LEADERS' THOUGHTS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 103, 28 October 1913, Page 8

LEADERS' THOUGHTS

— ♦ THE PURPOSE OF KNOWLEDGE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) , LONDON, 20th September. The Bishop of Birmingham, in Birmingham Cathedral, to the members of the British Association : "How stupid is the suggestion that there must be a barrier between knowledge and belief ! Even the most credulous only accepts that which ho is perBuaded ho will ono day know, even the most sceptical acknowledges that there aro matters as to which 1 he cannot yet say that ho has scientific certainty, which he nevertheless accepts, and upon which to some extent his life is baßcd. What does knowledge mean? To know anything is to have a certainty of it dorived from study. That study has been » based upon some foundation accepted upon evidence? in other words, fat tit has had some place in the realm of science. No man can say quite truthfully that^ to know in an objectless -way is satisfying. I desire knowledge for certain definite ends, two of which aro the great common ideals of the relitjioua and of the scientific worker. Theso are, first, the understanding of the purposes of the Great Architect of the Universe; second, the promotion of human happiness and efficiency. WELFARE OF HUMANITY. " Whatever religious teachers may liavo felt as to what is commonly styled evolution' fifty years ago, I venture to say that to-day there is no ono who is not thankful for the great Creator's sake that the intertwining of His creatures has been accentuated on scientific knowledge. Scientific treatment has revolutionised the treatment of disoaso, and has exposed its source. You yreac scientists have the glory of such discoveries, but it is we clergy, as we pass from homo to home, in some of the poorer parts of our great cities, who can best realise how marvellously you have lessened the -weight of human suffering and how you have added to the efficiency of the breadwinners of the mean streets, those toilers who are tho greatest capital of the country. ' "We find ourselves now, the scientist and the religious, understanding each other better than ever before. Stripped both of us of over dogmatic assertion, confessing both of us to a reverent agnosticism, we look out over the still uncaaquered worlds. We directly moral teachers feel sometimes Bad as we contemplate the power and the forcefubioss o£ the things which make for degeneracy ; you long for some spiritual lever which shall impress men with the , necessity of observing those things which make for fullest health. You are enquiring, ever experimenting. Allow us to share in that honourable endeavour. I protest against the notion that the Church is to be unenquiring and non-experimenting. The religious body which discourages , enquiry must ' stagnate and must die. The condition of the departed, their closeness to ourselves, the possibility of communication with them, theso aro subjects aßi to which there hits been in more recent years much consideration within the religious bodies. Are these things ( going to bo gradually unveiled by the aid of science and faith walking hand in hand?" SPENDTHRIFTS OF FUEL. Professor H. *E. Armstrong :— , ',' Wo;, have to bring thei nation to Wtfjkhrffci they are hopeless ("p'ericlfchrifts of fuel,"' and must mend out 1 ways or porish economically at no distant date.' The conservation of fuel is an important subject, which covers the problem of our entire industrial activity and much besides. Where is the energy to 'come from in tho future, whon our coal is used up or becomes so expensive that we cannot afford to iwe it? Alcohol in countries such as ours is the only prospect. Wo shall bo obliged, probably to translate tho sun's rays from the tropics in tho form of alcohol. Many mil no doubt lift up their hands in (nous horror at the thought of our iving on alcohol, but such must bo tho forecast. Instead, however, of burning tho alcohol uneconomically thermally, we shall burn it perhaps electrically, and get the full* meed of energy out of it, not a wretched 20 per cent, or lees. Not only do we burn our coal wastefully, bub also in such a way as to be always a nuisance to ourselves and to our neighbourhood. Tho world must be more sparing in its use of its supplies of fuel. Then wo are in duty bound to use our coal economically and with wisdom. Wo have absolutely no right merely to burn coal. We are in duty bound to got everything wo can out of it. (Applause.) Wo can get out of coal not heat alone, but gas/ various liquid phosphates, much ammonia, and a good deal of sulphur." THE SYMPATHETIC STRIKE. Mr. J. H. Thomas, M.P. (Railways men's Union in London) : — "I ask you seriously to realise that if wo try to ' improve your position we shall demand something from you. The first essential duty is loyalty to your organisation. Therefore-,' if wo aro to direct you— and there is a tendency to direct us in every tinpot dispute — wo ask that you shall not fritter away your power in this or that dispute. Our position as railwaymen is unique, and I am absolutely and emphatically opposed to what is called the sympathetic strike, because, in the first place, there is no dispute which can possibly happen but what in some way or other you as railway men must bo involved. ' " Neither is it fair and honest, and it is not serving your purpose to bo dragged into every dispute without either your union officials or your organisation being consulted. We are now prepared for a groat movement. We want to bo in a position in 1914 unlike what we have over been in before. Instead of having this section or that section of mon getting certain terms, and setting them off agauist another grade, we want tho mon to fight for each other, and we want to say that when uu agreement is. come to for general conditions, that it shall bo on behalf of tho railway men of the United Kingdom. If there is to bo fair dealing there must be fair dealing on both sides, and I appeal to railway men not to fritter away your powers and prostitute tho great position you hold, but that when a contract is entered into it should be carried out in letter and spirit, and you should trust your officials to soo that the other side will carry out it« obligations! It is because there in a danger of losing tho full forces of our society that I warn my hearers not to be dragged into every sectional dispute. Such action must inevitably load to disaster and anarchy among all ranks."