THE CHURCH AND LABOUR.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12936, 16 October 1907, Page 8

THE CHURCH AND LABOUR.

SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND THEIR

SOLUTION

(special to "the pb«ss.")

AUCKLAND, October 15. Addressing a meeting of men held under the auspices of tho Baptist Union, the Rev J. J. North, of Wellington, said the working man yes the only one who had a right to be on this planet. Hβ was a working man. The blood of working men was older than tho Norman blood, and was infinitely more respectable. He, es a working man, felt moet keonly the problom which fettered them. Every man with eyes must boo them. Though the cities in New Zealand were email, the clouds were already beginning to appear, and when these towns became more populous, they would find that tho cloud 3 then would cover the sky. Uity lite was being allowed to grow up 'in a haphazard manner. He came from a city where they had a land problem, lv Wellington the laud hau gone up to such an enormous valuechat the ordinary citizen —the working man—was only able to tenant a house with a backyard as large ac c blanket, and they paid rente wnich made even Londoners open their eyee. Men had grown rich in Wellington whilo others slept. He proceeded to denounce the competitive system, whicn he said was responsible for many of the evil* that now existed. eteience end religion called for something better than thatbetter than the system under which, if a man came out spotless, he was wondered at. He could see how the poor man had been fooled, and how, aftor half c century's progressive legislation in this land, the poor man was left as he was, every step in advance ho vine; been checkmated. One of the greatest evils that existed et the present day was the lack of a proper understanding, with the result that they were all firing at one another, but were getting no further ahead. He" confessed that entagonism which exieted between the Church and many of the Lnbour people was largely the fault of the Church. The Church had been plagued by conservatism nnd intolerance, neither of which slmnld exist. Then. it had continued another blunder by b«ing too Blow to move intellectually, wit this hnd not always been the case. The Chnrch had once known the pathway, pr><l he hoped' she would do w> again. When he heard it stated that tfo* Church was the nlly of the exteMni state of things of land mononolv. tji* competitive system. etc.; hw blood boiled. He believed thnt through theChurch of Christ-they would be able to accomplish much towards the solution of th" present social problems. If he felt that tho Church could not assist in putting matters to rights, then he would be done with her. They should endeavour to create a healthy public opinion, without which everything, would go wrong. The golden year was coming, and it was coming along the hnes of morality and self-sacrifice, which the Church., through' Christ, could do so much to induce. If the Socialists wished to succeed, they could only do so br the aid of that moral enthusiasm which Christianity had. The Rev. J. C. Martin, of Chnstchurdh, eaid he believed that Jesus Christ wae revered among the Socialists to-day, and this, he thought, wae one of the most promising signs of the movement. The Socialist* said that if the Churches carried l oufrho principles of the Sermort on the Mount, then tfoev would believe them. Wliat, he asked wae the dominating idea of that sermon P It was "Happy are the pur© in heart," and he urged them to strive to be so. If they acted on siioh lines, and pulled together, they would reach their goal the sooner.