DOMINION DAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2599, 6 September 1909, Page 2

DOMINION DAY.

DEPUTATION TO HON. G. FOWLDS. * TPer Pkess Association.! WELLINGTON, Sept. 4. A numerous deputation, representing the Ministers’ Association and Wellington- Sunday School Union, waited] on the Hon. G. Fowlds, Minister of Education and acting-Minister of Defence, yesterday in reference to th& question of the celebration of Dominion Day and the participation of cadets therein. Mr R. A. Wright, M.P., in introducing the deputation, said its object was to bring under the Minister’s notice the fact that as- Dominion Day this year falls, on a Sunday it was proposed to call out the cadets for something in the nature of a parade. To that proposal exceptions was being taken by a number of citizens in this part of the Dominion, and they believed, by parents also. The Rev. J. K. Elliott .said he represented the Wellington Ministers’ Association, which comprised some 36 congregations of the different Protestant denominations. The Presbyterian Church had for centuries made a valiant stand for the observing of the Sabbath.

The feelings in his church had been that | Sabbath desecration had become painfully prevalent, so that the Moderator was issuing an encyclical, which was to be read, from the pulpits. The proposed demonstration seemed to them to be. opposed to Christian sentiment and conscience. The Rev. J. Shirer, president of the Presbyterian Sabbath Schools’ Association, said the Association represented a few thousand children. He thought the effect upon scholars and teachers of the proposed parade would not be at all beneficial. The Rev. Mr, Devvdney said he apolce on behalf of quite a number of parents, who- had approached him in regard to the matter, and he wished to say that whatever the Defence Department did their boys would not attend any such parade. Mr. J. G. W. Aiken said he represented' the Wellington Sunday School Union, which comprised 75 schools, over 10,000 scholars, and over 1000 teachers The Anglican Sunday Schools were not associated, but he was authorised to *ay that the Association’s view was supported by several Anglican clergymen. In reply, the Minister said the deputation had made out a pretty strong case against the holding of a combined open-air service on Sunday afternoon at the time when the Sunday Schools were assembled. Ho did not want to do anything that would interfere in any way with the work of tho Sunday schools. The instructions which had been sent round both to the officers commanding volunteer districts and cadet officers had made it pretty plain that arrangements were to be made locally that would suit local conditions. He saw no difficulty at all in arrangements being made so as to entirely get over the objections raised, and in regard to Sunday schools there was no instruction that there was to be a combined church service. There was a suggestion that in the larger centres that might be a suitable' method, but that was not necessarily part of the arrangements. He was sure none of them would object to volunteers turning out to ordinary church service, and tho cadets might surely be assembled and taken to their own churches in the same way. After the representations made, he had no doubt that would be done. Officers commanding districts had the arrangements entirely in their own hands, and he would see that they were instructed and that this was made clear to them. If objection was made' to- any combined service, arrangements could be made for the ordinary church parade, and volunteers and cadets should assemble at their own churches- He would communicate with the officers commanding the districts. He did not think there need be any fear of afternoon combined celebrations being Held. (Hear, hear.) There was no compulsion for officers and cadets to turn out. . He would simplv ask that they fall in line with the general church parade of volunteers.