CHURCH PROPERTY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 31 July 1929, Page 3

CHURCH PROPERTY

DAMAGED BY BIG SHAKE Itf-MAftKS J[tV BISHOJ? SAOLIER IHJIiINU ADIjUKSS LAJjT NIGijlT During his presidential address nl the special .Synod service in the Cathedral Inst night the Bishop of Nelson spoke of the. recent earthquake and the damage done by it. "A great part of this addrses, in which various suggestions have been made for the advancement of our work in important directions, was finished before the 17th June, when we suffered from the first of the long series of earthquake's which have devastated sucli a large part of the Diocese. The first result was the necessity of postponing the (synod for a few weeks; and the second was the sudden change in the outlook of our affairs which necessitated a recasting of much that 1 had intended to bring before you. "Whilst some anxiety has been shown lest exaggerated accounts should affect the financial stability and reputation of tire Dominion, it is admitted that the earthquake was the most severe ever experienced in this country, and the worst, botli in point of loss of life and destruction of property. The facts that twenty persons have lost their lives, that farms and houses have been destroyed, that some of these are incapable of restoration, and that hundreds of poor struggling pioneers have been rendered homeless, arc sufficient warrant for the serious view thus publicly expressed. The. response of the people to the call for immediate help has been most encouraging and the. readiness of citizens to receive refugees into their homes has been most commendable. With the relatives and friends of those who lost their lives, and with the homeless, the Synod no doubt will express its sympathy, which, I trust, has been already expressed by our church people in the assistance which they have given to the Belief Fund.

IMMEDIATE NEEDS "Some, tentative, estimates of the cost involved in the havoc wrought in the affected districts have appeared in the Press; but it is too early yet to ascertain the, exact amount necessary for the purposes of restoration, hi my opinion that which is of greater and mare urgent importance is that help should be 'given to the sufferers for immediate needs, in a manner similar to that adopted by '.he Mayor of Nelson and the Relief Committee. That in the summing up »y and by, considerable assistance will be required is evident to all. The dangar is that unreasonable precautions and officialism may delay the immediate and personal help that so many require. " While we must be deeply interested in and sympathetic towards all public movements for relief of the people, it will be well to remember that among many! sufferers are some of our own ciergy and their families. The earthquake has wrought damage in some of our churches, vicarages and other buildings. Thus while doing all that we can to help in the general movement for relief, we must not forget that we owe a duty to our brethren and their people. "I desire to express my gratitude to His Grace the Archbishop for a message of sympathy with us. A few days after the quakes began I received a leiegrain from the Bishop of Christclfurch. tendering on behalf of the Clerical Society of Cliristchurch and himself an expression of deep sympathy and offering help if needed. L replied that I was very grateful for • such •• an offer, and gladly accepted it; and that while 1 intended to make no public appeal, we should gladly welcome such help as might be given. Already very i/>n-rous gifts from the Diocese of Cliristchurch have reached us. Later, the Bishop of Waikato conveyed to me the exprsssion of sympathy of his Synod and an ofter of assistance. Personal friends :n ether countries have also communicated with me. \ To all of these good friends I desire to acknowledge the generous motives which have prompted them and to thank them in the name of the Lord for their sympathy and help in our time of sore need. "I have visited, during tire past three weeks, the YYestport and Greyniouth areas to confer with the clergy and vestries, and have made enquiries from them in other places as to the extent of the damage to the churches and vicarages. Only approximate estimates have been made in most cases; but 1 think it right to express my belief thai (hose, estimates will be exceeded as further examinations are made and defects are discovered.