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Dunstan Times, Issue 701, 24 September 1875, Page 2

Some people are never satisfied unless they obtain everything they want for nothing, fancying doubtless that what everybody else has should he theirs. For a very modest body of men commend us to the Dunedin people, or such of them who formed the deputation a few days since, and waited upon His Honor the Deputy Superintendent, asking that free railway passes should be granted to all ministers of religion when on duty. What is meant by tins expression we are at a loss to learn, we can scarcely see how that a minister can be off duty ; surely it does not mean that religion can be put on and off like a garment. Dunedin folks are exceedingly modest. It was only a little while ago that they recommended free excursion trains from the country so that the excursionists might have the opportunity of some cheap shopping. Now we find the Daily Times advocating a mob of parsons into the country free of all cost for railway conveyance, as a quid pro quo. In the first place we should ask, does the country districts desire all this, are not our own spiritual, advisers quite sufficient for our wants? The answer, we fancy must he that we are sufficiently supplied. His Honor hit the mark very admirably when, in answer to Dr Stuart’s argument for a free travelling ticket, he replied that “ perhaps the proper thing would be to pay minis ters better.” A minister of religion has no more right to a free travelling ticket by the Government railways than anybody else ; and it is no argument whatever that because railways are public property one class of persons should travel on them for nothing. It is very clear that the working ex penses of the railways must be borne by the country generally, together with the interest of the money borrowed to construct them It tbei-efore becomes highly necessary that the lines must be made to pay, and this will not be the case with an extensive issue of free passes. The church congregations in Dunedin, as well as places to where railway communication exists, are revelling in riches when compared to congregations in the interior, and it would be most unjust to expect that we should be compelled to contribute towards the t 'avelling exnenses of the clergy of those forward places. It is a fallacious a 'gument to say that, because a clergyman tiavelsnpcountryhegoes asan educator. That is a question many people will hold different opinions upon, notwithstanding that Dr Stuart will tell ns it is to stir up men’s religions, and intellectual natures ; we hold that these circumstances do rot always operate together, they may possibly he antagonistic. It might just as well be urged that newspapers should be conveyed free, for, are they not educators ? while parcels of books, and we had almost forgotten the schoolmasters would require to be included, in fact there would be no arriving at the limit of what was educating or what was an educator. The issue of free travelli ig passes on the railway, except to government officers in the discharge of their duties is, under any circumstances, most impolitic, and there is no telling where the evil would stop if one a began. Membei-s of the Provincial Council managed last session to vote themselves free tickets, but their privileges in this respect will soon happily cease, a greater abuse of power could not have been perpetrated. While possessing every desire to assist the cause of religion we could not conscientiously advocate free railway travelling to ministers more than anybody else. The railways must, as far as possible, be made self supporting, and when church congregations desire that their ministers should travel they should he in a position to pay their tares, and not ask other people to do so for them, there is no true religion in that, and we quite endorse His Honor the Deputy Superintendent’s ideas upon the subject.