THE COUNCIL OF CHURCHES.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 130, 29 November 1904, Page 2

THE COUNCIL OF CHURCHES.

MONTHLY MEETING. SUNDAY TRAMS AND OTHER QUESTIONS RAISED. The monthly meeting of the Wellington j Council of Churches was held in the Courtenay -place' Congregational Church last night. The Rev. Dr. Gibb (President) occupied the chair, and some thirty delegates were present. FUTURE MEETINGS. The President said he doubted whether in future there would be sufficient business to justify holding meetings monthly. In Duuedin the Council met quarterly. At any rate, it was not intended to hold any meetings during the coming holiday season, and therefpre the next meeting would not be held until tho end of February. BELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE AT PUBLIC CEREMONIES. Dr. Gibb further stated that he had no progress to report regarding the proposal made to the Council at its last meeting, in a letter from Bi&hop Wallis, that there should be some religious ceremony in connection with the opening of the Home for Chronic Invalids. Mrs. T C. Williams had intimated that she would place the proposal before the Committee that had the arrangements in hand. As no reply had been received, he (Dr. Gibb) presumed that the authorities had decided against the proposal. THE CITY COUNCIL AND A RELIGIOUS SERVICE. Tlie President added that he had suggested to the Mayor that there should be some form of religious observance in connection with the opening of the Tqwn Hall. Mr. Aitken subsequently stated, that he had placed the suggestion before members of the City Council, who did not approve of it. Dr. Gibb presumed that that matter had also fallen through. A TOWN HALL SERVICE. It was reported that the Town Hall had been secured for the purpose of, holding a united religious service on the evening of the 11th prox. An order of service had been prepared in which the different denominations would be as widely represented as possible. Mr. Maughan Barnett had agreed to take charge of a united choir for the occasion, and a practice would be held on the afternoon of the day in question. An interesting service was promised, a souvenir order of service was being printed, and it was anticipated that the large hall would be crowded on the occasion. ANTI-TATTERSALL. As convener of the Church Union and Co-operation Committee of the Presbyterian Assembly, JDr. Gibb brought up a resolution forwarded by the recently held Baptist Conference, in which that body sought tho united help of religious bodies in approaching the United Press Association and the Newspaper Proprietors' Association to *rge them to cease- publishing the results of. Tattersall's sweeps and betting odds. On the motion of the Rev. William Thomson (Petone), it was resolved that the Baptist Union's resolution be endorsed, and that the necessary steps be taken locally to carry out the proposal. THE CHINESE QUESTION. Dr. Gibb .cad a private letter sent to him by a Wellington citizen in which it was suggested that some serious attention should be given to the welfare of "a persecuted branch of the human family," the Chinese. The- writer pointed out thnt there were 4000 Chinamen and only 30 women of that nation in New Zealand, and this great discrepancy probably had something to do with the herding of the men- in Chinese quarters. Something should be done to raise the tone of tho Chinese in our cities, and he thought that the admission into the colony of the legal wives of the Chinese free of poll-tax would do much good. If the men had their wives they would probably occupy different houses, instead of herding together, as was done in Haining-street. The writer believed that the wives should be admitted without having to pay the £100, or the Chinese should be kept out of 'the colony altogether, as under present conditions they were a menace to our young psople. " The Rev. J. R. Glaeson said he was in sympathy with the writer of the letter, but he wanted time to consider the question raised. A small committee should be set up to gather information on the subject, and report at the next meeting of the Council. Mr. William Allan also advised the Council not to act hurriedly in the matter. A large question was' involved m the proposal, and- the Council should think well before approaching the powers that b& upon such an important issue. Mr. Glasson's suggestion was adopted, he and the Rev. Mr. Thomson to furnish the report. THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS. Dr. Gibb read a letter he had received from Mr. William Hutchison, of Dunedin on the Bjble-in-schools question. He (Dr' Gibb) reiterated his firm belief that he would yet be on the winning side, v His fear was that political issues might be mixed up with the question when it was put before the people. If the 'issue was put separately, clearly, and distinctly before the people at a ballot, then, as he had often asserted before, he had no fear of the result of the bjllot. A CHAPLAIN, WANTED. The Ministers' Association, wnich met, yesterday afternoon, sent ,a recommendation to the Council m which the latter body was urged to take steps wlrch would result in the appointment of a chaplain to conduct Sunday serves on behalf of the evangelical churches in the hospitals and asylums. At the present time services are conducted in rotation by members of the Ministers' Association, at 9.30 a.m.., or at 5.30 p.m. The Rev. Q. Bond said tho afternoon services at the Hospital were a fuilure because the hour was inconvenient to the patients. Mr. William Allan and Dr. Uibl, s <'\ there was need for a chaplain, and they feJt that the congregations of the city would readily respond to an appeal for help. rr The following committee was set up to consider the question. Revs. Dr. Gibb P. W. Fairclough, J. R. Glasson, .Keith r W v'T-l T -m nlI ™rMcBSr McBSr *- N - Turner n w e> W - Walton ' W - Allan > Jvener) en> and D " M - ile nelaus (conTHE WHITE CROSS LEAGUE. The Council was approached, in a letter, by Mr R. H. W. Blythe, General Secretary of the Australasian White Cross League (a social purity organisation), who ~ intimated that he had just concluded a successful lecturing tour of Queensland, and wquld like to make an extended tour of New Zealand. In a letter to the Ministers' Association, he said he desired an I invitation from this colony, but added that such an invitation would not incur financial responsibility on the part of the Council. Several speakers expressed diffidence concerning the issue of an invitation, and it was resolved that the Council should express its sympathy with the objects of the League and the mission, but could not see its way to issue an invitation to Mr. Blythe to come to New Zealand. TRAMS AND SUNDAY SERVICES. The Rev. Mr. Blnmires brought up the question of the Sunday tram service in the city, and asked the Council to approach the City Council on the subject.

Ec would like the CouncH of Churches to urge the City Council to stop the running of tramcars during the hours when services were being held on Sundays, and even to go further, and ask that a, referendum should be taken in the city on the question whether the trams should run at all on the Sabbath. The speaker said that as contributors to the rates they must all feel that they liad a, responsibility in the running of the system on Sundays. The sanctity of the Lord's Day was broken by the running of the trams, and where there was a! breach of this sanctity there was national deterioration. The running of the trams on Sunday also deprived many men of their day of rest. Mr. Blamires said that if they could not stop the running of the cars on Sundays, then a strong endeavour should be made to get a cessation of < the noisy traffic whilst service was being held in the churches. The trams passed the doors, or near the doors, of many churches in the city, anil the ringing of the bells was a source of annoyance. Ho moved in the direction indicated. The motion was seconded. The Rev. C. Dallaston said the tramcars passed the doors of his church in Vivian-street, and caused annoyance. He thought the Council had a right to claim a cessation of the rynning during service hours, and suggested that a deputation should be sent to the City Council. A lay delegate suggested that the first suggestion in the motion should be stuck to. There was much hope of getting a partial cessation of the trams, but he feared they were not strong 'enough to secure the abolition of the trams on Simdays. Another lay member wanted to know■what length of time and at what hour the trams should cease running on Sunday evenings. Two clergymen replied that that was a> detail for the City Council to consider. " From 6 to 8 o'clock," suggested another delegate. " Then that would prevent people using the trams to go to church !" exclaimed the Roy. Mr. Bond. " liet them go to the churches near their homes," rep He'd Mr. Blamires It -was agreed that Mr. Blamires's motion should be divided, and it was resolved on the voices that a cessation of the running of the cars during the hours when service is being held in the churches should be asked for. REFERENDUM REJECTED. Mr. Blamires then moved the second portion of his motion : " That the City Council be asked to take a referendum on the subject of running the trams on Sundays." ' The Rev: Mr. Bond expressed the hope that this motion would not be carried. Electric trainwaya had become a part of modern life, and if the people were asked to stop running the cars on Sundays there would^ba a refusal by a large majority. Besides, it was better that the people should gep avay out of the oity and breathe God's free air than lounge about their homes on Sundays. He urged delegates not to go too far, not to go out of their way to court failure. A layman said he was sorry to hear tho opinions exj)ressed by tha previous speaker, and thought that an endeavour should be made to get a referendum as proposed before th# people became, too familiar with the use of the trams on Sundays. The motion was lost by 12 votes to 10. The Council then went into Committee.