CHURCHES AND ART UNIONS

Northern Advocate, 3 May 1933, Page 6

CHURCHES AND ART UNIONS

ST ATE MENT CHA LLENGED

COMMENT BY DR. NORTH,

(Special to '“Northern Advocate."'! AUCKLAND, This Day.

The following statement has been made by Dr. J. J. North, president of the Auckland Council of Christian Congregations, in regard to the use of funds .from art unione:

‘‘The Hon. J. A,. Young, in a Press message dated May 1, refers to the deputation of the Auckland Council of Christian Congregations which waited upon him recently. He also refers to the very British action of the local Sunshine League which followed the deputation, in refusing to take sweepstake money to sully its charity withal. Air Young- seems unable to understand the scruple, and makes some noise about other charities which have no such scruple. "The public ought to know that no later than last year the Imperial Parliament, by an overwhelming majority, refused leave to introduce a bill providing sweepstakes for the sup,port of hospitals. In spite of the Dublin sweepstake, concerning which the dominant church in the Free State i« strangely dumb, the British Parliament. refused to look at so destructive a method of supporting charities. They di’d not propose to create a new edition of the Good Samaritan, who, instead of pouring wine and oil into the actual wounds, would invest his 2d on a Jericho sweep ticket, with a prospect of a .100 silver shekels, neatly made out of the man who fell among thieves.

“But there is a very serious aspect to Mr Young’s remarks. He says that lie has received lottery applications from the churches represented by the deputation. Now, the deputation consisted, inter alia, of the Primate of New Zealand, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, officials of the Methodist and Baptist, churches, and of others. The action of the Primate is in exact accord with the eager actions of the Archbishopo of Canterbury and York. The action of the Moderator agrees with the action of his colleagues in Scotland and Ireland. The same thing is true of the other churches.

‘‘The public is entitled to know what, churches have ratted on their leaders, what churches have taken their policy from Dublin and from Air Lang. I hereby invite Mr Young to publish their names. Until he does so, he has cast a slur on the sincerity of the deputation and on the good name of the churches concerned throughout the Dominion.”