MR. FISHER AND THE CHURCH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 522, 1 June 1909, Page 4

MR. FISHER AND THE CHURCH.

- Sf 10 CJommonwealth Premier's speech on the Church is doing much good: it is promoting profitable discussion throughout Austialasia, and probably in Europe and America as well. At the same time, intelligent political reformers havo. a.-poor opinion of ilr. iishers_spocch..; Like his'policy, it is lacking in manly courage,., honesty, and straightforwardness. -He lays down no solution of the social problem," as it is called; instead of this he calls upon the Church to CJ a remedy, and assures the Ohurcji thattho Labour party will stand behmd it. It is not the business of the Church to do this: .itJs 'rather the business'of Mr- ! iisner and his Government. • When Mr, lusher puts forward a just and reasonablo and adequate policy lie will be Entitled to call - uro ' l to Wow his lead, and,' if the Cfliurch refuses to do so, to demand reaTA ™ he , rofusal - n « the manifest duty of tho Cliurch to enthusiastically support any just measures; if it fails, to do so, Mr. Fisher or any one of tho rest of us may very properly hold it up to publio contempt and scorn. I\ow ; Mr. Fisher knows as well as tho Rev. Dr. Gibb and . most, of the ministers, of . re-ligion-know that land monopoly and tho pri•vate; appropriWinn of the community-created value of/land ; is the ;oaus'e of. all the trouble: •but he .is careful, to say "so,;-Why? Because ho will not-fiice tho facts.""'There is no other answer to tho question.. The great Labour question may be settled : by Stato appropriation'of the community-created yaluo of land', as every statesman ..knows. Not ono of tllem would daro to-publicly deny.it, and accept a challengo to platform debate; Nor ■would any parson dare:to deny it, and como out and fight. Tho curse of politics and tho curse of. tho Church is—-dishonesty, rooted in moral, oowardico and greed.of gain. Truth is ever despised and trodden under foot.—l am. etc., . _ ' , r no ' ■ EDWAIID T. EVANS., May 23, 1909.. . ~