ZION CITY'S CRISIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13586, 7 May 1906, Page 8

ZION CITY'S CRISIS

EMBARRASSMENT THREATENS DOWIE'S ENTERPRISE. In the railroad station at Zion City they have at the windows lace curtains into which are woven white doves of peace, and over the ticket window is the Scriptural text, " Till He Come." At the news-stand a man, who testifies that he was healed by divine power of malignant diseases that- had brought him to the vergo of the grave, sells candy, soap, perfume, grape juice, and religions tracts, interspersing sales with recitals of what the faith practised in Zion had done for him. One need not invade Zion City further than the railroad station to catch the spirit of the to learn tho qucor intermingling of religious faith and business enterprise, to see the ordinarily incongruous elements that go to make up the most remarkable community of its size in the world, and to become infected with the spirit of speculation as to the future of the experimental city. For Zion City is facing a crisis. No ono in the world knows this so well as the Zioniles. John Alexander Dowie, founder of the city, battling with dread diseases at Port Antonio, Jamaica, knew it before the break in his health came that forced him to quit his place of power. The heads of the Zion religious, educational, and industrial departments know it. Wilbur Voliva, the young iudianian upon whose shoulders the mantle of Dowie lias fallen • within the week, knows better than all others the gravity of the present situation, for his is the-task of lifting Zion City from the depths of financial depression to the

height of prosperity contemplated by the stricken founder of the north shore community. Zioii City needs cash. This is the undis-

guised truth as it creeps out from every point in the city. Since the abdication of John Alexander Dowie the efforts to conceal this fact have become less strong— not that the general overseer at any time sought to misrepresent Zion's financial condition, but his boundless faith in the future of his vast project and his natural optimism and disregard of minor obstacles caused liini to minimise the gravity of the financial difficulties that grew up in Zion. His complete confidence in the success of the undertaking was absorbed by his followers, whose faith in the general overseer was as great as the overseer's faith in the success of his own plans. When Dowie was forced, to relinquish active control a good deal of the artificial optimism gave place to a stern realisation of the condition the community found itself "up against." To-day Zion City is perfectly frank with itself, which is one of tho tilings that promise most for the ultimate success of the undertaking. The general feeling is that of a mail who had consulted a doctor, learned an unpleasant truth about himself, and then determinedly set out to apply the remedy. The truth about Zion City to-day and its recent history is of great interest. It is to be remembered that more than a score of millions of dollars are in tho balance, besides tho very life of the communrty itself. The fact that newspaper accounts of happenings in Zion City for tho most part have been garbled'and distorted renders the truth at this time even more interesting. Since the general overseer relinquished control, also, the exact truth is much more easily ascertained than it was when he exercised tho strict censorship over Zion City news that prevailed for many years. Not that the accounts of Zion City are being made public, but there is more freedom of opinion, born of tho fact that certain financial policies of the general overseer now are seen to have been unsound.

Throughout Zion Citjr there is being applied a policy of strict economy and retrenchment. This policy is being followed by the officials in both their private and public capacities, and by every member of the community. It is enforced retrenchment, but cheerfully accepted. On the arrival of the new deputy overseer last week there was no costly pageant of welcome. Mrs Dowie, wife of the stricken head of the Zionites, and overseer in charge of the women's ■ work of the Church founded by her husband,y is living at Shiloh House, with her. son Gladstone, without ostentation. Several of tho Dowie household servants have been released, and the Dowie establishment is being conducted on a basis of strict economy. Tho lace factory is "running at very small capacity. The candy factory is closed altogether. The employees of the printing house are working nine hours a day instead of eiglrt—the established Zion City workday.

Inactivity in the city has forced many to seek employment outside in order to provide support for themselves and families. For'several months industrial conditions have been so unsatisfactory that there would have been much actual want had not those in greatest need been protected Iby the spirit of the community of interests. Between the more fortunate individuals and the general management means have been found to protect the less fortunate members of the Church living in Zion City. Deputy-general Overseer Voliva is living with his family at the Hospice, and is said to have accepted the onerous task of lifting Zion out of tha financial bog without hope of anytiling like adequate money compensation until his work shall have been crowned with success. One Of the largest industrial buildings, stands half finished because of lack of funds with which to complete it. And all this in spite of the fact that the demand for the products of Zion City industries has been from the beginning far in excess of the capacity of the factories. The anomaly of this situation and the causes for it aro the most interesting phase of the situation in Zion City.

Every property-owner in Chicago is familiar with the manner in which the special assessment fund of the city has been handled and the grievous wrongs and scandal that have grown out of the system. Money collected for special improvements has been placed in tho common municipal fund, used for other purposes, and, when property-owners came to claim their legal rebates, they found the fund for that specific purpose had been dissipated in other municipal expenses. In Zion City under the Dowie administration all revenue was turned into one common fund. The general overseer dipped into this coinon pot for money for whatever purpose 110 saw fit to spend it. Tho deficiency of a non-productive department of the industrial scheme was made good from the general fund. Out of this fund came also the expenses of the religious propaganda, and the money for the public improvements in Zion City. Had all the departments of industry been profitable from tho start, and had the religious propaganda and public improvements accounts been kept within the limit defined by the balance of aggregate profit, Zion City would have experienced 110 financial embarrassment. Rut tho general overseer kept no such check on himself. At the time the Zion industries were much in need of reserve capital to insure their successful operation 300,000d0l was taken out of Zion City by the New York propaganda, in which 3000 persons, under the leadership of the general overseer, participated. This excursion was a flat failure, so far as visible results were concerned. Dowie never gave any reason for planning the New York invasion further than that to say that " God has willed it, and the results aro in His hands."

Dowio's dream of a vast city on the north shore necessarily required extensive and expensive public improvements. He not only-thought on a superlative scale, but executed as grandly. He built for the future at tremendous cost. Exact figures are difficult to obtain, but it is estimated that, including the New York Irip, not less than 1,000,000d0l lias been spent in Zioii City, and on other plans, since the opening of the city, which as well could have been reserved until the industrial progress of the city justified its expenditure. In a word, the proportion of money spent on non-productive to that spent for productive purposes lias been too great. Public improvements on a grand scale were made out of the common fund when 110 money should have been used in the development of the industries on which rested the future of the city. Unintentionally, but none the less effectually, the general overseer came near killing the pooso that laid the golden egg—(lie productive ittdustvisa of Zion City,

Among the conservative and influential members of the Zion community there is more criticism of Dowie on acount oE his policy in this respect than there is over his lavish personal expenses and expenditures solely for display. The overseei' worked at a tremendous pace, and everything he wanted to work with was of the best quality and greatest efficiency. He abhorred shoddy. The furnishings of his private office and his library in the administration building at Zion City could have cost not less than 25,000d01, their rich magnificence telling plainly of cultivated taste backed by a plethoric purse. All these things, however, according to the men closest ill touch with the Dowie movement for many years, served the purpose of advertising and giving great impetus to the movement. This is the practical view. Tlte other view is that among the faithful followers of the "first apostlo" there is no feeling that he ever indulged in personal expenditure greater than lie should have done, and that "nothing is too good" if he wants it. The most vigorous criticism that can be brought out in Zion City to-day is that Dowie probably made some errors in his financial policy. In tho stringency that exist, in Zion Citv several remarkable features aro apparent even to tlio casual observer. The iirst is the absoluto loyalty to Dowie, confidence in the ultimate success of his plans and cheerfulness with which tho necessary sacrifices are being made during the period of retrenchment. When tho mafiager of the publishing house followed the usual morning prayer beforo work with the announcement that, in view of tho emergency existing, it would be desirable to establish a nine-hour day till " times were easier." the employes not only cheerfully agreed, but many volunteered to donate from sdol to lOdol a month out of their salarie; as long as necessary. These offers wera declined. While intelligently criticised by some of his followers and business advisers for passible errors.,in financial policy, Dowie is blamed by no one in Zion City. Among his followers there is expressed the slightest donbt of the ultimate successful isstio of all his plans for Zion City The overseer's physical breakdown, moreover, has done no more to shake the faith of his followers in the dcctrine of divine healing and sound health as tho result of obedience to tho laws of God than his financial troubles have done to slia.ke the faith in Zion City in his business .wisdom. Before his people some time ago Dowie confessed that his physical ills were the direct and logical result of his, qwh intemperance in work, and he made of his own weakening condition an argument in support of the doctrine on which lie founded tho " Christian Catholic Church in Zion." Naturally of vigorous constitution, the overseer drew on his strength as lavishly as he did all things, after working under tremendous pressure for 36 hours without sleep. Paralysis, bronchitis, and what was believed to be dropsy developed. I asked ono of the most pro' minent men in Zion City why their overseer's illness had l not weakened the faith of his followere. This was Jiis answer:

" Because our .faith does not rest' on ocular demonstration or experience, but on the word of God. It would survive even if demonstration and experience were at variance with this "word."

Mis Dowie, during the recent expedition to Mexico for the purpose of selecting .a site for the " Paradise plantation," a colony scheme of Dowie's that is stagnant on account of the financial troubles, contracted malaria and had chills and fever for 45 days. She is now convalescent. Dowie's followere who ato in best position to know his actual condition do not believe ho ever will be able to assume control of his church and citv.

"Wilbur Glenn Voliva, .just appointed, deputy general overseer by Dowie, was selected by the Lead of the church becauso it was thought lie had the quaJitfet) of leadership necessary to carrying out the Dowie clans.

Deputy Overseer Voliva is a young man ! J™® kits "made good." He was bom in Indiana, in 1870, and became a preacher in the Christian Church at 19. He made rapid advancement in his chosen church, and, after 18 months' occupancy of the Christian pulpit at Washington Courthouse, Ohio, he made application to be made a member of the Christian Catholic Church in Zion. This was in 1899. and for 14 3le ms in clliw ge of the North bide Zior. Tabernacle in this city, fhen he Wis transferred! to Cincinnati, and in 1901 was called to headquarters, where in August, 1901, he was ordained overseer of the church in Australasia. His advancement under Dowie was due to his having been conspicuously successful in all the work assigned to hiin. In no oountry in the world had the "Dowieites" been fought as they had in Australia, and it is said that VolivaV fighting qualities and' determination caused his selection for the post. Again he "made good." He was mobbed, gaoled, and otherwise roughly handled for a long time, but fought back witha vigour that more than ever commended him to Dowie, and before he was called to the next highest position in the church he had succeeded in establishing the Christian Catholic Church on a recozrnsed basis ia Australia.—Chicago Record Hcrftutt