CHURCH AND LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 921, 14 September 1910, Page 6

CHURCH AND LABOUR.

— ; -« — MODUS VIVENDI ATTAINED. ■ WELLINGTON PRESBYTERY GUATIHUD. At tho monthly meeting of the Wellington Presbytery, held yesterday at -St. John's Church, the question of improved relations between tho Church and local Labour, organisations came, under .review, oil a report by the Moderator (the Kev. It. liiglis, Khandallah). "The Moderator said" that as convener bo'hud to report, that tho. cpmmittep previously,l set up had written to tho secretary of the AVullingtoli Trades and Labour Council, asking that a conference be arranged between-that body, and thp committee.. This . was agreed' to. The , conference'was of a most harmoniouii and satisfactory lcind—creditable alike to both the;, representatives of -Labour. and' of - the Church. ,' There ■ had , been a' frank', and full 'discussion-"of all the, points at issue, and, although no • definite resolution had been' passed, . he ' thought:, he, : might saV that an understanding had been"'arrived at which would tend to help to improve matters;between'bo|h bodies. Tho representatives; from;, the Trades . and. -Labour Council had referred to several matters in which joint action was- possible,, notably in regard ■ to co-operation ; in the matter of Sunday observance. All ■ ov»t .. the world the, .force's, of: Ghristidni'.j' arid Labour were, coming, into:,line on this question; .In Canada a great Sabbath' Law had been placed - upon 'the Statute book, very much as. a result of co-opera-tion 1 -between the; Labour party. and. tho Church. ■' .; - < .-:

Efforts Elsewhere. >'the -Imperial Sunday ■; At-' ;liance : : was ; ;trying .to ' interest-: the representatives of; Labour ori '; this ;.; question, and it seemed to him that this was a direction 1 iii. which, if . t.liey were to make ■uny .progress,'they, needed- all .the forces they, coiild command in' order , to. secure proper.; Sunday 'observance; in - the , Dominion. There-had been some feeling of unpleasantness on the part,of the Labour party .here, in that they.-had-not received reply to a .representation made, tovthe .Council of; Churches,; but : that; had.'.beeh lemoyed -on a satisfactory, . explanation being; given .byvone' of their • that when; the letter was received; by tho Council; of Churches that- body was practically defunct; arid' it.'- had .not been passed on to the Ministers'. Association. Then; in;.,,regard;, to;! temperance.., . and'.the. bare majority— the ./Labpur:': representatives'were'' pre-, pared -to throw; in . all' the'; influenco; they to .second -tho, influence of tile; .Church;.! in"obtaining >:-better r licensing legislation, v The same' had '.been said in regard, - to; '. anti-gambling:' the .- 'Trades Council; was against-.'. all •' forms;.; of gambling,- and' any crusade: against l the,' totalisator or' the bookmaker': would havo their hearty support. , ■ : ..The Rev; J. ..Gibson Smith: I'think there 'jy as , a ,word .of warning—that'we w»e hot .to .takethat, as" authoritative; ' :The : -I'. think that :, is, 'the case; they; spoke for themselves, 1 ., but 1 , we wero not to' tako' thatvespression- as re; ; p fe^ n P.ng ,the vfeeling.;of, the' entire 'body ■of •' Labpui. . -Another -matter" in -which ,?y. s .^ g g (!s ted.;cooperation was .in the obtaining .of Government aid incases of -.Matpruityj,-arid.'it was also suggested that we should second ,their.' efforts- in obtainbetter homes - for the / workers—-con- ; c.ernmg; thehigh '(rents. in .' Wellington, "ud -the need,for better homes -for -the ivorkers.,, Any', action they might' take, sliould ■ rcceive.the. help ;Of : . ; the ; Church. : - .It 'was . also/, suggested . that;,we might meat frequently in conterences; ']iist .'as we. ; were.. met that' •night; . deal .with ■ one ques- . tion, at each;; conference.; In order fo x>vo* vide, a^ medium,of conference between' lis ???.<{•"? emboli, iit. was suggested; ; that the ;cpunPil ■; itself. should "appointsome representative; to -act in. that cap'ac-: Ify*.;that :we, as a. Presbytery/ 1 should do-thoVsamo,. so;..'.that,whenever an! opporbimty .should ; arise, for, j oint " action, might he.; the.. medium ' through which; joint actions; were taken '

.. Sp;rit and Tone Admirable.

y r "^ ; co'ittimied the' that the' whole spirit.', and' tone or '-the >conferenc6':,wefe : , admirable; ■ We: were/- dealing • with'' gentlemen who mdi us in-the, most thoroughly •friendly-and cordial >'ay.V We found the : Uabour- Tepresentatives most - willing and' anxious- to.; work with' us,, and : it" seems to' me . that it would .be suicidal to/refuse. to work;with those who are anxious °mZ or £ po-operate.• with •. •i J-ho .Rev. W. Shirer: il have*great pleas,ni°Ying;thafctbis report be received:' adopted,'. and-that,the committee be' .encouraged _m pursuing the good work 'y r™ so well entered.;-'.' 1 "'.lie'.Rev.';J.- Gibson Smith, pointed out'. , tlie; i necessity 0 f : appointing: a "representative -on .the. part ; . of -, ..theUPresbytery to. act as.', a -medium;. in ■coniicctiori " withi li■£5£ |r ? &ell tatiye ..to be appointed.- by' >r e y, rat les ':and 'Labour Council. 1 ' -If ■ .Mr.Shirer. -would , add that Mr., Ihglis be: appointed" tohis"'motion, -.he ■ would |(? T6 '-, mll ch pleasure in, seconding " opinion ; 'was expressed that this' should .take the ■ form' of a separate mo- •;?'>/■/- ;;;

The Eev.'B. Hutson desired to draw tW Presbytery's/attention :,toY- the fact .that, they had met. the representatives of' the ; iraacs - and:. Labour-. Council, :.but not of Federation..of, Labour. d'efini-. tion; was. vital—vital.for 'their action:and., w. the:' success'; of Anything.they, m ight dp.. , The Trades and Labour Council reP^nted, ; theV working" classes and . the affiliated-'.unions 'of-all branches throughout the'country, but they, did not include '.^®y■' er . e dealing ' with, the - Wellington Trades . and Labour . Goun-. wl;which reptesented .the -workers..'here. They ; '.;wefe;, ■ the,, real; Labour, 'party of New,'.' Zealand and theywere. holding -a" on .the folloTiing night ; . to which .all'citizeislwere invited* to come and jpin in .the ;gr(:at programme thev hadvmapped. out., _Now ,the Federation o"f Labour was a Socialist party, which was a different; party altogether,, and some of ; the- Presbytery's - people, were.. afraid of .theword.''Socialism/' He wished it to .be understood that-the party with which they?:were! dealing "was: not the Socialist party—some Vof them. might be. Socialists —and that they had .nothing to'do .with' it. '.'He. suggested'that ; Mr;. Shirer's.name bo added:to-the-committee:v. . . The ' resolution,. with . -the . addition of the Moderator's name as representative, was; unanimously-adopted. . Labour.. Sunday. ■ The. Kcv. B. Hutson' further moved in the' direction, of 'the Church taking note '0f... the Sunday before Labour Day;: or Labour Sunday as' it was styled in; othor 'places. : The' Moderator 'approved, adding that it would, be a good thing and the means of drawing many -'working men into the. churches. - ... < It was agreed ..that it be a recommendation to -the city ministers. : . v '