MANY SUBJECTS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 118, 15 November 1934, Page 5

MANY SUBJECTS

ASSEMBLY DISCUSSIONS

CHURCH AND SOCIETY

THE ECONOMIC CRISIS

i (By Tele^inpll—i'less Association } ■ UUNEDIN, Nov ember ~14. i The Picsbjteuaii Assembly today ■ authoused the Picsbvtciy oi Dunudiu ■to license thu lecv. A. J. McNaughton, I ducctoi elect of the jouth. woik ot the i Piosbjlcuan Cliuuli ot Australia. . The Ee\. J. 11. MeKcinsic moved that i mcannhilo the Theological Hall Com , nuttco do not peinnt students of the ; Piesbytenan Chuich of New Zealand to attend lectuies jn St. Andrew's College, Sydney. The motion was cauicd by a inajoiity of 33. Tho Eov. 11. J. Rvbuin syoko upon the hbiaiy of Theological Hall, pointing out that it is defective in books published in recent yeais. Only £.20 per year was spent upon it, and this camo fiom the Synod of Otago and Southland. He expressed gratification that the Synod now gave £50 fo*r tho pm chase of books. Tho Rev. D. C. Hen on said the Theological • Hall needed scholarships veiy much at picscnt, and afcked that members of the assembly enable the committee to increase the funds avail able. Tho Rev If. B. Baiton moved that under "the ducction ot the Theological Hall Committee an eifoit be made dm ing the year to mciea&o the scholai ship funds. Tho lepoit ot the Beneficiary Pund Committee showed that tho value ot the tund had impioved by some £17,000. Each new member now became a stiength to the fund instead of a liability as obtained five year* ago, Tho total deficiency of the tund was £37,000, this was serious, but not critical The assembly decided that subscriptions to the fund be deducted from inembeis' salaues by congiegational tieasmers at rcgulai inteivals, as was the case in the Civil Service. Legal advico showed this was allowable. TEMPERANCE WORK. Tho Rev. L. M. Rogers, piesonting the temperance committee's lepoit, paid a tribute to the -north and work of the secretary of tho Now Zealand Alliance. Efforts were being made to placo licensed houses in tho King Country, but tho alliance pleveuted this. It was admitted that tho goal of Piohibition had not been attained, but in the effoit to do so gieat good had acciued. Thcie was a gicat danger of losing many of tho points gained owing to the apathy of Christian people. The redistnbution df licences was a serious menace, and an Act of Parliament had legalised this in one instance Thcro was giavn lrason to behovo that an abuso of this was possible. At tho next poll activities wcio hfioly to be hindoied'by lack of money. The chuich must do all possible to assist in piopaganda and set fiee somo twenty miuistcis for the purpose of intensive and extensive temperance teaching of the young people. Bands ot hope should be encouiag-d. In conceit with the Public Questions Committee, tho Temperance Committee is to seek to impress upon tho Govern ment the need of strictci control of liquoi sales. The Rev. James Milno moved that tho Temperance Committee look into the Cat lisle cxpeiimcnt and report at nevt Assembly, but fhc pioposal" gained no favoui. \ " < ' INTEREST IN BROADCASTING. >- Tho Rev, 13. J. Tiplci moved, that a standing committee on bioadcasting be set up,in Duiiedin to rcpicsent the assembly in all hiatters connected with broadcasting, and in negotiations with tho Bioadeasting Boaid, and with authorised bodies appointed by'othei denominations, this committoc to consider and foimulate lines of policy and developments of bioadcasting in ordci that the chuich may make fill) use of tho facilities <:nd secuie adequate icprpsentation on advisoiy committees. The Rev. D. M. Ilercus uiged the increasingly uigent need for the chuich to havo its own bioadcasting station, and commend the claims of such an enterprise to all. Tho Rev. Joh^ Peteisou piosonted the repoit of the Social Service Associations, and assured the assembly that care was being taken oi those who had left tho homes. Those best qualified to judgo held a high opinion of the Piesbytenan homos. Attention was drawn to the need of old people's homes m other contres similar to the Boss Home at Dunedm. Special homes with special staffs fov tho caie of infantweie also necebsim. The Rev. F. H. Wilkinson mov ed that the Assemblj 's social seivace committee establish a fund ior the erection of .1 home foi tho aged and invalid pooi of the Chuich, and, that the matter be sent to the committee for inquiry, consideration, and report. Information being given that Di. Kagawa intended to visit tho Dominion, the Assembly appointed a committee to co-operate with the national council of the V.M.C.A. in making auange ments and authored an evpendituie not e-\cpedwg £50 towards the expenses. ' On lesumption of the discussion on the rcpoit on public questions it was decided to enjoin upon ministers and missionaries the urgent duty of constantly instituting congregations on the international implications of Christian faith, awakening them to a senso of the sinfulness of an attitude irequently adopted to people of other na tionality oi lace, and calling on them to seek in all things ughteousness, which makes for peace. RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS. Regaiding the Bible *m schools, v was reported that the Bill bcfoie Par hament-had been changed in somo do gico. Any teachei desning to help m the woik may offer if he pleases. The Bible in Schools League had come to * new lease of lift' The Rev. R. T). McEwjn spoke to an oveituio ftom Matauia Presbytciy in regaid to the icligious mstiuction in public schools, and urged consultation with tho teaching piofession and defim lion of tho term lehgious instruction as Bible leading with simple veibal explanations, hymns, and a lepetition^of Tho Rev. G. D. Falconet said that all icfcicnee t« teachers should be omitted from any Bill. He said that each denomination should teach its own cluldien, and that light should be give-i 'tlio Rev. 3. Pateison moved that the oveitmc be declined, and this was car'"riic Assembly tcaffiinied its suppoit of the Biblc-iu-Schools League ' The Rev. J. D. Smith picsented the report of the economic committee, no i said the present crisis was the consequence of a violation of God's Jawa : inevitably working on, a woild showing 1 abundant evidence of worship of Mam- ! mon and selfishness. Since man a life : was bound up with and affected by ma- ! toml interests, the Church must con- ! com itself with material welfare. I hi- : ChnstiairChurch -lioulcl make clcai its i sympathy with those who suffer, it ! she did not then their buttering would ■ fall upon the Chuich. No suggestion ■of indifference was possible. They must ' countciact the assumption that the pie- ! sent system was the approved Curia-

tian social Older. No economics which disiegarded Divine icalities aud principles could satisfy. The Rev. W. McArthur urgod that Clnistians must sit where the unemployed and hungiy sit. PROBLEMS OF TODAY. The Eev. J. D. Smith moved that pi csbj tones be uiged to tostei the formation of social study groups within bounds with a view to a more adequate understanding ot the implications of the Christian faith in human i elationahips The Rev. D. M. Martin induced the Assembly to add that prcsbyteiies consider whethci a system of society based on liithlcss competition or an order wheic men weie encouraged to share fieely the common task and the common wealth was the moie likely to proseive values in the realm ot character and be in aceoidance with the will of God; vvhethei God, who cicated the eaith and yearly provides tho fruit or it, wills that both earth and its products should bo owned and used for the benefit of a few or administered as trust tor all the people; and whether tho woids ot Christ regarding lending aie applicable to the institution of mteicst.