YET ANOTHER ZION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1798, 22 August 1906, Page 61

YET ANOTHER ZION.

SOCIALISM AND RELIGION.

A new Utopian experiment—a combined .effort of religion, .Socialism, and divine healing .to establish .a “heaven, on earth ” —is being made in the wild pine forests of Northern Idaho, US.A!. The founder and .organiser of the movement is “ Bishop ” D. N. McJnturff, who was formerly the pastor of tihg great First Methodist Church .at ‘Spokane, in the neighbouring State <of Washington. In that position he kept his congregation in a 'constant feraneart by his violent religious iterances. Hb is described as combining the dLoqnenee of Henry Clay with the religious ‘enthusiasm of John Wesley. Dr Mdnturff resigned his pastorate, and left the Methodist Church. Than he founded the People’s United Church, a struggling organisation, which claimed for a peculiar merit that its membership Avas confined almost altogether to the poorest and the lowliest in tfeai community. For years he worked with his new oohjnexion, and built it up slowly and gradually among the class of people with whom he had thrown in his lot. Than! tho •church decided to branch out into business, and on a mere shoestring bought the notorious Albion. Building, a ramshackle edifice just outside the bmsfnese centre. The structure Avas in the last stages df decrepitude, and it was used for a lodging house by members and wayfareras whose poverty compelled them to seek out the cheapest quarters they could find. Those were noisome days, and the police were frequently called on. to straighten out disturbances among thcl energetic residents. Since then, in telling of liis experiences, the Bishop humorously declared that there Avasf a constant turmoil because some feminine members of bis flock av anted to reject at once any of their felloAV lodgers Avho chanced to wear a bit of red in her hat.. “When I think of the struggle and abject poctseirty of those years it brings a shudder,” said he. “I would not complain, but my family of eight lived many times on 2n X dollars a week, and we often have been six weeks at a time without butter or meat on our table.” During those times Bishop Mclnturff took up divine healing. With sacred oils of his own making and fer\unft prayers likewise of his emm construction, he laid hands upon the afflicted, and, according to his oavii testimony, he Avrought some marvellous oures. Then, with the wonderful increase -of prosperity of Spokane and the tremendous advance in realty values, theifle Avas a turn in the tide, and the Bishop got a chance to trade the old Albion Building for a tract of land on thle beautiful Kootenai River, in Northern Idaho, near the Canadian line. Thefie he took some of the faithful and established his colony. The community ia co-operative in the fullest degree. “ Everybody has all he wants,” said, the Bishop. “If we had it any other way it would be impossible to keep people satisfied. The work of all kinds is subdivided, and av« have purchasing agents who look after our supplies.” But what about clothes ?

“No trouble about that,” quoth the Bishop, cheerfully. “If a man Avants broadcloth, give it to him. Let himi have A\diat he wants.” And he waved his hand in a broad and friendly way that Avas backed up by his cheerful smile. “It is just the same way with food. We give everybody Avliat he wants. Our butcher kills a steer, and the people call on him for Avhatever cuts they need. We have no trouble about an extra demand for tender loins Avhilo chucks have gone to waste. In fact, Ave are branching out to engage in merchandise on the outside. We have a butcher shop at Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho, the nearest toAvn, and we practically supply all the people there with fresh meat. Wei are also planning to open a general store there. This thing of letting "the middle man make a profit out of our colony doesn’t appeal to ue at all. At present all our people live in individual houses, or, rather, comfortable log cabins, but we means to build boardinghouses. Avhere cooks will prepare the food, for everyone. It is one of our prime purposes to relieve our women folk from the drudgery of oootking and housekeeping. We feel that there is plenty for them to do in looking after 'the children, mending clothes, perhaps raising chickens, and teaching tbe young folks*.” The colony is now a year old, and, although most of the members are connected with tho People’s Church, the Bishop announces that all-comers are welcome, provided they turn their worldly wealth into the general fund of the' colony. In this and other Avays the colony follows the same scheme as the Zion community.