True Democracy In West Ham, A Night Editor’s Thoughts

Northern Advocate, 30 July 1938, Page 4 (Supplement)

True Democracy In West Ham, A Night Editor’s Thoughts

(By James Fairlie. former assistant a Night Editor of “The Times.") Do miracles happen today? Wc watch the sun rise and set. the , days come and go, and think that today will be just like yesterday and to-morrow as to-day. True, once in a while there may come unheralded and unexpected an earthquake, a crash, a‘disaster and the face of. things may be changed in an instant, but on the whole things will remain as they have been. Can such sudden changes come in human life? Can a man’s whole course cf living be altered in an instant? Think what problems might be solved if that were true. What changes in human relationships, in homes, in nations, in the whole world. New men. new nations, a new world. These would be in very truth modern miracles. * Let me tell some I heard of at the week-end. I was one of a crowd of 400 or 500 gathered in a large hotel on the prom-enade-at one of the best known resorts on the southern coast. There was a mixed audience that included members of Parliament of both Houses, professional men and women, service men. ex-service men, officers and other ranks, industrial leaders, employers, workers in more humble positions, both clerical and manual, and a large contingent Horn the East End of London who had left their homes soon after sunrise to be present They were a mixed lot. employers, workers of

ail kinds, unemployed who had nothing to support, them but their unemployment insurance’. On the faces of all there was the same look of determination. infectious happiness and assurance and contentment. Many of them told of changes that, had come to their lives, men and women from towns and rural districts, representing every section of the community. Whole pages might be written to repeat those strange human stories of conquered fears, of new mutual trust and joy. of homes where peace and love reigned in place of bickering and resentment, of weak men turned to strong and shy women stirred to a now sense of duty and patriotism. I would confine this space to stories from the East End of London, the home of distress, unemployment and class hatred, yet often of pioneer work in education and schemes of social betterment. New Spirit Abroad. First, let me take a housing estate of 800 homes. Quite a number of the houses were represented. Prominent: among them was the manager. The people there used to be only units to me." he said. “I wanted to make a name as an efficient business manager. Changes came to my home through my wife and daughter. I saw the evidence of them before I knew how they had taken place. Soon the changes spread to me, 1 had first of all to put things straight—the matter

of my income lax about which 1 had noi done the right thing. It proved lo be much easier than I expected. For the first time 1 began to have real friendship with the tenants. Instead of telling them stories with double meanings. I would show them a new meaning for life. Some of the workmen on the estate were impressed by the change in me and they too were changed. Some of the tenants followed whole families of them. Dfow we meet together and discuss all our problems and (rials and difficulties and seek God's guidance for their solution. I

now want to love those people instead of trying to boss them. 1 have found ) a new happiness in associating with I my stalf. And it all started with a i young schoolgirl who told me about the Oxford Group. And strange to say no sooner had | the change begun to move over this j estate than one of the owners, who j lived in a distant part of London, hoar- ! ing what was going on. went at once to the place and. as she herself was changed, she for the first time spent a night in one of her own houses and got on familiar terms with her tenants. Man and Wife. Then came a workman —a slater he was. "I saw there was a change in the boss." he said. "There was something new about him. I had never liked him though I worked for him and lived on the estate he managed. In fact .1 just hated the sight of him. Now he was different to me. I didn’t know why and no one had told me but he was changed and that seemed to stir up something inside us. Then he called me in and talked to me for a few hours. "I was in a mess at home and could see no way out. He showed me there was still a chance for me to put things right, I went home and talked it over with my wife. I got changed like the boss. For two weeks I was busy

. putting things right with my family, ( i my employers and others. What a I j change it is. A new happy home. A | 'thing 1. never knew before. 1 i I I Other changes on the estate might j |be told. Homes remade, families ' brought together, a new spirit of love ! and comradeship in the street a new j i loyally and patriotism, a desire to 1 j make the community a place where ■ God reigns supreme. i '. K<-united Family. i ! j I heard much too of families rcI united after long years of quarrelling j and estrangement. And what family I does not have its old tale of hate and jealousy and passion? A workman, who made good money, was drifting away from his wife. I "She had even taken out a separai i lion order against me," he said, *T was i j seldom in the house except to sleep . i and not always then. I went out drink- . ing and gambling. I paid no alien- ; lion to my daughters, hardly know them for they saw little of me. I was [ always out. One day the court was to . grant the separation order that day. A man spoke to mo. He kindled a hope in my breast. I thought I was too far gone for God to help me.

“I went home and asked ray wife if she would give me another chance. Our home at once became a new place. I was soon on new terms with my wife. I kept nothing back from her. I got to know my children. "I went out to visit, my father to whom I had not spoken for five years. I went down the street a few doors to visit my brother and his wife to whom I had not spoken for years Ours is a new home. "My brother and Ins wife are here with me and can tell of the same change in their lives and home. We now meet together with our neighbours to try and help others to this new way of living.