THOSE IN NEED

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 9, 10 July 1935, Page 13

THOSE IN NEED

ATTITUDE OF CHURCH

A NEW SOCIAL ORDER

SYNOD DISCUSSION

An animated discussion took place at the session of the Wellington Synod of the Anglican Church yesterday on the following. motion moved by the Rev. G. V. Gerard (Petone):—■ (a) That this Synod expresses Its appreciation of the efforts hitherto made by the Government and various civic authorities, charitable organisations, church officers, and pri- . .vate individuals, to alleviate the condition of the unemployed and the poor. (b) That this Synod recognises, with much concern, that conditions, which' a few years ago were thought •to be temporary, are still with us .in great measure, and many families .and individuals are enduring very great hardship. (c) That this Synod urges all concerned not to relax their efforts until they succeed in establishing a minimum standard of decent living for all deserving persons in the Dominion, and in" this-^connection il urges all Christian people to be willing to undergo the necessary sacrifice involved. , In moving paragraph (a) Mr. Gerard mentioned his experience as a member of the deputation which a few days ago waited on the Minister of Employment with regard to the sufferings of those men who were out of work, and whose families were in need, He spoke,of the sympathetic manner in which the Government, local bodies, and the public generally had assisted in the work of helping those in distress. Mr. Gerard said he moved the motion on behalf, of the Rev. F. C. Long. TREMENDOUS PATIENCE. The Rev. N. S. Barnett (Tinui) seconded the motion. He referred to the great difficulty in planning any scheme which would successfully meet the position. Probably nobody was capable of framing and carrying out a perfect system." He thought that the people had shown tremendous patience in facing their trials. He paid a tribute to the Minister of Employment for what he had done. "I doubt very much the value of passing these resolutions," said the Rev. W. Tye (Durie Hill). "We express our appreciation of what the Government has done, and we urge them to do more. We know, however, that they can only do more by taxing us more heavily. It will not, I think, do any good." Everyone, he added, surely knew that the clergy did what they could to help those in need. The Rev. F, C. Long, general secretary, Board of Missions, referred to the good work done by 'the Government, local bodies, and the general public. "We want," he said, "to see happy homes, all over the country; we want to see happy homes made possible in the town by the people receiving sufficient incomes." - Everybody, he thought, would expect Synod to express some opinion on the unemploy- \ ment question. The question is "What ia the Church doing?" was very much in people's1 minds^ - and had been answered by the Bishop in his address to Synod. .The clergy were individually doing their bit. What, however, was the proper attitude of the Church towards the problem? Mr. Baldwin had pointed the way when he said that the Church vcould : assist ■ first -in < Christianising the nation, and secondly in'giving its Government a-vision. , The vision which the Church in New Zealand could offer was indicated in paragraph (c) of the motion "a minimum t standard of. living for all deserving " persons." There was no need for the Church to trench .on politics to say how this ought to be done,, but the Church could tell its people that they must prepare themselves, if necessary, for further. sacrifice while there remained unemployed and poor to be helped. DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS. The Rev. N. F. E. Robertshawe, vicar of St. Mark's, emphasised the deterioration of moral character through the continued receipt of relief pay, insufficient for the needs of many families. This was destroying the happiness.of many homes,- and was causing many cases of desertion. He said that :n many instances homes had most meagre furniture, and that, and discomfort, caused irritation, which finally led to quarrels, and at last broke up the home. • The Church's duty was to preach the sacredness of married life, and bring to the notice of intending parties to marriage such a book as "Men, Women, and God," which would give young people high.ideas, and prepare them for their responsibilities in poverty or in wealth. . Mr. Robertshawe described instances of poverty and distress which had come under his notice in his own parish.; There were cases where people on relief or sustenance had-been deprived of nearly all they possessed. Children were sleeping in kitchens, and others were ■ sleeping in beds with their parents because of lack of bedding. (A voice: Shame!) These conditions, he said, were traceable to being on relief and low wages. ■ Mr. W. H. Maclean. (Taihape) stressed the importance of getting to the cause of the boil to which palliative poultices were being so inefficiently applied. The Governments of the -world had not yet ,got to the root of.1 the malady. What the Church was in duty bound to try to do was to see that Christian principles were the basis of government. . The resolution of General Syndol last/ year stated the Church's obligations clearly. TRANSFORM THE SOCIAL ORDER. The Rev. E. M. Cowie (Khandallah) moved, as an amendment:— That this Synod commends to the Church people of the diocese the resolution passed by the General Synod- at the last session regarding the present economic position, namely, that this Synod, while recognising the duty of Christian's to assist those in distress, cannot rest content with the performance of works of mercy within the framework of an un-Christian environment, but is convinced that the Church must use every effort to transform our social order so as to bring it nearer to the mind of Christ. - The opinion was expressed by Canon vV. G. Williams (Aramoho) that it would be a mistake to adopt tlie first paragraph of the motion, as it would give the Government the impression that the Church was satisfied with what is being done. Mr. W. S. Baird (Ohakune) spoke " of the need of studying the basic cause of unemployment, and the higher source to which to look for guidance for the remedy. The Rev. G. V. Gerard referred to the host of industrial wrongs of the nineteenth century to which we looked back with horror; and then as an illustration that the present economic situation in Britain in respect to numbers of people was not temporary, he read extracts from a broadcast talk by the wife of a worker whose husband had been unemployed for thirteen years. Mr. Gerard said that the position should stir the consciences of all Christian people to earnest thought and

prayer to seek some solution- of our present difficulties. He felt sure that the authorities would be only too willing to give a sympathetic hearing to any proposals'of, a constructive nature. He asked if there was any reason why churchmen should not be capable of evolving something of that nature. A difficulty which was recently pointed out by the chairman of the Unemployment Board was the possibility of church members making a strong appeal for further provision being made for the alleviation of the plight of the'poor, and then,'as taxpayers or members of industrial or commercial organisations, pleading for a reduction in their contributions to the common funds of the country with which major expenditure must be met. Mr. Gerard pleaded to members of the Synod, as Christians, to give precedence at all times to their obligations as Christians and churchmen.

■ The amendment, moved by the Rev. Mr. Cowie, was carried by a large majority. . ,