CENTRAL MISSION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 841, 13 June 1910, Page 3

CENTRAL MISSION.

There was a good attendance at the Methodist Mission services yesterday. The Silver Band led the hymns in good style, and in the evening Miss Clarke sang the solo, "Jesu, Lover of My/ Soul." Mr. Blamires made reference in an "interval talk" to two of the messages cabled from Australia last week. One was from Newcastle, giving the statement made by Bishop Stretch in regard to No-License. Mr. Blamires thought in some respects the bishop had stretched his imagination. Local option, said the Bishop, was not in accordance with true democratic principles, and it would put all the morality out of the trade if No-License principles were adopted. Mr.- Blamires pointed out that' the best way to ensure the morality of the trade was to_ close every bar. Tho very different" statement made, by Premier Verran, leader of the South Australian Labour party, and cabled from Adelaide, was commented on favourably by the speaker, who referred to tho increasing tendency on the part of Labour to accept the Temperance party as their friend, and to accord with their principles. In conclusion, Mr. Blamires hoped that his strong denunciation of the attitude of the Bishop of Newcastle would not bo taken as a denunciation of the Church of England, •or tho Church in general, not that, the Bishop represented tho Church of England in this matter. If there was si Bishop of Nowcastlo there was also a Bishop of Christchurch, heart and soul in sympathy with the No-License cause.