THE POOR OF ENGLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14004, 9 March 1909, Page 6

THE POOR OF ENGLAND.

ONEHUNGA COUNCIL AND THE . ';T . CHURCHES. 7 > UIM ; . A LIVELY DISCUSSION. _ Some weeks ago the Mayor of Potoue' forwarded subscription lists to the Onehunga Borough Council making an appeal for a fund to provide bread for the starving children of Britain. This fund, it appears, is being controlled by the socialistic 'writer, Mr. Robert Blatchford, and it was stated that he would see that the relief was carefully administered by divisional committees appointed at Home. The Mayor (Mr. John Rowe) sympathised with the movement, and while the Council opened a list other lists were forwarded to the clergymen of the various denominations at Onehunga.

At the meeting of the , Council held last evening replies iycro received from the various clergymen concerned. The Rev. Canon Haselden, vicar of St. Peter's, Church of England, returned his| list, and stated that if necessary the Church authorities in England would take the matter up. While sympathising with the movement he would have liked Sir Joseph Ward or the Mayor of Wellington to have taken it up. i'v' Tho Rev. J. H. Mackenzie, Congregational minister, also returned . his list, and explained that the members of his Church preferred to send through their own denomination. ' • " ?v ;

A similar reply was received from toe Methodist clergyman, the Rev. S. J. Gibson. Tho Rev. Father Mahoney, of the Church of Assumption, regretted that appeal was made at a most inopportune time. Four collections had been made in his Church since Christmas, and ■ another was contemplated for the support, of the. Catholic sohools. The Rev. D. D. Scott, Presbyterian minister, wroto that no church in Auckland had yet made a special contribution to thS fund. There was no reluctance to help on his part, but he would like to seoi a mat) of influential name'connected with the ; fund. He objected to a man like Mr. Robert Blatehford. who had no sympathy with the Christian Church, being- connected with tho proposal. ' i Mr. John Rau. Hon. secretary of the Oneliunga Church of Christ, on behalf of that denomination, forwarded a donation of £2 10s. - v The Mayor (Mr. Rowe) oxpressed his regret. at the attitude adopted by tho clergy. If 1 the churches wero always to wait ' for authority from Sir Joseph Ward or other people in high positions before granting assistance to the poor, it would' be a poor look-out. Tho Mayor of Petono was as well known as the Mayor of Wellington. . Mr. J. Stoupe. who is a member of the local Salvation Corps, thought, it, was timo that " people like Blatchford who run down the churches should be put in their places." The Mayor: It Booms a case, then, of, "1 ask you for bread, and you give me; a stone I'' ..."

Mr. Stoupo (hotlyV: Tlio Salvation Army gives meals to 1500 every day. People are doing such as this, and doing it quietly. - The Mayor I feel keenly over this matter.

Mr. Stoupe: Get away! You are not going to give socialists your sympathy, and authority to administer funds like this! ; The letters from the clergy wore then received. after which the Mayor announced that he had already collected on his list, £2 13s 6d. The lists will close to-morrow. So far a sum of over £1300 has been collected in the Dominion.