THE BISHOP'S ADDRESS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1482, 3 July 1912, Page 5

THE BISHOP'S ADDRESS.

SUNDAY OBSERVANCE AND THE PRESENT UNREST. CHRISTIAN ETHICS & RECENT CRITICISM. Tho anminl meeting of the Anglican Synod of the Diocese of Wellington was opened yesterday afternoon by tho Bishop of Wellington (Dr. Sprott), in the Sydney Street Schoolroom. In Ms annual address the liishop dwelt upon tho necessity for a renewal of the movement for tho "de6ecularising" of our national system of education, tho non-Christian observance of tho lord's Day, and reviewed tho social and religious outlook, its existing and pending problems, llis remarks on tho Bible-iu-schools question are separately reported. The Bishop said:—"l wish to tell you how grateful I am to the members of this Synod and of tho Church generally for tlio great kindness i have c-veryivheru received during my iirst yeai of office as Bishop of this diocese. Wherever I liavo gone I liave found warm hearts and ready liunds. not least, I would odd, among the Maori members of tho Church. It has been a humbling experience, this generous recognition of commoitplaco efforts, but also a most heartening experience, ami I wish now to express my most grateful thanks." After a reference to changes which had faken plucb in the dioee.-ian staff during tho year, and also to the loss sustained by the Synod and dioce.se through tho demise of tho late Mr. W. H. Quick (for 26' years Chancellor of tho Diocese), llr. E. H.i Dean (for nine years a momber of tho Synod), and Jlr. Wm. Swaddling (late member of tho Synod for tho parochial district of Opnnake), the Bishop mentioned two important matteTS which his predecessor (Dr. Wallis) had under consideration, but which he was unable to bring to completion before his resignation, viz., tho best method of using tho general mission thank-offerings,,, which were given for the purpose of carrying on some form of diocesan mission work; and tho establishment of a Diocesan Girls' School, for which some 41700 had been promised by the Pan-Anglican Congress Committee. Parochial Missions,

He previously had suggested that the fund should lie devoted to tho maintenance of a diocesan niissioner, who, when not engaged in conducting missions, might talco temporary charge'of vacant cures and do other such diocesan work. After a year's experience he was more than ever convinced of the absolute necessity of such an officer. But the Thankoffering l-'und WBHO was not of itself sufficient to provide-maintenance. Accordingly, tho Standing Committee decided to' set apart, ut least for the present, the income of the fund for the purpose of assisting in defraying expenses in connection with parochial missions which may from time to time_ be conducted. "For the practical carrying out of this object, I would propose," said the Bishop, "that the three Archdeacons and myself form a. committee, to be known as the Diocesan Mission Committee; that wo form from among tho diocesan clcrgy a band of men able and willing to conduct parochial missions, to be known as the 'Diocesan Jlissioners' ; and that any vicar of a parish.desiring to have a mission conducted in his parish may choose his missioner from this body, and may apply to the-Diocesan fission Committee for financial aid from the Diocesan Mission Fund."

Diocesan Girls' School. "Tho question of the Diocesan Girls' School has, I think, been satisfactorily settled," continued the Bishop. "The Standing Committee- has acquired the school for many years conducted by Miss May Taylor at Nga Tawa, Marton. The principal is Miss Barker, M.A., late headmistress of the Technical College, Christchurch, and tho religious instruction is in the care of the Vicar of Marton, whom I havo appointed honorary chaplain of the school. Wo have more applications for places in tho school than we can at present accept, and we are faced with the necessity of immediate enlargement. While it is 'doubtless a good advertisement for a school to be known to have more applications for admission that it can accept, it would not be well that the impression should obtain that it is useless to seek admission. That would mean that parents would at once send their children elsewhere, without- troubling to inquire whether we could receive them or not. The maximum number we can at present receive is thirty-two. The trustees are convinced that accommodation should be provided for at least twenty additional pupils. The estimated cost of enlargement is roughly from <£1700 to .£2OOO. Towards thus sum we havo in hand the grant- from tho Pan-Anglican Congress, which has been already received. Lho balance wo proposo to raise by debentures. I earnestly trust that all who can will help us by taking up these dobenhires, and that they will not allow an undue business timidity'to retard the growth of what promises to be a most efficient adjunct to the work of the Church in this diocese.'