ROTTEN TO THE CORE.

Shannon News, 15 September 1925, Page 2

ROTTEN TO THE CORE.

CLERGYMAN BRANDS NAPIER MORALITY. That Napier is the most evil and immoral town of which there is any record since the beginning of history is evidently the opinion of the Rev. D. Gardner Miller, of Napier’s Congregational Church. “Reeking with drink and immorality,” it is the scene of events “so* unutterably beastly as to preclude their being mentioned in the most vile type of yellow-backed French novel.” It is “analogous with Rome” in Rome’s worst days; and to call it “indecent” is to flatter it. “Napier is reeking with drink and immorality, and 1 wish the press were here. At a social function in this city on Tuesday evening last the police had to be called in. I have had pointed out to me in Napier .vomen who were dressed better than I can afford to dress my wife, and these women came from hotels alter sucking cocktails. A young man told me straight to. my lace that there would be nothing in life without a ‘spot’ and the social life of this city Would be tamo without a ‘spot.’ What is wanted in Napier is a revival. . The foregoing [says the Daily Telegraph) are extracts from a sermon preached last Sunday evening at hie Congregational Church by the Rev. D. Gardner Miller.

Interviewed 1 next day .by a Telegraph reporter, the Rev. Miller intimated that he would stand by every word that he had said. “The social side of Napier’s life is rotten to the core,” lie remarked, “and some of the incidents which occur after any big social function in this city are re unutterably beastly as to preclude their toeing mentioned in the most vile type of yellow-hacked French novel.

“In the majority of cases,” continued Mr Miller, “drink has prompted these indecent incidents, and when 1 say indecent, 1 am putting it very mildly, and being as charitable as possible.” Mr Miller went on to say that accentuated prosperity amongst a certain section ol the community had much to do with the social evils that prevailed in Napier at the present time. “It isn’t by any means hie lower or working classes who- are the offenders,” said Mr Miller, “it is Napier’s would-be smart set who imagine that they are .being bon ton when they forget the claims of morality, who are the offenders, and their inode of living has sprung from prosperous times and is analogous with Home when it was at the height of its luxurious power. “We are in danger of forgetting the challenge of to-morrow,” he continued, “when New Zealand will (C----cupy an international position which no> words of mine can possibly exaggerate. I am no kill-joy, andi am out to create a healthy public sentiment, not one on the lines of a ‘Paul Pry' or a barren puritanism, but one m keeping with the Dominion’s excellent athletic record. “The churches of this city, including my own,” concluded Mr Miller, “have forgotten the social implication of their message.” The many friends of Romeo Hori, well known in the footha.ll and sporting circles of Levin and the surrounding district, will deeply regret to hear of the death of his eldest son, who underwent a serious operation a short while ago and failed to recover from its after effects.