RELIGIOUS VOWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1917, Page 6

RELIGIOUS VOWS.

MARISTS AND WAR SERVICE. Christehurch, April 1-!. Befoic the Canterbury Military Service Board to-day Bishop Brodip appealed on behalf of James I.cc Tracy and James Edmund Butler, Marist Brother:-, teachers. The 'Minister had not issued certificates in these cases, but the chairman of the hoard said they would not depart from their precedent of adjourning the cases Mine die. Captain Spratt said that since the last case the position had been somewhat altered, as me bilges from England said that there exemptions to religious worker-; had been terminated owing to the lack of men. Captain Spratt pointed out that all the arguments advanced for Ihe Marist Brothers applied also to the State schools, (hi the print of th-: vows which were made, Captain SpralL asked where the diliercnee lay Ictwci'a the anti-militarist who vowed he woidd not go into camp and (he Marist Brother who vowed that he would devot- 1 his life to teaching, or between a Quaker who made some religions vows and a Marist Brother. The chairman (Mr. H \V. Bishop. S.M.) said his view was that the antimilitarist's vow was an individual one, while the other was marfe publicly,-and with tho discipline of the church behind itBishop BiVidie agreed Hint the public vows made by any person should be equally binding and entille those making them to be placed on the =ame footing. Mr. Bishop, S.M.: "Well, they won't be put on tho same footing by this board. I can telj yon. We wo'.dd have every anti-militarist in the country coming here and saying that he had made a vow." Mr. Bishop said that this mutter had been considerably on bis and a conference of the chairmen of the Military Boards to be held on April 27 he intended to bring this matter up. and ask for. a definite settlement of the policy to bo adopted towards the Marist Brothers. His own opinion was that these men should receive exemption, but tho other members did not think so, and thev should have uniformity. The cases were adjourned till arte:' the conference referred to. ■ rfi ~« ■