A REST HOME FOR NURSES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 253, 21 July 1919, Page 10

A REST HOME FOR NURSES

WHY NOT THI3 MACAKTHY HOME, Sir.—The ideal rest home for nurses proposed by Miss Maclean is available in tho Mncarthy Home at Belmont. As a I'onvnlesceiit homo for children it haa proved unsuitable for various reasons explained by Mr. Baldwin, the former chairman, of the Hospital Board, in an interview he ga-vo to your representative fiomo months ago. It is a burden on the ratepayers, and apparently a permitual eonrco of worry to the board. I nm sure, therefore, that both the board nnd the Macarthy Trustees would be pleased to hand it over to tho Red Cross and the Defence Department for tlie purposes described by Miss Maclean. It should be open not only to nurses returning from tho War, but to nurses from any public hospital, who, to uso Miss Maclean's phrase, ''may be sick or overdone." Au institution of this kind for nurses is a crying need iu New Zealand, and as a healthy climato and beautiful surroundings arc essential, they have all that is desired in the Belmont' Home. There is plenty of level ground irhich could be turned/into tennis and croauet lawns, putting greens, etc. Beautiful nlantations, gardens, and fern gullies surround tho building, and there are aroves of pine trues to givo off their Btrenuthening perfumes. As the tired fiieters find thoir vigour returning they will eniov rambles on the eunny liillsjdes behind the home, from which glorious views' of tho valley and harbour, and neens of the- snowclad Kaikouras and / liiintlbikns can be obtained. Golf across the river, and fishing and swimming nt tlie foot of tho hill are also available; m where could better surroundings bo found within half win hour's train jonrnev of Wellington, and only a few rainlites from McHiuc or Belmont stations The Biiita.bilitv of tho Brimont hills for such a nurnoso is evidenced in. the fact that komo half dozen of Wellington's loadimr medicos have chosen these hills for thfiir week-end.cottages. I hope the Rscl Cross Committee and Miss Maclean irill nunroach tho Macarthy Trustees and thn Hosirital Board before considering nnv other scheme—l am, etc., Julv 17. 1919. MR. HOWARD ELLIOTT AND THE BIBLE Sir.—ln answer to the mischievous and misleading statements , made by Mr. Howard Elliott in a letter published on Julv 9. in which he states, among; other thiiiKs. "that several Popes prohibited the circulation of the Bible, and that others threatened with cx-communication nnv who circulate or possess a copy of tho Bible," etc. I would submit the followinir conies of letters of approbation written bv Pius VI, an archbishop, and a bishoi> of the Church. The following letter of His Holiness Pius VI to the Most Pvev. Anthony Martini. Archbishop of Florence, on his translation of the Holy Bible into Italian, shows the benefit which tho faithful raav reap from their 'having the Holy Kcrrotures in the vulgar tongue:—"Beloved son. health and Apostolical .benediction! At a time that a vast number of bad books, which grossly attack the Catholic religion, are circulated even amona; tho unlearned, to the groat destruction of souls, you judge exceedingly iv ell that tho faithful should be excited to the reading of the Holy Scriptures; for those are the most abundant sources which onght to be left open to 'everyone to draw from them purity of morals and of doctrine, .to eradicate tho errors which are so widely disseminated in these corrunl times. This you have seasonably effected, as you declare, by publishing the sacred writings in the languago of vour. country, suitable to overyono's cawicity; especially when you show, and set forth, that you have added explnnuiorv notes, which, being extracted from the Holv' Fathers, preclude every possible dnntrer of abuse. Thus you have not swerved either from tho laws of the .Congregation of the Index or from.the constitution published on this subject by Benedict XIV, that immortal Pope, our nrodecessor in tlie Pontificate, and form(•rlv when wo held a place near his person, our excellent mnstor in ecclesiastical learning—circunietancee which we mention as honourable to us. We therefore anplaud your eminent learning, joined with vour extraordinary piety, and we return vou our due acknowledgments for the books which you havo transmitted to us. and which, when convenient, wo will read over. In tho meantime, us a token of our Pontifical benevolence, receive our Apostolical benediction, which to vou beloved son, we very affectionately impart. Given at liome on tho calomls of April, 1778. tho fourth.year of our Pontificate.—Philip Bounauiici, Latin Secretary." There is nothing of "prohibition of the Bible" or "poisonous pastures" or "excommunication of those who circulate or nossess a copy of tho Bible" in this letter, but rather the contrary. Hern is another copy of a letter written bv a bishop of tho Church:—"This new and oortablo edition of the Douay Bible, printed by tlio firm of Simms and M'lutyre, Belfast, has been diligently and carefully collated with the most apDroved versions in the English language,

previously to its publication. I hereby sanction its circulation among the faithful, feeling convinced that if read with becoming reverence-, humility, and pious dispositions, its perusal will lie attended with great spiritual advantage."—Cornelius Denver, D.D., R.C. Bishop, Down and Connor. Given at Belfast, July, 1553. finally, the following letter a Oiitliolio archbishop:—"This new edition of the English version of tho Bible, printed with our permission by James Dulfy, IS Wellington Quay, Dublin, carefully ciilkted bv our direction, with tho Clementine VulKitoj likewise with the Douay version of the Old Testament of 160'J, and with tho Rhonish version of tho New Testament of 15S:>, and with other approved English versions—we, by our «u----thority, approve. And we also dectare that tho same may be used by the faithful with great spiritual profit, provided it. bo read with due reverence and with proper dispositions. Given at Dublin this 10th day of June, 1565. —Paul Culleh. Lord Archbishop of Dublin, Primate of Ireland, etc." Now. Sir. after reading these letters of approbation of the Holy Bible, I will leave vour readers to judge for themselves as to whether Marehal Foch, by sanctioning the distribution of Bibles to the French troops, committed an ,aot which made him "a very bad Romanist (Catholic) or a very good Protestant." As to the matter of "Bonmnists burning 'their Bibles in public within the last ten years, which the priests had commanded the people to give up," such,a statement is pure moonshine, and can be treated as such.—l am, etc., W. A. DOWNES. Clareville.