"POLITICS AND PULPITS."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18551, 8 November 1923, Page 10

"POLITICS AND PULPITS."

MONEY FOR PROHIBITION. PRESBYTERIAN ATTITUDE. [V* TKLEOUAPH.— OWN CORRESPONDENT.] DUNEDIN. Wednesday. At a meeting of the Dunedin Presbytery to-day, a letter was received from the United Temperance Reform Council, stating that in view of the fact that the General Assembly had appointed next Sunday as Temperance Sunday, it suggested that the appeal for financial assistance on behalf of the prohibition cause should be made that day. The Rev. W. Trotter said that requests to congregations to contribute to prohibition funds was likely to cause trouble. In taking up the prohibition campaign they were entering the field of politics, and although their congregations might be in favour of prohibition, thfiy were not in favour of touching on politics from the pulpit. The Rev. H. Maclean said the time had come when they should have a clear understanding with the Temperance Reform Council. Last year, ministers were expected to give up a whole week just before the licensing pjll for a house-to-house campaign. That sort of thing should be altered. ' The Rev. F. Fairmaid said that it was too late now to talk about keeping the Church clear of the prohibition compaign. The Rev. Mr. Simpson said that when the Alliance agent approached him he was told that the pulpit "would not be used as an instrument to collect funds, but he would be provided with a list of members who would subscribe to the funds. The Presbytery took no action in regard to the letter.