"RETURN TO GOD"

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 8, 9 July 1931, Page 17

"RETURN TO GOD"

SOLUTION OF TROUBLES

CATHOLIC BISHOPS' CALL

WAY TO END DISTRESS

A pastoral address issued by the Roman Catholic Archbishops and Bishops of New Zealand, dealing with tho causes of the present economic distress, and urging the practical of ' Christian teaching as tho only solution to the problem; is published in the current issuo of the Auckland Catholic journal, "The Month." The statement is signed by Archbishop Redwood, Archbishop O'Shea (Wellington), Bishop Liston (Auckland), Bishop Brodie (Christchurch), and Bishop Whyte (Dunedin). "We are living in difficult times. A wave of financial depression is passing over the world," states the address, "Business is stagnant; unemployment is the lot of millions, and there are millions who have little between them and starvation. Happily, thank God, our own Dominion is not affected to the same extent as other places. All this is going oh in thp wealthiest countries which have in their boundaries immense resources, abundant supplies of food, of material for clothing and housing, and of all things necessary, or useful to support life for their people, not only in comfort, but even in luxury, were they being properly utilised. "What is the reason for such a state of affairs to-day? It would seem that the industrial economic system, like the great machine that it is, has got beyond the control of thoso who guide it. There can be no question but that it has failed and failed miserably in our times to promote a fair and-equit-able distribution of wealth, or even to ensuro regular and constant employment for all those willing and anxious to work. It is at tho best like all things human, an imperfect and faulty system. But its worst feature is that it leaves itself open to manipulation by selfish and crafty men against tho interests of the people. "The world-wide trouble of to-day is not due entirely to a faulty machine. Such depressions have been recurring in.the wealthier countries with greater frequency during the last half-century. They do. not cause themselves. Behind every one of them is a human act, or rather a series of huriian acts. r"A certain policy, or might we call.it a philosophy of life? has for years past controlled the business world. It has been proclaimed by its. followers and votaries as a heaven-sent system, which would make for the real progress and betterment of humanity. But, examined in the light of facts, it is a system which has made the wage-earner a parttime, worker' on ,an insufficient wage, while it has allowed the sources of wealth to flow into the hands .of a gradually diminishing minority of the people. "GREED AND INJUSTICE." ''It has proved itself a system which, ,to be frank, is built on greed and injustice, so that, in the words of the great Pope Leo XIII., 'a small number of very rich men have been able to lay upon' the teeming masses of the labouring poor a yoke little less than that of slavery itself.': And the evil has been further intensified by the fact that riot only the great and powerful,' but the masses of men, have to a large extent turned away from God and: neglected His law.' There has been a weakening of the religious fibre in almost every-country. Yet'ftthe root of buir present economic and industrial difficulties is a. moral one,, and-unless-men face this fact all the remedies that, are being suggested in the Press and on the platform will turn out to be mere palliatives—a: putting off of the evil day—and the'next world depression will be a more frightful one than tho present. You cannot divorce economics from the moral law, and still continue to have prosperity, peace and happiness amongst the nations. . RETURN TO RELIGION NEEDED. "Now the Christian religion is the custodian and interpreter of the,morallaw, and. in its teachings will be found the only remedies for thei evils which - afflict us to-day. . .' . : There must be a change of heart, not only amongst those who control the destinies of nations, but amongst the people themselves. '.-''l All must acknowledge their mistake in seeking elsewhere than in God and the observance of thef Christian precepts their real prosperity, and true happiness in life. - ; i ' ' Governments should check by. wise ' laws the exploitation of the people by the great and powerful. They should aim at bringing about a better distribution of wealth, for instance, by de-• veloping the;land,'which contains the real riches of the country, and by encouraging the private ownership of small businesses and industries. And, above all, let rulers and people,agree to bring-back God and religious training into the schools wherein the young are .trained} and from which they are at present banished. For you cannot ~ havo a,religious people, without Chris-" tian-education. ... . / EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES. ~." "Employers must endeavour to show every, consideration to their employees . at the present time. Let them remember that the latter are not mere. ma : chines or .commodities, but human "beings like themselves, and deserve to be. treated as such. Those higher up must share in the sacrifices that will be necessary. Employees are not to forget that they have duties and serious obligations to those who employ them. But if both sides are prepared to give and take and strive to act towards each other with justice and charity, more harmony and good fellowship will prevail, and these things are invaluable helps in every crisis. "We desire that our parishes and religious institutions should put in hand even sooner than has been intended any building schemes in contemplation, provided such works are justified by the needs of the place, and. that the financing of them is within their power. In this way a useful contribution can be made towards solving the evil of unemployment. Finally, all classes and sections of the community should be convinced of their obligation to do their part in bringing about an improvement in the conditions of the country, not only, material, but spiritual. Let all resolve to work iinitedly for the greater good of the Dominion. In union there is strength, and per-, haps never before'in our history has united effort been more necessary.

"They used to say," wrote Mr. Pash to his son, who's sleeping his way through college lectures, "that in' the spring a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of love. I realise," he wrote, "that that was before the days of cosed cars. Just/the same a little advice won't hurt you. To begin with; all women are different and it's no use trying to understand them. But remember this: Most women like to see a man smoking a pipo, but no woman likes strong smoke floating around her." It will pay you to switch to Luxury and since Luxury is so low priced you'll stand a, better chance of being able to pay for two seats at that theatre, ipartjj jwa mentionedr—A^_*W