THE POOR OF ENGLAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6769, 17 March 1909, Page 8

THE POOR OF ENGLAND.

ONEHUNGA COUNCIL AND THE CHURCHES. A LIVELY DISCUSSION. Some weeks ago the Mayor of Petone forwarded subscription lists to the Qrehunga Borough Council making an appeal for a fund to provide bread for the starving children of Britain. This fun, it appears, is being controlled by the Socialistic wrier, Mr Robert Blatchford, and it was stated that he would see that tho 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 Monday evening replies were 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 mater up. While sympathising with the movement he would have liked Sir Joseph Ward or the Mayor Wellington to have taken it up.' The 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.

A similar reply was received from the Methodist clergyman, tho Rev. S. J. Gibe-on.

The Rev. Father Mahoney, of the Church of Assumption, regretted that the 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 schools. The Rev. D. D. Scott, Presbyterian minister, wrote that no church in Auckland had yet made a special contribution to tho fund. There was no reluctance to help on his part, but he would like to see a man of influntial name connected with the fund. He objected to a man like Mr Robert Blatohford, who had no sympathy with the Christian Church, being connected with the proposal. Mr John Ran, hon. secretary of the Onehunga Church of Christ, on behalf of that denomination, forwarded a donation of £2 10s.

The Mayor (Mr Rowe) expressed his regret at tho attitude adopted by the clergy. If the churches were 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. The Mayor of Petone was as well known as the Mayor of Wellington. Mr J. Stoupe, who is a member of the local Salvation Corps, thought it was time that “people like Blatchford who run down the churches should be put in their places.’’ The Mayor: It seems a case, then, of “I ask you for bread, and you give me a stone!" Mr Stoupe (hotly): The Salvation Army gives meals to 1500 every day. People are doing such as this, and doing it quietly. Tho Mayor: I feel keenly over this matter. Mr Stoupe; Get away! Ton are not going to give Socialists your sympathy, ami authority to administer funds like this! The letters from tho clergy were then received, after which the Mayor announced that he had already collected on his list £2 13s 6d. Tho lists were to close on Wednesday last. So far a sum of over AI3CO has been collected in the Dominion. I