SABBATH DESECRATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20111, 23 November 1928, Page 15

SABBATH DESECRATION.

PICNICS AND EXCURSIONS.

USE MADE OF RAILWAYS.

PROTEST TO PRIME MINISTER. Prominent in lho report of the Sabbath Obscrvanco Committee, presented to the Presbyterian Assembly last evening, was tho statement that all over tho Dominion pleasure seeking in various forms was seriously interfering with a proper observance of tho Sabbath.

Tho coming of tho motor-car had seriously affected church attendance, said tho report. Also they ought to protest against railway pleasure excursions on Sundays, because they robbed certain railway employees of their day of rest and were an offenco to tho Christian sentiment of tho community. Tho practice of holding railway and other picnics on Sunday had been shown to bo very general.

On tho motion of tho convener of the committee, Rev. A Miller, of Westport, it was decided to appoint a deputation to wait as early as possiblo on tho Prime Minister and tho Minister of Railways urging that tho Government shall not any longer cater for pleasure excursions by rail on Sundays, and that it shall dis courage railway picnics on Sundays.

EFFECT ON MORAL WELFARE. EMPHATIC OBJECTION VOICED. [UY TEr.EGUAI'H. —OWN CORIIESI'ONDENT.] THAMES, Thursday An objection to tho running of Sunday excursion trains was voiced in the following resolution carried unanimously at to-day's session of tho South Auckland District Methodist Synod : "Wo desire to draw attention to what appears to havo been tho settled policy of tho Reform Government in tho regular organising of week-end railway excursions. Wo wish to enter our emphatic protest against this deliberato policy of Sabbath desecration, because of its deteriorating effect on tho moral and spiritual well-being of tho people. "Wo sincerely bclicvo this policy is opposed to all lho best traditions of the British people, in that it helps to destroy tho necessary quiet of tho Christian Sabbath, so essential in tho best interests of truo national character, and seeks to rob tho community of the glorious heritage so deeply prized by all well-wishers for the future prosperity of our beloved Empire."