STATUS OF CHAPLAINS

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 75, 21 December 1921, Page 7

STATUS OF CHAPLAINS

PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY’S PROTEST. The Assembly Clerk of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand has written to various members of Parliament expressing regret that the Defence Department had not furnished the Assembly’s committee with a copy of the proposed regulations regarding chaplains, and protesting against the discrimination shown between chaplains and other non-com-batant officers. The letter concludes with a demand "that adequate representation bo given to chaplains’ boards and establishment.”

In the House of Representatives on Monday afternoon Mr. A. S. Malcolm asked the Minister .of Defence why the Presbyterian Church had not been furnished with a-copy of tho regulations, why discrimination was shown and whether adequate representation would be given ns desired. Sir Heaton Rhodes, in reply, pointed out that the proposed regulations would go through the usual channel to commands and other military organisations right down to individual officers, and that it was not usual fo issue copies of such orders and instructions to other thnn military organisations. It was assumed that the chaplains concerned would bring the regulations .to the notice of their different denominations if they thought it necessary. No'discrimination was shown between chaplains and other non-combatant officers, but the status of chaplains was entirely different from that of the latter. For instance, chaplains did not command and could exercise no authority. They held no military rank and should not wear badges and equipment peculiarly those of officers exercising command. The Mi®* ister added that a deputation had waite'd upon him and he had told them that the regulations wore only tentative. In regard to representation it, was host, he thought, that it should bo on a population basis of those concerned. Complaint had been made that chaplains did not like their black bolts, but ho, pointed out that commanding officers in the Rifle Brigade woro such belts. If the chaplains objected to holts they could arrange that they should wear no belts at all, as was the custom nt Home.