DEPRESSION IN BIBLE TRADE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 66, 18 March 1910, Page 4

DEPRESSION IN BIBLE TRADE.

SALES. : ' --^ ' ■ ~ r fjM KELIGIOTTS APAIEHy-OR VJ Jjjj& BIRIB-£AIE! Jj|j| Is there a depression in ©Iff trade? a singular stoppag* if , have taken place in the sale K,£ and prayer-books in both-AristraliS New Zealand, and agents do able to account for i€ laaresmf ■ of the "Star" was that up to 1907 wholfisaUawT English houses used S» ing bookseller in Sydney, or S&il; - B * i< or the last two years sni>h\Z^V' ing bought, and not Wing S 6l<r iiTl Australian "bookseller, -S^,«J tail, tells the same sad: * pression is not confined to tfcs'cw ** ' wealth, and the last the Auckland branch' of ith^BrM^J far %£?*%*« and not^ s tanai Dg ..the-. 6 p^o l 9^: nfn n . ew Zeakhd ■^•-a*6to£ of the ftfnptures in-botK try is not proportionate to the /increase in the- number of .readers;-and: while we report" large sales from;time to yme, the results from- this department ; afeS as satisfactory as they, should i i be jit -a city as large as Auckland, .: - 1 Mr H. J. Edmisfcorr, manager Lpf, the Auckland_Sanday.Schffipls , " Onion -and' secretary of the Auckland-branch of the■ Bible-Society, said- there was ao'getting away from, the-fact : ; that; there haa,: dm. ; ing the past; two years,: been a most nnaccountable. faHmg-off^iii'"the-"sale ot Bfbles and prayer-books. ."All;|i» ■booksellers;. in "Auckland. -Bill i"-you : the same ■ thing," : remarked -Mr- Edroiston to a "Star/ , - representative.'- "The 'depres. "sibn exists;"and"is really.unacebTiatiUe. ':• The Auckland Sunday School :Unio£da»S the wain . .volume of"busraes3".iif-M)lq ?; and prayer-books in-Aucldand7 and-fte ; condition of affairs is jusi as.:h\is'"b&a set"6iib in the report ; ;orthe'sit>i£Sdarty.> A.";fallrng-off,was first noticed 'therCfet-; mas before last, but we were •ioeßhed to attribute that'to'the fact that'we lad'just removed -to a new of business L in. Queen-street. All through last year, however, it was evident that, -while othet : departments, increased in the ■, volume oi .business, the . sale of Bibles' and prayer.books ..diminished. Last' .. Christmas brought confirmation of' this, , tie ' tram saetion3 'in the' sale" of ;, the. Scriptures. being less.than ever,'which gives one "tbi\ impression that, the sale of ■ the' Bible is to be subject to a cycle of depression— thing urdreamt of in the past." • : : .? . Asked what the stoppage could be at»: trlbuted to, Mr Edinistbn said Ec was a{ i a loss- to understand.' -A notable to- ■ ,ture X of the depression was -the : grea< ] fallin™ off .in the;«ile.oi.teaAers''.Bihles, smd- likewise in ■ family , ' Bibles. • "It : ; would seem as-if .there'was. a.g ; r6rtin3 feeling of apathy- to- God and religion," he added, "and "I think it is'possitly dne -to the disapp^aiajii qS;fhe • : d/d; i inistciS ? yf.iainiljr Bibie-TeaduTg' aajl j}Tiiyeis?j£&. the.:excTwad:,of t'ie:lKbUrfrom-wh".i,fe, j thus, leading, to - Spirit oi inaSterence» and. ignorance in regard:'to-the ieadnjof the Scriptures.'' '■ ' ■ : '• ; r | . Bishop ; Neligan, when asked 'ins ofi* ! on-the subject/ remarked that Id was very mncih surpriseU to hear "that ? depression in the sale-of Bibles, existeif The matter, he said, was .one. deserting I very serious thought and searching investigation, and for that reasoa.Jie ptf ferred to express no opinion on- the subject. ' 'If there was a "falluig : ia'Atutralia and New Zealand, he added; it would, no.doubt," be traceable.to the: decreasing people,' lea Bibles." - - • - : c ' ' The Rev. A. North, Baptist minister it Ponsonby, when interviewed,' said it came as a distinct-surprise to:Jiim tHat there was such a remarkable fallmg-o8 in the sale of the Bible; He does- not, however, think that i!. can any w.it be ascribed' to a spirit of religions apathy. The nttmiber of children'f attending' our Bible , sahooJLs is greater 'thai ever," declared the rev. gentleman, '.'■ there are : more people attendlig pnbS worship than' ever, if it were:possiHe : to ascertain such a thing, I do not thick you -would find there fir-' fewer Soma containing the".Bible than there wen : a few years, ago. I can only: attribute : the diminished- sale to the. fact tW; the publishers'"supply must have in'soma way. exceeded the demand, -and 'Hat ill i is just one of those fl.uctuatibn3.to wiieii' all trades are subject-" The Rev. ■ Gray Dixon, minister, at St David's, said that the: falling-oil, in bis ' opinion; could be •chiefly.-' traced, to" tie ; fact that the Government excluded tfie Bible from the' State schools..' "1 have | never been able, to -understand;my..; arrival in Australasia, why . teaching ot \ the Scriptures' is prohibited .in •«! schools, ,1 declared- the rev.gentieiDatt.-'?'' 1 is an infatuated policy, and its respitef bound to be injurious to .the Me-of the J community. Possibly ~ another;rcause|& the weakening effect-which .higher en-1 ticism has had. When ■I ; was Home'»| few years ago .1 noticed that; there wJS i a reaction setting in—people j felt ■ tlial., the so-called higher criticism.,bad' baa; carried too far, and that it-was leading the people away from the BiWe.'iHo* , , 1 ever, I am convinced that the -prima.); : , cause of any depression in the sale o£U- 1 Scriptures is to-be- traced "to . of -the ,Gorenunentiir tabooing the SB in the State, schools." Tie Key. "G. Bond....minister of-?- ' John's Wesleyan Church, said. ■ .when^*: terviewed: "I am not altogether MJ prised to hear;..Qf' .the "fallihg-oS [w ■Jβ,' sale of Bibles. This : 'l attribute, to *. prevailing' indifference .of ■ the multitude 3 . to- the claims of religion, to th& in *•" rialism which leads men' to live for 0* acquisition of wealth and the enjoy>w of pleasure alone. It cannot ' be-daiiedi■ go where you may, that a spirit" of tin' worldliness has taken possession 'of I9#i leading, tiem.' to . ignore .-the. ■ S PJ"" tnal forces, . for which the ] Bit" 9 stands. Many . parents 1 • neglect ™ send their children to V. Sund?j; school, while they themselves -never attend church, the result being that noraligious atmosphere is created;.-.in*? 8 home. Then there is another • cause a my opinion, so far as New ZeilanS-.»■ concerned— the exclusion Bißle from the State" school curriculii»% The children of ' other than ,church-gop parents ixi most cases have no knowleOo? or interest in the Bible* consequently , desire to possess the book. I am . Dot * pessimist, but I am cdnvinced- that t|ew are dark times before - the nation unless there be a revived .interest in the highest things and spirituaMwgS. for which the Book stan*w" > ; - "'