YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17426, 21 September 1918, Page 11

YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

DISTRICT CONFERENCE. I"ho Otago week-end district confercnce in connection with tho I'.M.C.A. was o|:oiied in tho association's useenibly hall m Moray placo last night. Tho Mayor of Ouiu-mii (Mr J, J. Clark) prcsid*3d, and a bout 60 and gentkJincn wore present. Addresses of welcome were given to tho dC'logii.tes by the MajKjr, who spoke on behalf of tho citizens; tho Rov." W. A. Hay, o;i Ijehalf of tho churches; and Mr H. K. Wilkinson, on bohalf of tho Dunedin Y.M.C.A. In tho courso of his remarks tho Mayor stud tho association was doing a largo amount of good work in a quiet and unostentatious way. Visitors had ooine from tho north and from tho south- to try to push on that work—to make it moro vigorous and more benoficial not merely to liuiiodin, but to tho whoio Otago district and to tho whole dominion, lie referred to tho work of tho association at tho battle-front. When tho men ciuno back they must also bo provided for, and it was right that tho people generally should be prepared to do something for them. Tho Y.M.C.A. was setting an example in that respect, boeause it waa determined that whoevor was lacking it, as an institution, would do its' utmost for tho men and continue to carry on tho work in tho dominion that it had so well performed at tho front. Mr Wilkinson said tliat already 240 returned soldiers had accepted membership in tho association. He believed the association could so organise and lay its plans as to serve the men in tho small hamlet, such as Lawrence, as well as it could in Duneclin. Thore should also bo a branch in Dunedin South, and a strenuous effort ought to bo made to place an organisation there. Tho Mayor read the following telegram: " Bost wishes for a most successful conference. May'your deliberations make for the building up of strong association centres. — With warmest greetings, Kersley and Var- I ney, Wellington." Mr M'Eldowney, in replying for the delegates, said ho had had a look round Dunedin that day. Ho believed that tho architecture of tho chiu-ches and publio buildings would ba a credit to any city in tho British Empire. The churcnes were a standing monument to the stability of tho citv—in fact, they were a reflex of tho Scottish character. He congratulated the Mayor on being the chief citizen of a city whose people were considered most generous, so far as giving was concerned. Their giving to patriotic purposes had been spoken of all over New Zealand as liberal. He congratulated tho Mayor on a happy event which was likely to take place in the not distant future—(applause),—and thanked the speakers for tho warm weloome extended to the delegates. Mr Y. T. Drew was appointed minutes S2cret>ary and Mx Gordon Hendry press secretary Mr A. S. Malcolm. M.P., gavo an address on " Trade and Employment After the War." He believed that the wealth of the world would be so terribly exhausted by the war that, when it was over, tho people would not have tho wealth whereby to purchase our products. Tha accumulated wealth of the world was at present being destroyed as fast as it could be destroyed. This destruction would result in an absence of wealth, which meant_ that low prices would come, accompanied by poverty. When the war was over, the present extraordinary demand for woollen goods would cease in a day. The Government would no longer ask tho factories to work overtime, or to work at all, for it. Peoplo would be out of employment, and as. a result the demand for wool would fall off, and the price would fall. What he had said also applied to meat, to iron products, and .to cotton. Historical evidence amply bore out tho conclusions he had arrived at. An authority said: "After Waterloo, in America and on the Continent, English exports could not be sold except at ruinous prices." Another said: " People were astounded that peace did not bring immediate prosperity with it." One-thirdi of the population of 'the great manufacturing city of Birmingham was receiving relief within a year of tho Napolenio war. The rent of farms fell by more than half. Ho could add more evidence to show that there would be a serious fall in prices, a dearth in trade and great unemployment. He was hopeful," however, that they might greatly alleviate these conditions, and- one way to do it was by saving. Any man or woman -who would, in this lowly way, serve the country would help to the re-establishment of Neve Zealand: Increased production would also help. Ho believed that in Dunedin there was a committee about to be set up to devise plans by which production might be kept up and increased after the war, and to take other steps that would tend to alleviate the distress that would follow after tho war. This was what he hoped for. But whatever happened he felt that the people of the Empire, and of Now Zealand in particular, who had so nobly done their duty in the war, would nobly do their part in rebuilding society when the war was over. The Hon. G. Fowlds spoke on " The Call of the Country Districts.'' Ho believed that one of the organisations that would be useful to tho churches in the work .of the future was the Y.M.C.A., and he agreed that the association was not a competitive organisation -with any of the Christian churches It was a useful instrument that had been forged by the peonle who had "been trained in the churches "for servico along a particular direction,' and it tvas a pity that such a useful instrument should not be used to the fullest possible extent in the interests of the churches whoso members had created it. He had been connected with the Y.M.C.A. work for over 40 years, and had never, known any person who oould legitimately claim to ho a leader in the association who was not also a leader in his own particular church. Therefore, any feeling of jealousy or antagonism between the churches and tho association was perfectly absurd. The association had como into its own as a result of the war. It had had presented to it an opportunity of service on a colossal scale, and it had done magnificent work. The question was, What further work lav ahead ? and _ it was the work specially in connection with the rural com- , munities unon which he wished to speak. Some further effort ought to be mado by the people to make life in the rural districts more attractive in the future than it had been in the past. It ought to be made as, attractive as in was possible to make_ it—so attractive that tho young men born in the country would have no desire to flow into the towns, and so attractive that young fellows born in the towns might be induced to seek their fortunes in tho country. Ho advocated, then, that there should bo an improvement in tho means of production, so that, with an understanding of tho_ composition of soils, methods of cultivation, and so on, tho farmer would be able to do more work, and under better conditions, than he did at present. Further, there was the question of marketing —a question that could be best solved by those engaged in rural industries, with, assistance from the Government in the matter of foreign markets. Another phase of the rural problem, was one in which tho association might serve. There was a need for social work in the country communities, and he believed that with the cooperation of the churches there was a fine field for servico for the betterment of tho young men. In the smaller districts a church could not provide the specialised equipment necessary, such as gymnasia, for example, whereas with the help of a trained Y.M.C.A. secretary, co-operating with all the churches in a district, tho social lifo of that district—its recreations, snorts, and social entertainments—could be co-related, organised, and brought into a religious atmosphere. Mr Fowlds went on to saythat the association should maintain the contact, it had established with the. soldiers. It would thereby be tho means of carrying them into a fuller religious life and "into closer connection with the several churches. This question would be faced at tho conference on the following day, and po?sihly means would ho devised so that the influence of the association would be used in the interr-sts of the churches and of the national life and well-being of the community. On the motion of Mr P. R. Sargood, the two speakers were thanked for their addresses. Notices of the activities in connection with the week-end conference appear in this issue. Of special importance is Mr E. O. BrownelTs illustrated lecture on "America's Manhood Factories," to bo given in the Buhls Hall tonight. Tomorrow delegates will bo speaking in city and suburban clnirebes. A men's meeting will be hold in the Empire Picture Theatre at 3 p.m., the speaker being Mr M. \V. P. Laseelles, of Timaru, and recently of England and France. A boys' meeting will be held in tho Y.M.C.A. rooms at" 4 p.m.. when Mr E. F. King (Hastings) will be the speaker. The women's meeting is at the Y.W.0.A., at the same hour, when tho Rev. 41. Raine will give an address. An after-church farewell sorvice will be held in the Y.MC.A. rooms.