Burgh dispute

Waikato Times, Volume 114, Issue 19012, 1 August 1933, Page 5

Burgh dispute

■JBLE AT CAMBRIDGE adjourns meeting. Hostility, op parishioners. Dramatic developments In connection with the dispute affecting the Cambridge parish took place at the annual meeting of parishioners last evening. After a heated argument with the former church treasurer, Mr. H. O. Dalllmore, who refused to obey an order to sit down, the Vicar (Rev. G. G. Bell), who preaided, declared the meeting adjourned and walked out. The parishioners then appointed Mr. C. w. Boyoe as ohalrman and •everal speakers launched a trenchant attaok on the vicar’s attitude In the controversy. There was a large attendance.

In opening the meeting the vicar explained that certain parish boohs, Including; the minute-book, necessary for the meeting, had not arrived from Auckland. A little later, however, the minute-book arrived in a parcel and Mr. Bell proceeded to read the minutes of the last annual meeting. He then claimed that there was a serious

in them in that there was ,4 no record of a motion of goodwill exrs“ pressing the hope that he and Mrs. Bell would speedily return' 'to the parish. Mr. C. W. Boyce explained that he •had moved the resolution expressing the hope that the Vicar would be speedily restored to hoalth. There was no reference about his return to the parish. At the suggestion of the Vicar a motion incorporating an amendment to the minutes on the lines of Mr, Boyce’s motion was carried. “ Not only was this motion not recorded in the minutes but its were not sent to me,” said Mr. Bell. "If I had had that expression of goodwill I should have been even more puzzled than I was to receive a month later a suggestion from the vestry that I should resign my office." He wished to make it clear that his health was ' perfectly sound when he left for England. Much capital had been made out of his alleged serious .state of health and the suggestion of mental Instability.

Mr. H. D. Dalllmore rose and read a letter sent him by the Vicar in England in which Mr. Bell wrote: “I would not hc(ve come away had I not been forced to do so by my doctor. I dare not risk staying on." The Vicar: Do you infer what 1 .have just said is untrue? 1 Mr. Dalllmore: I merely quote from your own letter. The Vicar:, The doctor forced me to go away not because T was ill but because T was risking a breakdown if I didn’t. - • >. . \ /Accounts Not Oomplotod. After the minutes had been passed the vicar explained that the meeting could not receive the report and accounts as the Auokland aooountant examining them had been unable to complete his report. He moved that the report an* acoounts 'be deferred until such time as they were ready to be presented to the parishioners. Mr. Dalllmore said it was a great pity that the business was not settled long ago. He resigned on February 28 and his requesUthat the accounts be investigated hab been persistently refused by the Vicar and the vestry.

Mr. Hammond took strong exception to the Vloar writing while Mr. Dallimore was addressing the meeting. . ‘ ‘ „ , i The Vicar replied that he was listening and taking notes. He described Mr. Hammond’s attitude as unreasonable. , ‘ Mr. Dallimore stated that the Vicar had handed him a paper asking for answers to eight questions regarding the aocounts. It now appeared that the Auckland accountant had asked the Vicar for only folir answers. Mr. Boyce criticised the action of the Vicar in accepting the authority of the minutes-of the last ahnual meeting but Insisting that the acoounts be examined for two years. / The Vicar answered that Synod had appointed the committee to investigate the affairs of the parish. * Mr. Boyce: Why should a Synod committee over-ride the annual meeting of parishioners? \ The committee was a fiasco. It should have reported to Standing Committee and not to you. ~ The Vicar said a committee was really appointed to protect the Bishop froni the consequences of his own actions in interfering in the affairs of the parish.

Vloar Leaves Hall.

Mr. Bell then strongly rebuked certain persons In the hall who had greeted his remarks with laughter. ' "we are engaged on the serious business of the Church and it is not a matter for levity,’’ he said. “ For two years I have been under constant attack and this is a matter of life and death to me.” When Mr. Dallimore intimated his intention of reading a letter from the vicar, Mr. Bell rose and commanded him to sit down. Mr. Dallimore: Nothing will stop me from reading this. The Vicar (heatedly) : I order you to resume your seat at once. I ask ou not to read that letter; not for my sake but for other people. Mr. Dallimore: I dcoline to sit down. Appealing to the meeting, Mr. Bell said his order as chairman had been defied and he proposed to take a motion on a proposal to adjourn. Mr Dallimore replied that the meeting would bo carried on. The Vloar: You cannot carry on. Mr Dallimore: This is not the Vicar’s meeting. It is tho people’s meeting. (Bond Applause) The Vicar: The meeting stands adJ °Mr. C Dallimore: It does not. The Vicar: 1 have suffered many m °M*i\ Dallimore: So have wo. Wlien it was clear that the meeting •did not Intend to accept the Vicar’s /motion to adjourn, Mr. Bell vacated Jf the chair and left the hall. Mr. Boyce i L a 9 elected to the chair. *• This dispute has drawn out too long ” said Mr. Boyce. “ I have never In own anything more humiliating to the church than what we have gone

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through In the last few months. Lately the Vicar has declined to have dealings with the vestry except in writing. Mr. Dalllmore was therefore quite entitled to place any evidence he has before us in writing. I utterly deplore the Vicar’s attitude in leaving this meeting." After Mr. Dallimore had read a letter alleging various mis-statements made by the Vicar, Mr. Boyce said he had no doubt In his mind as to who was in the wrong. It was a- vitally serious matter because the church dispute had not only strained relations between friends but also in the homes.

Mr. W. Sands suggested that a special general meeting of the parishioners should be called to take some action and that the wish of the majority 'should be adhered to. 1 •> Ex-Treasurer’s Crltlolsm.

With the permission of the -meeting Mr. Dallimore made a lengthy explanation why the old vestry had resigned. He said the ohurch was now practioally empty and dozens of parishioners had been driven, into / other ohurches. Last Sunday, there were 30 people In a church which oould hold 300 and which wa& crowded last year. He knew of 40 Anglican families who were attending othet churches. He had worked on the vestry for 18 years; they were a band of brothers working peacefully and there was no trouble until Mr, Bell came on the scene. At the time the vestry advised Mr. Bell to stay in England they sincerely believed he was seriously ill. Subsequent events proved there was ample justification for the advice given. " I -oan tell you the Vicar has never taken anyone’s advice—from the Bishop, the churchmen or’the vestry," continued Mr. Balllmore. " Frequently h 8 ordered vestrymen out of 'meetings. Once three vestrymen were ordered out simply because the Vicar did not agree yvlth their views." Mr. Dallimore emphatically denied Mr. Bell’s allegation that the Bishop advised the vestry to resign. In many ways the Vicar had put an entirely wrong construction upon certain events. He had , admitted that the Bishop had told him that -he /Mr. Bell) had made a mess of things yet at the time he claimed that the Bishop had relieved him of the heavy burden of the archdeaconry. Mr. Dallimore asserted that Mr. Bell had told people in Hamilton that he was an agent of a ring of financiers he was fighting. This was on the authority that he (Mr. Dalllmore) was seen to get off a tram in Auckland oq the corner of the road where a certain' gentleman lived. (Laughter). Mr. Dalllmore alleged that the Vicar had sent many insulting, letters to his parishioners. Although Rev. P. Cleary, who acted as his locum tenens, had been entirely loyal to him, Mr. Bell had forwarded 'him an insulting. letter. Mr. Dallimore read the letter, whloh, he said, was not marked "private and confidential." Caustlo Remarks. Proceeding, Mr. Dalllmore made some extremely caustic remarks about a circular which the Vicar had distributed among his parishioners. He said, Mr. Bell had made contradictory statements within 48 hours of each other. He had lately said he was expecting any night to be shot at in the dark. (Laughter). “I feel sorry for him hut I am satisfied he cannot pull things together," concluded Mr. Dallimore. “ Things have gone too far for that; he has estranged so many people. Wo must hope and pray l'or better things. We must do all we can to ensure that our Church may be restored to her proper position of dignity, unity and peace." (Applause.) Mr Boyce read a report on the finnances prepared by the late Mr. W. Stopford, ■ which he said was the crux of the whole matter. Mr. Hammond sakl the Vicar’s health was not normal and he should take another holiday. One man could not be expected to control the affairs of the entire parish. Mr. Boyce referred to a vestry meeting at which the Vicar was told that the parishioners were displeased at him continually .preaching Communion. Why had the Vicar brought the Bishop into the matter? Mr. Boyce suggested that the first antagonism against the Bishop when he came to the diocese had not altogether died down and the Vicar was making capital out of it. " The Vicar has no enemies here," he .added. "He is his own enemy." Any vestry elected would have to see that the Vicar’s allegations against the Bishop wore investigated. After several abortive suggestions for meeting again the parishioners dispersed.