GAMBLING AND PICTURES

Evening Star, Issue 21965, 27 February 1935, Page 13

GAMBLING AND PICTURES

METHODIST CONFERENCE VIEWS YESTERDAY AFTERNOON'S PROCEEDINGS The annual conference of the Methodist Church of New Zealand was continued in Trinity Church yesterday afternoon. Rev. J. H. Haslain presidIMMIGRATION. The Rev. H. .1, Odell (Wellington)* submitted the report on immigration. It was pointed out by a member that while he did not wish to deplore the * splendid work of the committee handling immigration matters there was no Methodist minister regularly meeting overseas vessels to welcome the churchmen from abroad. It was decided that it be a recommendation to the District Committee that a Methodist minister should be associated with Mr 11. Denton, who met the boats arriving from the Homeland, to welcome the Methodists to the country. LIQUOR QUESTION. , A short discussion on the subject oi Prohibition and the attitude of the church toward the question was held in committee, and in open conference it was decided that the Methodist Public Questions Committee endeavour to meet the Presbyterian Temperance Committee to discuss the matter of policy, particularly as affecting the, issues submitted at the licensing poll. It was further decided that the question of the redistribution of liquor licenses be brought forward, and that the church recorded its judgment that redundant licenses ought to have been cancelled, and in any case there should be no transfer of such redundant licenses without the consent of the electors of the district to which transfer, was intended to be made. If such consent was not given such a license should lapse, as it was evident it was not required. MOVING PICTURES. The Public Questions Committee made the following recommendation;— “ That this conference urges tlidse who patronise the pictures to patronise only those of a high order.” Mr L.. Watson (Oxford) said he had been associated with a picture theatre for many years, and had found that if the good pictures were given to the . public the attendances. would increase, and with'them, of course, the takings. Experienced exhibitors everywhere would say that if they did not show really good pictures they could not obtain the patronage, so that it was obvious the picture people must help themselves. It was suggested by the Rev. A. H. Scriven that the church should get in touch with Methodists in England and America with the object of receiving from them recommendations or otherwise regarding various films released. Another member suggested that some V form of reliable criticism of pictures should be published. He had seen a magazine which was frank, if a film was not suitable for public showing and why; and on the other hand, it recommended the best pictures. The Rev. D. S. Emmett said lie did not see that the motion could serve any purpose, and expressed the hope that it would be dropped. The church could not- stop people from going io the pictures. . “If the people are clean minded they will not go to immoral pictures,’ said the Rev. E. Drake. “We should leave it to the moral, sense of the people themselves.” He pointed out that in many cases the supports were the trouble, not the main picture. He hoped that the motion would be thrown out.

“ We do not know if the pictures are not of a high moral order before we. go. and if we did wo would nut go,” laid the Rev. A. A. Bensley. . / ' The chairman said he did not agree with those two speakers who wished to see the resolution thrown out. On being put to the meeting tho motion was lost. GAMBLING. Resolutions on the subject of gambling were introduced by the Public Questions Committee, the fol- , lowing being adopted;— “ That in view of the subtlety and rapid spread of the gambling menace the conference urges our people to keep themselves free from all association with art unions, sweepstakes, lotteries, and gambling in every form, and directs that future teaching on the ethical -'points of gambling be given moie frequently from our pulpits, and commends the booklet, ‘ Sport Without a ' Smile,’ by the Rev. P. H. Chennell. to our people.” “That in the interest of national morals this conference protests against the facilities for gambling, and urges the Govern lent to . countenance , nothing that i; calculated to facilitate the growth of this evil.” * “ That this conference draws the attention of the Government to the fact that in Great Britain large scale lotteries continue to be illegal under the Gambling Act recently passed and that the sale and distribution of lottery tickets are prohibited under severe penalty. In the’same Act all advertisements respecting lotteries hibited, and newspapers are forbidden to publish lists of sweep winners or any other matter calculated to act as an inducement to participate in lotteries. The conference asks that similar prohibitive legislation should be applied to art unions, which are run with the Government’s permission in this country, but which are responsible for incalculable harm to the youngei in the interest of education of our people on the question of the evils of gambling the conference requests the Public Questions Committee, in conjunction with the \outb Board to prepare and publish a suitable leaflet on the evils of gambling.” “That this conference directs the chairmen of districts to send a copy of tHe resolutions to the members of Parliament in their districts. YOUTH DEPARTMENT. Thei'e was a discussion on the attitude of the young men’s Bible classes toward the main body of the church when the youth department report was presented. The question arose when a member expressed the opinion that there was ft missing link between the church and the young wen « Bible classes, as the result of which many Bible class members were failing to link up with the church. ' ... . The Rev. H. Sharp (Halt) followed this up by claiming that certain subterranean” trends were making themselves manifest in the vouth movement of the church. He said he had been informed that an attempt was being made to bring about a “quiet, bloodless,” revolution in the whole structure of the Methodist Church of Now Zealand.

Several other speakers expressed concern ..about the position of the Bible classes with respect to the church. Among them was (he Hov, Clarence Efcton, who told the conference that at

a convention of young men of the Bible classes which he had attended they had come to a decision that they would have nothing to do with war. The speaker also said that what amounted to Unitarian principles had been avowed by other Bible class members. He thought that decisions of this nature should not have been reached until they had first received the consideration of the older leaders of the church. There was a disposition on the part of some of the leaders of the Bible class movement to resist any control by the church, and if this were allowed to go unchecked there was a possibility of a rift developing on a question of some- major policy of the church. Ho begged the young men to be willing to accept guidance on such serious issues. Mr Eaton added that he was not speaking in any spirit of carping criticism, and that he greatly admired much of the work the young men’s Bible classes were doing.

Considerable concern was expressed at the position revealed, the fear being voiced that certain disruptive tendencies were .111 evidence, and it was decided that so important a question should be further discussed the following day, when representatives of the Bible classes should have the opportunity of explaining their position.

LOCAL PREACHERS

ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL MEETING The annual meeting of the Local Preachers’ Association was held last evening in Slade Hall. The members wore entertained at tea as the guests of the Dunedin branch of the association. Mr A. T. M'lndoe, who presided, extended a welcome to the visiting members, and this was responded to by Mr H. E. Bellringer, of New Plymouth, and Mrs Odell. The conference president (the Rev. J. H. Haslam) and the vice-president (Mr W. C. Francis) together with the past vice-president (Mr J. T. Johnson), were present during the tea and were heartily welcomed. _ At the conclusion of the ten the dominion president (Mr W. S. Mackay) took the chair, supported by the dominion secretary (Mr R. J. Adlington). It was decided that headquarters should remain at Auckland. The following office-bearers were elected—President, Mr W. S. Mackay: vice-presidents, Messrs T. Clark and W. 11. Bungay; secretary, Mr H. .1. Adlington; treasurer, Mr T. L. Hames; executive —Messrs J. W. Cocks, 1. W. Hemer, G. Newsome, J. F. Rebelts, E. R. Warburton, S. E. Chappell. ; It was decided that a local preachers Sundav should be observed, when, all pulpits in the Methodist Church in New Zealand would be filled by local preachers, and the second Sunday in April was set aside for that purpose.

YOUTH DEMONSTRATION

Last night’s function took the form of a youth demonstration in the Town Hall Concert Chamber, which was comfortably filled by adults who witnessed a varied and interesting display of modern religious education. Dunng the evening, a short address was giyen by the youth director (Rev. E. P. Blamires), and Miss Dora Sheat, travelling secretary of the Y.W.B.C. movement, made a few remarks. The proceedings were opened by the singing of several hymns by the Sunday school scholars, under the conductorship of Mr Armstrong. The primary department was seen at work, and a drama, ■ For He had Great Possessions,’ was played by the Bible class members. Trophies were presented to the Central Mission Choir and to St. Clair__foi drama by the conference president (Rev. J. H. Haslam). following which the anthem ‘ All in the April Evening.’ was sung by the Central Mission Bible Class Choir. An elocutionary item was provided by Mr Cedric E. Gardiner, who later, as vice-president ,of the Y.M.B.C. movement, topk part in an interesting discussion with Mr Cyril Burton, travelling secretary. Miss Sheat gave a very concise definition of the Y.W.B.C. movement in the Methodist Church, and also spoke of the important work that had to bo done by a travelling secretary. There were many problems to bo faced, but at all times these had to be met by the hope that was in every heart. The movement was, in effect, trying, by its work, to have a better understanding of Him. Mr Blamires said that the meeting of adults and young folk that night showed they formed one big family. There was no doubt that great as it was, there was room for improvement in the Methodist Church, and he asked the youth not to be content with it as it was now, but to work for the best that was to come. There was a wonderfully friendly feejing in the Sunday school in the relationship between the teachers and pupils. There were 429 Methodist Sunday Schools in New Zealand, and the Bible class movement was steadily growing, especially in the more isolated locations, showing the grip that the Methodist Church was getting on the young people. He also spoke of the number of young men and women received into church membership, and touched on other aspects of the youth work. Mr R. H. Nesbit, Australian Trade Commissioner in New Zealand, also spoke, dealing with the subject of ambition and the best use of life.