COUNCIL OF CHURCHES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 160, 31 March 1908, Page 9

COUNCIL OF CHURCHES.

: ' UNNECESSARY! SUNDAYJ DRILL. PROPRIETARY RACING CLUBS :Tho ■> Council, r of r EvanEehcal: : Churches I covered a.considerable raniro-'of subjects,-and ,: passod:somoifairly . vihorous.-r'esolutions, at -a | v :ne^:. Preji- 1 ■ - dent. (,tho ■. 1 -( Ji'-'Williams) , presided, 1 ,- j ■'overt.au,-attendanco:o£,-about:.twelvoi'l .. Mr ' stated that "he tooknn .tlio j :-;:/work^ri^1ih'e;;''KbpeJthM* ! .'th^ ••••'■ ■ ■ bo •'mado;a ( *£rcatei' "power:for good,,in .the 1 ; ',:eity. 7^ ; it;!:was/, desirable '..thini, / that, .tlio: //./v 6f-i.*^^diff^eh(iV^un^cs 1 togeth6i\/tp/;discuss;:matters : i cominin-- interest-affectinr:' the community* < // - / their'. belief • :/ ; ; ; ;y." : thei /ChufchV/jhad ,"*!a'^'..mission/, ;to :.tli6/ p /..world,/..aiid meant;,to -.tend,iits .energies ■ :■■■ :to. the tho. masses. 1 ■ <■>» ■ ■ llio; Secretary; (thovßov. A.-' Dowdnoy). re- ; > ported-on'tho Ilev.vC. 'Inwood's reccnt nns--sionA- stated that/' while , tlio attendances ;.';;!:-;/;WereivsmalMr;:thari';;at/;:tho'''missibii's':held;: in. • - the othqr cities of the - Dominion, tho finan- ! cial result was satisfactory.. . .', / •. Tho President spoke; in high terms of Air. : \ ■ -liia/minion.'-'.;.!■ i,/, v -'Se^eptiFin'.farddr. ; of a-rpturn to tho'old system;.for;tho..winter- '/■ scr- r vices at 630 piq instead of 7 - motion/it/was .decided. ,: .that: a speoial,|.meeting ,bo callcd in four : ■ that/..;.the.4'C9jijirohds;sß.;gonsidtbd) :,;/, for^tlieir^viQ'yps,,oii..;tho7;siLbiect:r'":: LSUNDAY DRILL 'IN CAMPS ■ . , Tho. President-.brouslit: up tho subject of iviniv/yolunwer/ • samps.; • It/might bo- asked ' what had tho : . Council''of ;ClnrfClies"*tp , 'do with theso-camps. ! v;" /. The/-:;-rqply!^a's|. ; ;-m'u'ch',,;'py;ery:' r way.'t: ;^^^^^^^^ ■ ■>- :: iyoliinteer ;/ni|ovc^ie^t)was3im'dPr.;:'o<sv^ :■ Banctibri^aud 7 - ;'/thoy ; ;! \ver^ : , ; Vbneernpd ,:/Tfith: //; :■ , :;.;:;-;State';,|. > They : ;did;/nbt; ;.think;::'iha^ , might do :in,;tbonv individual capacity ,-.>tnoy. jri;;/,- might - -gardens '":oni'i^'^ra^ay^i^^dpM^^brk'i'whicn' they : , thought ,-shoiU<l.;bo confihod to, tho other six ■days,, pf>t : he',w,Pbki'miid : jthpy.i!wptdd.' 1 .- foro. -j As..:i'ogords ,-volunteer:camps, hoivovor,: : for,'., necessity »,of ■ observance was recognised-1 by- thoifbtatg ■ in- :-/ ■■ several ■ - were ch'seil /:./ ; :.oa tlio Sabbath,' dr;gup{)^ed^ta;bP,KM;shriP' . fined/'ifitliPy/jdid-business; - The > hiid-i; j'no! to discourage/ithai voluntcering rmovemente<a.>They< boliaved:-.tbirir ; underl e.,<lstmG;:condltlons,-mar-stial 'was- a.necessity;< and'.tho -volunteer indypmblifi had/arfiplff*grounds>f6r:- v juSti-'- -■/ fication.'«Further^ r t^y ; :liadVorily'-.tHeiutmbst' ~ approVal^iot , '\tho;3'eariy- ,^amp.asi:a: /meh'nS*of' .;voluiit^itf>trinnin'2:-?V : TMeir.V'aiii\pisli"<to 1 '

. ■ observance' ,the' Sabbath'.in. volilnte'ef; cariipl , ;-' :.'i , hcy ( '- : did 'liot •>.« expect volunteers,td<,si)ond"th'e : ,whok'of Sun- / day; listen-, ing .to-., sermons, ;but. thsy,/did say. that .SimI;,/ Sjtha!iy.j as.'.'a, •" ■ /;. had-, read>'iii ; :,tft6 n the', 'death of.' a'y ihah \ i'kijledT'By:.';an.'.'csplosipn'/ibf; , v.; dynamite:: ; at,; ) Mah!ihgA ;Bayy\TTho' i.nian 'vas;cook, the.' 'es^' : ploMon^^^i^X6f?.^'E , ;>in on a •-•might.-.; - ,havoThip'pened,Tbfl?any\-.b^ w'as r deeined- : !permissibleas; : 'SUnday;Work'in" : . i»tf which>was:'entirely:.:ifnoalled.'fpri .and; this.n. :-]nstly-*provoked Vrcsfentffieitvpfci'th^paft'^ot.!: :: . the . Sunday; should!;bo' qbseryed: by Govern-' merit J bfficials.-',.;;He./reco2hised I tho, tempta-; ;; .^tion:/tb;,the:;:iauthonties : /the; utmost:

>• -use of., the: small. timqJavailable in camp, i-. but; whetev did'.' consciorlco. comc-in?,, • Tho Governm§iit ,, xoulff. :not; -alford: to alienate y.'.i I--**', "of Kth6''mipqus : pqrtibni,6f^'tlic.[;cpiumuriit'y ; ' t:> and that was Beccssaryi"'.ivbrlci* 'qii^.''SUnd'ay'.V',, ■S!>V'.tliatvJ.a^'GKrisUan ; Jy6un'g^mah\"iiiight^.;csfcapo':. •iV Sunday-work', by., paying, a ,fino,- but'-penalties ' .'en-; ■:;. i .'courage j'.y olun't coring ta.mbng' the v.most I desir- '■ ,able class ; of. young : men..."There.were-hun- . dreds ■/ of .'young-, a men.'. ■ belonging, to >• tho :' j. -.' Churchegi-Jwhoino,' it i : ; .w:as;.;m'ost ■ desirable: to,- '' .enrol ?aniong ; ithe;: : vo]imtee'rs; -and- it. w-as :.m - ' - their that'tho'v'Gpiiiicil'.'should'speak , out. on. this matter.;.;lJp moved: .". , '£• :. ''That; •: ■'' of;by. , of, ' driH in voluiifcoor camps -on 'Sundajs, to the / as all offence to the Christian .-^vcbns'ci^iipq^of'Hhe;:;'^ of the'- Cpuncil, ofljlvangclical ( Churches re- ;;. spect^lly^call^^tlio' of :;!tbo ■ ' the Sinister for : rDefence:. |o .-.tho .'.matter com- .. . plained* of,'-in.itho.-.hope.,that' stops-.will be i taken?to'abolish'.'all':reasonable '.ground • .for. protest " ■ - The Rev; J. Kennedy Elliott, m seconding the Miiotiffii 'j'flSeorttloni '?'.); was."^gi;o,wing, , Apart, ':. 1 . ;' from. y-eligibus,' heWs',pjt%was.. advisable that .- rr^houiij.'tlip. '. that,'. day'..'^;-^'OE^y^j'wprk'^,'*bf J ' ne'eo'ssity ;; should:';bp,".*^ , i ■•He';>'dia'not".tliink;,tliat ; /,any ,:hiorb. practical, beforo thb-CounciX, . ''.; J- : . Mr. T..S;- limlMft,''£s;^'^oluntber 'offlong : V .- experience, also • tile.^iridtion,; which - was unanimously; adopted..:

1 'Against canteens unteericamps;-held,in:.th'o .Wellington .district 1 for,: tliy. last-Jon year's .Under.the opmmand;pf/ Cplo'rici;/ColHns..haye-; _be«ri. successfully: conducted/without a ; , military / caiiteen,; -ther (sb j showjiig, that:'.6uch/-'an. institution, is -not -ne-,, cessaryf_;-',this -; inbeting.i-,:.b£ ./the/.;, I Council;. /0f... Churches .expresses tho earliest hope-that, .in the, best, interests'of : all': concerned,-'.no -'can-; teen'will. b'o provided. iii. c'dnnectiph,-with the forthcoming Eastpr/ma'nojuvres.",.-.''"- /;' '<• • ,The;' Presidefi{ ;oxplained that 1 the reason ;for/ bringiiig ; : fdrward''-;this/'niatter; jviis: that b'bch: , promotod, i '.ahd'-tlip camp 4 Would",b6: iiri'der/other/control. ;: /;'i; . ■ 3ir.'.Dowdney'said- it was riihipured-that' a' change of policy this year in- regard : 'tp ; the caiiteenZwas likely: /.'":/- //;-/;r. '/ .. ;ado{itc.d 'unanimously.'/.. On tlio suggostion'of tho Rev. J. J. North, it was decided that the Executivo Committee for ■Defbneo -in ; v I NO-LICENSE MANIFESTO - itibvpd Tlfit tliia meotmg of/tfib .Council of Ch'urclies e&pressea. .its; cordial ,'gral>ificktiou//at i the'"-liublifcatlon ;,of tho. importajit .manifesto /signed-byjthb Mayor and 1 one; hundred : leadflig of' 'Invfer-:' carfeill" sue-' ,cess--of*-'th'eV^Np-L'ideu'so; ( experiment- in that' town ;-.-aiid-|regard!t it oncouruging call • to all good citiisens',.t-b"..ussj.tne}r utmost efforts to 1 secure". NoiLicehsp..'fp)j Wellington at tho: coming local .bption poll.^?^': •/ ■ , •-/ ■; Thojcmotion „vras -jiiia.nigibusly. adopted. ~-■: I'ROPIIIFJTJVR.Y RACING CLUBS Tho 'PIOV. J. J. Nortli.ffeforred with much warnith to thp/establisihinprit'/of.a nbw racing club of : ;a1- sp'dfiitil i.h'^tho.vicinity of,tho city';-'-?Ara.sffflub.'/\lrai/ilikyy; to oilgage .in; racing'ffe\ many ,/dayi; .'as it: coiila: sccuro, a.ldais*?.'/. 5 It/'/tfai'. a pppprietiiry ' ; club, .'rutr 'simply,; as "-lib belfeved,/ior / the /sako : 'of. garnbiirigZ/'./lt, -'wis a glaring'defect "iii tho Act /tliat;.ciub3' Hko .this' : ?could I'Hce as' often as ,thby'llik4d.T,-./'ln'yM'elbpurne/and; Sydney • thesb " proprietary / racingv clubs': we're; particular niiisartties. , Ho -l-cdd 'iti tlio papers that .at Satiii'dSy'a'meeting.'qf t.hoio'chl-club• there had becir a ,frco' fislit--bet'febiiv^he 1 jockeys over, ono ! race, ■' and''Mthpthing; liko. ; a riot over tlieVjiidgc's; ded'si'Oil" 'itf.'n'hothpr:, ..Vlt; seenlbd' to hjm ''that'"ar jroat/' deal' : ought' ,to bo madQ/.ih'/tllb /of . this parti-' cular(/tiiing| and;.thqt'Tjublip.. opinion; 'should be stirred-upland-kc{j^|'af>::tho;.boiling-point till tbo 'defect;- in' legislation : was. amended. Tliero .was nothing to-jireveilt people-having a race day every day initho year at Miramar, and tliat was where the defect came in. The

total number of racing clubs in the country' ■ was over.-,twice ,'tlm number .which: the, Govorrimeiit.^considered ..was':-tho ■ right- 'number, owiiig to tho forination. of proprietary clubs, which did totalisator porinits."-' 'Homoved:—'! That : this ; Council; views, with alarm, the. indefinite increase of . racing (lavs in thp, vicinity of 'this citjy,/Tho '.Council-de-sires -to emphasise the delect in tlio gaming laws, ; : ;iwhiqli ■ permits, ! as ■'much: 'racing' as 'un•rbgistorcd- nbnrtotalisator cljibs . choose to iridulgo ' in. - -./ The': formation of a proprietary /club.''of-; a - similar -.type to those' operating in ,the .viciiiity":'of ■ Melbourne and;. Sydney, and which ' racedevery.,',Saturday, ..calls,:'.'in".; the judgment'of'tllo, Council, -for,instant action.. -Tho-Council 'agrees'to organise a: deputation to'.'.thePremier,'urging 1 -that ' the'' race" days possible,in 1 -the vicinity; of; any; city he fixed ;by :law 'oiViii ..popular.i.basis, :, as-'; obtains- in neighbouring colonies." •' . ■ : Tho ; Rov. J. Kcith /Ewen seconded tho motion. ! 'i'"'V.v.v v , ,-■■ ','/''v - / ■ .....Tho ..President said-; that ;he was: not - so, . conversant .with' tliesp.'matters 'as. Mr. ;Northj who had made.'them .a-.'.spceial study. ' The. introduction I ,of thqso :. pony,' raeo , ,meetings, however,"'"seemed to; Him .' a\ .scandal;, and a sliamo'; >Ho hop.ed 'that\tlie Press - of- the city would'.takoiiip. the : matter. : iii the' 'interests 'of. the pubh'c morality.7.Nothing' could, be urged cm/ behalf, of those racesi from/tlio' 'p'oint, of 1 view .of." sport ; they wcro run, purely/'forHho sake, of betting// , ; ...... - ' ■; y .-• •' '.The motion-was adopted . unanimously.