THE PROPOSED CATHEDRAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 67, 13 December 1918, Page 6

THE PROPOSED CATHEDRAL

Sir.'-The letter of "In His Steps" which appeared in to-day's Dominion contains the kind of sickly sentimentality and pious platitude which makes one's blood boil. "Think of the poor and the slums of Wellington," etc., writes "In His Steps," and then asks, "If ourSaviour, were on earth this minute, what do youi think He would have to say? Would not our Saviour be better pleased if such a large sum of money were spent in helping those needy ones?" I suppose i "In.His Steps'" would-agree that our j Lord would act as He did 1900 years [ ago. for He is the same yesterday and to-day and for ever. And we happen to know how He acted in those days when He came to Bethany and entered into the house of Simon tho Leper. Mary, the sister of Lazarus, took n box of very precious • ointment, her savings, and anointed our Lord with it, and the disciples had indignation and said, "To what pua'pose is this waste? For it might have been sold for much' and given to the poor?" And our" Lord replied, "Why trouble ye the woman, 6he hath (lone a good work. The poor ye have always with you, but Me ye have not always." The disciples put it, money value on Mary's display of affection, and indelicately suggested it had better have been sold and given to the poor. But our Lord thought. differently and gave Mary the assurance that her offering had given Him pleasure and was gratefully accepted. Doubtless thero were many poor in Bethany who would receive more sympathy and help from Mary than from the captious disciples, just a? the poor and fatherless to-day ore likely to meet with greater consideration from' those whose hearts have been touched by the thought of a groat, thankoffering aiid desire to express their grnti.' tude in tangible form, than from those who say, "One hundred and fifty thousand pounds! Just*think of it! To what purpose is this waste?" Church people have no more desire to tolerate the slum? or to see the fatherless and orphans destitute than "In His Steps," but they do ask to be allowed to express their/gratitude to Alhiighty God in the way they desire. Tho abolition of the slums and the care of the destitute must 'he, in large measure, a. matter for the Government to undertake. The building of a great and glorious cathedral as n (haukofferinjr and memorial is a purely voluntary effort on the part of church people and sympathisers who claim that libertv of n.c't'on which "In His Steps" would evidently forbid—T am. etc.,. ANTI-lII'MBUG.

Sir.—"One hundred and fifty thousand pounds! Think of it!" I hope we shall. The more we think of it. and the purpose for which it is asked. _ the more readily we shall realise that it is nil too small an offering to express the greatness of our thankfulness for victory_ ami pence; all too small a sum to give to raise it memorial to the memory of those who fell in war and gave their nil for us. "Then think of the poor and the slums of Wellington. . . ." . Certainly, wo must and will. But there iR no relationship between the two objects—at any rate no antaaonisin. It is for the i authorities to look after "the poor and

, i the slums of ■Wellington" for us, and they may he trusted to do so. Whatever sum of money they need they can obtain; and it will he readily given through the medium of proper organisations. But the proposed new cathedral for Wellington is to be a voluntary freewill offering on the part of church people and others—an offering of memorial, of thanksgiving; l an offering which will beautify our city and which will coordinate and strengthen the varied work of the great Anglican Church. The work for "the poor and the slums of Wellington" will not suffer one bit because of the effort to erect the cathedral. I hope that those who arc content it> willingly do both may also charitably be considered as possibly being, or trying to be, "In His Steps/'—! am, etc., A. 1.8.1.