7

CATHEDRAL PARISH.

CLAUDELANDS MEETING.

M'L' READING STATEMENTS. POLICY OF OBSTRUCTION. Mr D. Hay, in reference to the Claudelands meeting and statements and allegations made thereat, writes: " For the information of those of our parishioners who are anxious to carrion as a parish will you allow me sufficient space to say what I know and think of the latest move of the small section of our people who think that the road to progress and, incidentally, their own way is a policy of obstruction. I refer to the Claudelands meeting where some 40 ladies and gentlemen listened to the same speakers declaim against the Bishop instead of getting on with the business of the meeting. One lady did try to guide them on to the track, but apparently she got no support from the chairman of the meeting, and her voice was lost in the noise of bitter vituperation. Someone shouted out to her forsooth that she had ' missed the point. 1 " Well, Sir. I have no feeling against any of these people, especially any of the small audience, but it does seem to me a shameful thing that several members of our vestry which had approved the scheme this meeting met to discuss should simply make the occasion another opportunity to obstruct when real progress in Claudelands appeared to be in sight. " Prior to this meeting the Claudelands committee had decided to ask St. Peter's vestry to co-operate with them in forming Claudelands into a separate district, with a clergyman of their own liking in charge. The Dean had approved the scheme, and their representatives, Messrs Hall and Butt, had waited on the vestry and got their approval. Everything appeared to be set fair, and this meeting was held to consult Claudelands' parishioners and consider ways and means. "Now these same gentlemen were badly turned down by Synod and also at the parish meeting. The gentlemen who were most loudly expressing their views at that time were not elected at all at the parish meeting, and the two gentlemen who have most to say now occupied the two last places m the poll taken. There are, no doubt a number of our parishioners who support their views, but scarcely any who approve their methods. "It Surely is not right for us Church people to carry on propaganda in the daily press, and I would not be writtag now but for the action of one of the leaders of the irreconcilables whose statements at the meeting were very misleading and harmful to the work of the parish as a whole. The Duplex System. » Recently a number of St. Peter s men have been doing the r best to put our affairs on a better footing financially by medium of the duplex sysSm. The member I refer to offered to assist, and was given the block of streets he asked for. He. told the cSidclands meeting he had on y been successful in five cases out of 30, and left people to draw their own conclusion that the general canvass was a hU S\S?; precisely the opposite is the case, for although probably not Lore Sn one-third of our people liave been called upon yet there is already a very substantial result which S evidenced itself in the church collections. On Sunday December 2 he Chapter's decision to do away with the collection plate was earned into effect. One or two of the members who were concerned in the Claudelands meeting were inclined to funk putting our decision into operation when the date irrivrri It was pointed out to tnem St many of the people called upon hadb?"told that the plate would be abolished, and that, whatever the rewife its people. Personally, it being qutte satisfied if the collection had been considerably below the average. Actually it was nearly 50 per cent above -tho average on a Sunday when there £?, S special to account or an Sow "mosttytnow what value to put raciomj * dismiss was not one the Bishop at iu P iMhe Claudelands people wanted £ have a service of their own with * n of Sir P v^s e 8S a forward