THE ANGLICAN SYNOD

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3131, 9 July 1917, Page 6

THE ANGLICAN SYNOD

AND SIX O'CLOCK CLOSING. sir -Will you allow mo to express my appreciation of the plain and unvarnished statements made by Lieutenant-Colonel W ICingtoTi Fyfte at Hie -Wicaii Synod on' ThiikU.y afternoon. The clearness of the doctor's arguments, and the manifest honesty of his purpose, were convincing and irresistible. This 6 oclort closing proposal is an insult to tho soldier. Tho loafers about town may drink, but the man who serves his countrv, and helps to win liberty and civilisation for the world, is to be deprived of even Hie privilege of the loafer wnen he comes to town. Lieutenant-Colonel Fvffe showed that the rum ration ordered first by Lord Kitchener, who warned the troops against excess in wine and women, was absolutely essential to the troops. It was not only a stinralant, but it was a food, and contained a large amount of sugar. Tho sin in this country is not drunkenness; and everyone has acclaimed (with the exception of tlie Prohibitionists) the morale, cood conduct and fighting spirit of our soldiers. There

I aro worse evils in the community than those arising from the excessive use oE alcoholic liquors, and the Lieutenanti Colonel did not mince matters about these either. Tho Hev. h\ Spencer offered some criticism, but it is quite wrong for 'him to imagine that the best physicians are other than on the side of LieutenantColonel Fyffe. It is doubtful if the most religious men are other than on the same eide as Ijieutonant-Colonol l'"yffe. The best soldiers we know are in favour of the rum ration and the wet canteen for the soldiers, and from a religious viewpoint the Church has.not a leg to stand; on if it advocates prohibition us a Christian principle. The more the Church, however, advocates prohibition, and the more it throws itself into the advocacyof every piece of political piffle which! Hie prohibitionists propose, the more harm is the Church doing to itself. The Itov Dr W. B. Selby says the Churches must reform during tho next few years or go under altogether, Ho points out that fhe,chief trouble about the Churches is their selfishness and the selfishness of the parsons themselves. Those parsons who preach prohibitiou and' 6 o clock closing say they do so because of economy and for sacrifice, but they never .spend a sixpence on liquor, and doing without it would be to them no sacrifice. Could selfishness go further