Church of England 514,697
Presbyterian 299,545
Roman Catholic 163,393
Methodist 112,344
Baptist 19,926
Salvation Army 11,591
Brethren 11,055
Church of Christ 8,640
Congregational 7,977
Seventh Day Adventist 2,224
Eighteen denominations have less than a thousand adherents. Objections to state religion numbered 38,591, while 3919 said they had no religion whatever and 169 did not know what religion they belonged. There is a very slight preponderance of females in the principal denominations, which is easily understood having regard to the man-power lost in the war. The chief adherents to the non-Christian religions are Hebrews (2390) and Confucian (2100), the latter allowing an increase of nearly 50 percent.
Plenty of money
The ‘‘slump,’’ commercial and financial, in which during certain years since the war we were doomed to flounder, is plainly a thing of the past. There are signs of money about, public money, money for public uses, money to burn. We are just completing a £10,000 subscription to set the Agricultural and Pastoral Society on its feet. Another £10,000 subscription for a Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial is underway. Other thousands we contributed under the head of Flood Relief and we are committing ourselves to a Grand International Exhibition — where precisely we don’t know yet — public opinion inclines to Lake Logan, as we still call it, once the home of sea-fowl and paddling dinghies, now a continent of mud. Also, we are presently to vote a loan of £90,000 to be spent on a town
hall. These are our Dunedin doings, actual and projected. Plainly the financial pulse beats strong. Or, to put it another way, the winter is past, the time of the singing of birds is come. — by ‘Civis’
Recurrence of laundry thefts
There is apparently a recrudescence of ‘‘snowdropping’’ in some parts of the city. The other evening a recently-married couple while out spending the evening returned to find the week’s washing non est. Another household was similarly unfortunate, but in this case the thief cut the clothesline at both ends and decamped with the pegs as well. Householders would do well to be on their guard.
New lino for flooded homes
The Flood Relief Committee and the various area officers have been busy during the last three weeks investigating linoleum claims. At a meeting of the special committee yesterday morning over 300 applications were considered, linoleum grants being made in nearly every case, and totalling approximately £1000. To date 421 linoleum grants have been made, and the balance of the applications, totalling approximately 300, have now been investigated and will be dealt with during the coming week. Larger claims, all of which have been investigated, will be dealt with at one meeting of the committee, to be held during the next fortnight.
Hydro work powers ahead
At Waipori satisfactory progress is being made. The northern half of the dam is now erected to a height of 17 feet, and the southern half to a height of about 9ft, the width at the base being about 30ft. The surge tank has been excavated for the full depth, and the abutments and wall are being trimmed up. — ODT, 16.6.1923
Compiled by Peter Dowden
