THE OPEN COLUMN

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3737, 11 May 1899, Page 2

THE OPEN COLUMN

A PARENT'S IAT.H.'IMA. “A Parent” writes—l honour your paper for the noble stand it is making against'the demoralising influence of the Anglican .Church here. I have always -belonged to the Anglican Church and all my ancestors from Reformation times; and as far as.l go -.myself, I would always do so still; but I dare not bring my sons up in that church in Wellington, as I do not want them to be initiated into tho practice of gambling; and for the first time in my life I am obliged to remove my children from the . demoralising influence of the church of my forbears. Only those who are going through the same trial can know what it costs. REV. FATHER COMTE. Mr W. F. Gordon writes from New Plymouth as follows: —Having read a paragraph in your paper recording the death in France of the Rev Father Comte, at a venerable age, who was the first priest to labour at Otaki, it may not be out of place to record an incident in which lie took part, now almost forgotten by the. present generation. When the murderers of the Gilfillan family at Wanganui were captured by the local chief Honi Wirenru Hipango in 1847, and sentenced to bo hr,aged. ib.secms that it was their intention to strangle one another on the night previous to their execution and so cheat the gallows; but as the account says, “A French clergyman, M. Comte, happening to bo here, devoted thegreater part of the night to serious conversation with them, and though he did not effect their conversion from heathenism to Christianity. ho was successful in turning them from their additional meditaled criminal purpose, and in getting them to confess that they merited the fate which awaited them.” Moreover, he got them to write to their friends -acknowleig.ng tho justice of the sentence awaiting them and stating that they had now no wish to live. , ■ ... ...... FOR ANGLICAN- CHURCHMEN. A lady, who desires to be known sis “A Visitor to ■Wellington,” seeks insertion for tho following, as an open letter to the Anglican. _.. CJuirch ; —We11,... may the heathen say: “Where is now your God? ’ If God can’t support His own cause without help from the demon of gambling, for the sake of righteousness and truth let tho whole thing go. MUNICIPAL SALARIES. I notice (writes 1 “Citizen”) that the City Councillors have decjded to increase the salary of some of their servants; and may be right in some cases. But ! object to these positions becoming hereditary, and I think it time that those officers who have been many years in the city service and have become, possessed of property and are rich enough to live comfortably should give place to others who are equally qualified and so much more needing employment; I would prefer to see two persons employed instead of increasing tho'salkry in some cases. Some years back the Council advertised for applicants for the position of Inspector of Nuisances at £l5O per annum. Nearly 100 applied for this position. / The city has grown nearly double the size now, and another should be appointed to assist," hut the injustice to the other applicants is that for some time now this officer has had another appointment added to his duty, for which he gets an additional £IOO per year or £5 a week in all. I- ask why could hot another receive this £2 per week and let the nuisance inspector mind his first appointment? ■ • i .... ■

WORKING MEN AND PROHIBITION. • ‘“Abstainer'’ writes .as..folloivs: —lt is time that some of our labour loaders should explain to the workers the relation of Prohibition te-the labour question. The Labour Party! being almost lifeless and the noisest reformers in the. market being the .Prohibitionists, . some ..workers, have began to enthuse about them; innocent of the fact that Prohibition is a mere side issue compared With economic emancipation, and that the former cannot but prove a failure, without the latter. No doubt ’ the workers is a very important question, bub if the causes that drive menrtof ;drink are not removed people will Rrink’jUkt , as well with Prohibition as without it. Prohibitionists deal witheffects,, but’leave the causes alone. Of courser they say arink. is the' cause'Of'povertyj'just because this is more convoniehty knowing 1 very well 1 that thdWhief cause, of poverty is the" libbing of the many by_ the few.' They claim that the workers Will be better off to the extent of the saved in drink; but we have our women, who, as a rule do not drink or smoke, and bcciinso of that their wages* are lower, 'receiving just sufficient for spme bread and butter, a cheap, room, a cheap dress, and a few'cents’ worth of pins. Other people keep the extra shillings in their pockets for them. Prohibitionists also state that,until man’s intellect is no longer weakened by drink, progress is impossible. This looks plausible ; but as a teetotaler may I be allowed to say that the >apathy in all public matters of the man who drinks is no greater than the apathy- of churchmen whoso mind is only occupied with the next world. Besides, what difference will it make to the workers whether the best part of their nature is destroyed bv! the publican or by the sweater? Worried, anaemic, worn-out people crate for drink, and, as in Prohibitionist Maine, they will get it., . On, the other band if we work first of all to obtain bet-: ter. economic conditions, wliero,.all could have a chahce of earning a; decent living within ,as few hours as possible, spending the extra leasurb in 1 self-improvement, moral and otherwise,' all other minor questions would bb Half solved. Under the name of Prohibition all sorts of Conservative elements, whose interests are entirely antagonistic to real reform, will be mixed with a smaller Democratic section, wnose aims will be stiiltified by the former. If the result of such a mixture is not reaction. the country may be thankful indeed. Workers cannot afford to neglect economic reforms for the side issues, however important. What is wanted is a live, purely Democratic party, free from cant and antagonistic elements. _ If abstinence from drink is-part of its creed, so much the better.

' f RTJNG at bazaars illegal

“ H.R.C.” writes : —Will you. permit me (a visitor to your wonderful city) to state teat I entirely agree with the remarks appearing in your" paper' regarding the raffles and gambling, which lately took place at a bazaar here. In Sydney sucli things are not permitted,’.and at a great Catholic, bazaar there . detectives were sent specially to’ stop anything in the way of gambling. Your - correspondents are wrong-in-assuming-that-there is one law for the people and another for the Church, and if they are agreeable to take legal,advice 'gratis, then, in my opinion, the person or persons who run the gambling show-Could be prosecuted for keeping a lottery—or for an offence under the Betting or Gaming Acts. It is a scandal that these people should go harmless,- while others who publicly infringe the same law are dealt with as they ought to be. .This gambling in aid of church assists scoffers and does morality a deal of harm. ; 1