Napier

New Zealand Tablet, 2 August 1906, Page 14

Napier

(From our own correspondent.)

July 23. Tenders are being called for a new telephone exchange, such a building being badly needed. The Marist Brothers' School' football team beat the Port School at Rugby football by 28 to rail last Saturday. The matter of public baths has aga.n been discussed by the Council. Some members are mi favor of a tan< bath on the Marine Parade ; others of open-sea baths outside the western mole. No decision was arrived at. Broken weather is being experienced he c. The rivers have been running \ery during the past week, but there have been no serious Hoods. No damage is reported from Meanee. The Rev. Father (Joggara preached at St. Patrick's last evening on'ttie ' nominal ' Catholic. He said he had no faith in this \anety of Catholic, who was neither a credit to religion nor an ornament to the society in which he lued. The question of com; leting the bieakwater was raised at the last monthly meeting of the Harbor Board, when the report of i\ir F. W. Marchant, C.E., on the relative merits of the breakwater a nd port harbors was submitted. r J he cost for completing the breakwater was estimated at £181,500 ; the port harbor, at £325,000. r l he Board unanimously decided to complete the breakwater, and a new loan of £200,000 is t o be asked for. The following letter from the Very Rev. Dean Smyth, of Hastings, appeared in th? ' Daily "Telegraph ' :— 'Only last evening my attention was called to an assertion made, it is said, by a re, c! end speaker on the occasion of the processu n and sen ice held 11/1 1/ the niembci sof the Orange Lodge in the Pr.ncess Theatre on Sunday, July 8. The assertion in question is substantially as follows : ' That a certain Catholic woman of Hastings attended 1 a special sersice in a non-Catholic church and for having so acted the j.riebt compelled her to get on the ground and remain thvre on her bare 1- nees for an hour or moie." Now, sir, I would not notice such a n absurd 1 and false assertion were it not for truth's sake, as well as for the purpose of calling attention to the contemptible methods employed by certain individuals for Stirling up unnecessary religious strife and bigotry, fomenting discord, and spreading base fabrications regarding the ways and doings of the Catholic Church. It is difficult to believe that any civilised person could have recourse to such mean tactics. In the interests, therefore, of truth and honor, will the speaker who is reported to have thus addressed the Orange Lodge o n the said occasion disavow such imputation "> If not, will he kinrilv prove his assertion'? Will he name the' woman so penalised, and the priest who so heartlessly meted out the punishment ? Otherwise I submit that in the mind of every honest and intelligent person he should rank as a Promoter of dTscord, an abettor of falsehood and an enemy to Christianity rather than as a worthy minister of the Gospel.' The Rev. Mr. Tinslev replied admiMin- that he did not, when speaking, 1 now whore The occurrence had taken place, but added : ' Had I 1 nown at the time how far it was I could have said about 250 miles from Hastings. Dean Smvth has now challenged the Rev JVlr rmsley to pro\e the truth of Ivs assertion by civmg tine name of the woman punished, the name of the priest who administered the punishment, and the parish or district where the incident took place.