THE CHURCH IN NEW ZEALAND

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XVII, Issue 11, 2 May 1927, Page 9

THE CHURCH IN NEW ZEALAND

The following article from the Bishop of St. A'lban's appeared m the "Times" the clay after the issue of the special New Zealand supplement : TO THE EDITOR OF THE ' TIMES." Sir. — I have just been reading with immense interest the New Zealand "Supplement to the Times" to-day. It is. if I may say so, a wonderful production, and extraordinarily good reading. It ought to make anyone who studies it want to go (or go again) to that wonderful country. .' J .■ In your leading article you say, "It is the purpose of this number to present a picture of tli'e. Dominion to-day." this does hot, however, fortunately, prevent you from giving us some interesting accounts of its growth. In the same article you say:— The Englishman who comes to New Zealand is impressed everywhere with the quiet and instinctive persistence with which the best traditions of the Old Country are maintained m these distant islands of the Pacific. But m the 82 pages of letterpress and advertisements (14, as far as I can see, of the former) I have only been able to discover one reference (and that a passing one) to one factor at least, and not, I submit, by any means the least, ■which has contributed to this result. T refer to the part which the Church has played m the making of that country. It is true that among the many . beautiful photographs which you reproduce, there is one obscure picture of one place of worship, and that m an advertisement page devoted to the New Zealand Associated Press! This omission, I venture* to think, is all the more surprising seeing what a groat part both the Church of England and the Scottish Church played m the early settlement of thi« great; Dominion, more bo certainly than was the case, unfortunately, m the early settlement of any of the other Dominions. It is over 30 years ago that I was m New Zealand, but it was not difficult then even for a passing visitor to realise the debt that country, owed to the fact that the first settlers were not left without benefi of clergy — that, too, of the finest type; they took- with them anyway ttie best traditions of the Old Country. Surely, Sir, the names of such

pioneers as Bishop George Augustus Selwyn and his able lieutenant, Bishop Charles Abraham — both, as you, Sir, must know, Old Etonians, first-class scholars, fine atheletes, and the best type of English gentlemen—are worthy of at . least a mention m any account of the making of New Zealand? — Yours etc., ,■•■•■ MICHAEL ST. ALBANS Abbey Gate House, St Albans, ..February 23.