LABOUR AND THE CHURCH"—AND "CIVIS."

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13386, 12 September 1905, Page 8

LABOUR AND THE CHURCH"—AND "CIVIS."

TO THE J.DITOB, Sir,—lt cannot bo said that anyone who provides material for Passing Notes lives in vain. But, even granting the truth of tho above, one expects fair play from " Civis." In his notes of Saturday, on tho conference of working men which met in tho Garrison Ilall last Sunday week, ho is the samo oltl cynical "Civis" with an addition. Tho addition is his Labour bias, for wo know from experience that "Civis" simply cannot discuss labour matters on their merits. " Civis". says that "it is required of tho Church that she mako herself a class institution and join the Labour party." No one in my'hearing asl:e<l any such thing. The' Church, to some extent, has; always been a class institution, and not the institution of tho poorer, classes at that. " Civis" misrepresents ino when ho says: " According to Mr Paul, a large number of men and women havo 'honestly no time whatever for Christianity.'" " Civis" supposed that i,n this country of short hours and multitudinous holidays timo might have been found for a littlo godliness. But, no, says " Civis ":

Eight hours' work, Eight hours' play, Eiplit hours' sleep, Eight bob a day. And no time for Christianity. Tho report of my speech says: "He (Mr Paul) said that whilst there was a largo number of moil.and womon who honestly l;ad no time whatever for Christianity, ho thought tho largo majority of working men and womon wcro at least not opposed to Christianity." I venturo te say that, that was plain to tho ordinary reader, " Civis" notwithstanding. Kor instance, I might say that I rcad Passing Notes but I have absolutely no timo for "Civis" 011 cortain questions. Would that bo plain? "Civis'' is not, so unsophisticated that ho doesn't know in what sense I used the words " 110 time." I think it was clcar enough to my audience. And tho eight hours' work, play, and sloop formula wouldn't prevent anyone attending church. To some folk I havo no doubt but that it is work to go to church, to some it would bo play, and wo all know folk who like a sloop during tho sermon, so that it would suit all needs under' different heads. But, Sir, surely "Civis" should not strip part of a sentence from its context to misrepresent a man. It is not fair play; and unworthy of any writer. As to tho Church joining tho Labour party, I distinctly said that I did not want-the church to enter into party politics; but I hclievo that many ministers and many churchos will find that tho Labour party is (lie only ally tlioy can look to for help in tho upliftmcnt of humanity. Thoy will be with tho Labour party bccauso tlioy rocogniso that its principles ara not for sale, and that, with all its shortcomings, its object is to clovato tho race,

Tho "no time" argument is not tho only point on which "Civis" misconstrues. Take this: I said that "some of tho people, oven in our own city, :tro living in insanitary and slum dwellings." And "Civis" adds: "Yes; and at this timo thoro is being spent, oven in our own city, £400,000 to make sanitation possible for everybody." The inference is, of course, that when our drainage scheme is carried out slum dwellings will ocaso to bo slums. Perhaps somo explanation will bo necessary to show how tho speedy removal of drainago will ■ make tho low coiling high, tho "box" a largo healthy room, and the leaky roof waterproof ; how it also allows the sun to shino ill the dim court, and rooms to be pcrfcctly ventilated. If this drainago scheme of ours is going to do all that, then it is dirt cheap at £400,000. I think its most enthusiastic supporter hardly claimed that. "Civis" declares that "this lrraeo. of 'Labour Socialists'" expressed unbounded contempt for tho civilisation under which they live. A* to tho exact degree of contempt "Civis" wishes tho word "unbounded" to convoy I know not; but I think I at .'east spoke very glowingly of our colony and what we bad accomplished. But because I pointedly, draw attention to our failings and shortcomings I lim guilty of expressing "unbounded contempt" for our civilisation. ' " Civis" wants us to go to Bengalee or China, or oven Manchuria. I shall stay here and continue to urgo and help on tho reforms I believe are good for the community. I recognise fullv that wp are fortunato in manv .ways—that wo are tetter off than Chinamen or other Easterners, for instajioo. . But is that any reason why wo shouldn't lx> still hotter off. While there arc operatives in one industry who are overworked and underpaid, while Ihero is one family living in a slum dwelling, while there are any men out . of employment, there is something to do. And why not do it? There is, however,'much moro to bo done. Nothing is good enough for humanity' but .'best.' "Civis" says that Aristotle held that a. mechanic or a labourer was " an instrument endued with life"—merely that. That is not preached by anyone just now; but from examples wlrich have come under my notice it would appear as though some folk still believed it. I say without hesitation that I am proud of our Christian civilisation, but it is not nearly so good as it might be. There aro things deno in Christian England and Christian America that aro at least not creditable after 2000 years of Christianity. I can well believe that many are quite sure that this is the best possiblo system extant. I am not nearly so:confident that the_starving poor of England and America, think so. Neither am I sure that the largo body of unemployed do who were denied an audi-

; fliico} by ; the Archbishop of Canterbury tho othcr ,wook. ,Tho unemployed lmd marched '■ from Condon, and ■ wanted to .iijvoko aid to help find them honek'Svork. ■ But no; it is said his Lord- • ship' refused for tho, reason that ho knew nbthing '.of sooiftl economy. When tho Archbishop Visited America a short time ago, he. was. tho guest of Pierpont Morgan. $o. lina^time'. to visit millionaires, has timo. ,to travel - wit h them in gorgeous - Pulinan oar 9; but for;the unemployed—"no time." I. write, this muoh moro in sorrow than in angor, < because ,1: know how ordinary folk view theso'.things' and tho- bearing they hftvo. on alienating the worker from the ; Church, and :! 'havo enough faith in Chris, tianity to: bblioyo that thoy aro a menace to our fiituro well-being. ; I' know, not whether "Civis" gees to church or whether ho has noticed tho very largo number of. ministers of Christ who have of late iyears doclared their faith in Labour party methods. If ho attends church ho must have noticed that tho men, -'speaking in,tho mass, aro not thcro. There surely is. a reason. That reason Dr Noligan wants to find out; that reason tho Rev. Sir Sinclair . wants to know ; and that reason oven "Labour Socialists" -would fain try .to fathom. "Civis" con discuss.learnedly all about tho 'lincibrits, ho can : express intelligent .opinions on' classio literature, ho l:as a deep knowledgo of history; but he can't understand.,a common. man when he uses the expressior "no time," and he cannot see that a comprehensive drainage schemo will not do more than remove tho drainage of a. oity. ; Rather thin, 1 admit; but the Labour dog'must bo beaten, and any stick will do,—l am, etc., : .September 9. J. T. Patjl.