DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 20, 20 May 1909, Page 14

DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

(From Our Own Correspondent.) " May 17. - Large congregations attend the month of May- devotions in the Cathedral, when appropriate sermons are preached by the resident clergy. - An attractive entertainment is being arranged to raise . funds for liquidating a small liability, on the church at Sumner. It is to be given in the local public hall. There was Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at St. Mary's, Christchurch North, from the 11 o'clock Mass in Sunday, followed by the customary procession after V espers. The May devotions at St. Mary's are being largely attended. His Lordship Bishop Grimes presided at a presentation of awards by the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, at the Alexandra Hall oh last Thursday afternoon, in connection^ with the Christchurch Centre examination of the Trinity! College of Music. There was a large attendance. Hisl Lordship said that it was his pleasing duty to welcome « the Prime Minister, and to thank him cordially for turning aside from grave and onerous duties to present the medals and diplomas of Trinity College of Music to the successful candidates of the Christchurch Centre. The medals had been given by Mr. A. Kaye and the Dresden Piano Com- , pany. Sir Joseph Ward's presence was a proof that he believed, with Plato, that the study of music should form

a part of the education of youth. Not only was Trinity College the oldest and first institution to hold examinations, but since its incorporation it had held 400,000 examinations, while above 25,000 candidates annually presented themselves for examination. AH qualified teachers shouldbe gratified at the presence of a centre in their locality. A number of the parishioners of the Cathedral, at the invitation of the Very Rev. Father Price, Adm., met at the Bishop's house on last Monday evening. His Lordship the Bishop presided, and said the object of bringing them together was a proposal to fittingly recognise the faithful and gratuitous services rendered over the long 'period of forty years by Mr. E. O'Connor as church, secretary. To enumerate the work done by Mr. O'Connor in the interests of the church and Catholic community was a task well nigh impossible. During ihat lengthy period of time he had scarcely ever been abse_nt from his position, and had even denied himself holidays so attached was he to duty. Mr. O'Connor was now away on a holiday, the first real one in his (the Bishop's) recollection, and his absence afforded them an opportunity of arranging something in the nature indicated, which would not, they well knew, be possible under any other circumstances. The Very Rev. Father Price proposed that a testimonial in the form of an address and purse of sovereigns be presented to Mr. O'Connor on his return. This was unanimously agreed to. It was also resolved to arrange a complimentary conversazione, at which the presentation will be made, and to secure the Alexandra Hall for th,e purpose. AH present, with power to add to the number, were formed into a committee, with Mr. J. J. Wilson, as secretary, to carry out the event, which is fixed for Tuesday, June 1. An influential deputation, consisting of the heads of denominations, head masters of public schools, members of Parliament, and prominent citizens, waited on Sir Joseph Ward on Thursday morning and urged liinr- to introduce legislation to suppress the sale of immoral and obscene literature. His Lordship Bishop - Grimes, who was the first selected speaker, said that when he was asked to join the deputation he readily consented to do so, not only because of its objects, which had his deepest sympathy, but also because he felt sure that as soon as Sir Joseph Ward was aware of the great evil that was growing up in the Dominion in connection with the spread of immoral, indecent, and filthy literature, he would do his best to put a stop to it. It was very easy to point out an evil, but it was often very hard to suggest a remedy. As, however, stringent and praiseworthy efforts were made to prevent the spread of contagious and other dreaded diseases, and as there was a Government department to control and prevent the introduction of contraband and dangerous goods, it seemed to the deputation that the Government in its wisdom could see its way to establish a similar department to take steps to prevent the growing evil of which the deputation complained. He had been informed that in England, in the past few months, it had been seriously proposed, in order to prevent the circulation of those filthy novels, to require that works of imagination should be licensed. He knew that ' censorship ' was an ugly word, - and it^naturally created a feeling of dislike on the part of everybody. But he thought that there was a necessity for a society for protection from vice. In New Zealand there was a -Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. A similar society might be established to deal with the immoral literature evil. If it had the support of the Government, people would be protected from the immorality of the sex novel and other wretched .productions. He repeated that the word ' censorship ' was an ugly one, and he did not like it. He had frequently gone out of his way to express his appreciation of the clean press, speaking generally, which existed in New Zealand. Still, he thought that the people were sufficiently enlightened to recognise the difference between the freedom of the press and shameless license. He thought that as municipal authorities had some control over places of amusement, it would be possible to establish authority to see that in all large centres books which were injurious and dangerous might be suppressed. He hoped that Sir Joseph Ward would find some means to do something in that direction.