A NINE MONTHS' TRIP ABROAD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2861, 13 January 1909, Page 15

A NINE MONTHS' TRIP ABROAD.

THE REV. C. H. LAWS INTER- I '!h-e Roy C. H. La.**, of Trinity Motho- ' ■eh-.' Ciiu'fii. fin-Mr -t'e-ci. returned a fp\v <"' i . - <it{o io Dunedin from a nine month-' ii.;- i-bicnd. During his absence the n>v. ; f.j-iic!< man .has visited Xf"\eastie-on-'L\ no (Irs native rcvn), London, E-dmbmgh, andothiv ' Rome localities, and he alr-o .spent a mon'h ' in Pale-tin". Rcfoiring to imnrp^ior^ lc-ffc on Ills mind as the rreiilt of his journcyn'sr'-. >Jr L-.v.<*. in the courve of a clni i\irh a member of oar staff -• csterdiy, sir.' ih"i ha ' -cit and letiu'ned via f-uoz. in tijo Homel.'.iid he \\j' fa\oii!.>d v.'ith r>.ccpiionalij' fin" viDth^r — probibl*, t^-f hn?A su'iimor that, had Ipoh cxye/ienc^d <1 «.i :* 1 1 -^r (ho pa^i fiuir*' 1 ! 1 of a tonlnrv, in^ ho "poke fiitbu^ii'T't. »'.!*■ of =ov:^r?l dav^ -"■p'.-t in the Kiifrl'-'-i lake <giu)U-v and m viU'j,? the beautiful <-ointr>- of Warwidcthne and othor Engn-ii rouvi.p*. COXDITIOXS OF L/l-E AT HOME. ' R^forrinj-- to the coud'Lons of life at Iloiu?. and coiiiprti ing thorn wiih tl)» con'l,uo;:> in Nc/: Zoai.m.l Mr L-iv,^ -aid it \\<|, a ppi' rone -that tiio.o 'vci -> gioatei c<i'.aiHdc, L =, a freer lift?, ;>n_( tnoie rtiua'itv of op^oi (.unity for th« nsln^ g-on^r. l.o;i in th^ Dominion Lhan m the lioinoi'ind. "Tl»eic ar<; 1.0 cr.-.>. of nic poserK 1.".c sucii as met;, bo foiu'l in ilu 1 lani 1 ?,."! n *g J centics of the Old La.id. wh?.e ths Loates ! ace crov/dfld together in long liro^, and there is nov.berc for childicu to ,i!ay cx-cc-.'l in the sliest-/' he saij, "?rd th^ Er.gi'=h workmen l^e uude. \o }<} it.vi coii<',!i,or.-. tha' are .uif/in: to 'h' 1 rondi ticjn«. hoio, nhorc i'i° Ihnfiv "." d Jr.-1;'-----iri'i ,- \>Oil"sr car., v h" v\ iv- , gsi a p.cce cf iai d a^d ov. n ;t ! on.o of hit o'.n " THE DRINK TREBLE:,! -"'I HOME Do L-'- -\n\ •'!-»' . -. ;.,;i' '^m rt Hon^, I./- i»v. I'M.t'.'-.rn i,':- 1 I wa^cLod %f ■ c g,o^ .tw ]>übi "io i _- iii thr iloino fii.c---1 \ 'co, md I \ =t.- '.vii!- vjiii the !a>y: i i;. t'j • of j-eo,.!'i vho dnnj: in the bars •'vrj'i'^ :!)'-■ i'<J.. M d :•)-<) u\i to \ cry !?"0 Lo i.s <.t nifjiit. 1 \wt al>o impi. '-cd th \c-\ v itiigv* liumLci" oi v, o:iicu wiio drin" j.uahcK m the Iloii-.e cuic.-, .^-ouiig gills and young woxuan eui plowed ia factories

going into the bars alone or in pairs, and I have often seen women with children in their arms, or leading children by the hand, going into the bars for liquor. These wo-nen all mix with men in the hotels, and dunking is common between them. In comersatk ri with others on this subject, 1 v, as infor.njd that drinking is on ti»e jnc lease among women in the O|rl Country, and I hji-filv spoke to a man A*ho did not sa-^ the time ltad arrived to curb the drinking evil." As indicating the trond of pub!ir> opinion in this connection, lie mentioned that almost everywhere he travelled at Home be found the strongest sympathy with the Licensing Bill of the Government, which had been thrown out by t.he House of Lords, and at the English Wesleyan Methodist Conference, which he attended as a delegate, and where all shades of political opinion were represented, a resolution in* sympathy with the bill was passed by 593 out of 600 pre'Sont, the seven dissentients against the resolution voting for an amendment which declared that the bill did not go far enough, as it did not deal with clubs. " Considerable interest," Mr Laws .said, "is taken in the advanced temperance legislation of New Zealand and Australia, but while a great many people look upon this legislation with strong approval, they would be satisfied in the meantime with considerably lees in their cas-Q." The rev. gentleman concluded his remarks on the drink problem with the statement: "I taw j a great deal of drunkenness in the streets of tho cities ai Home, and noted it particularly in Edinburgh." THE UNEMPLOYED. " I was struck with the great number of unemployed in the shipbuilding and manufacturing centres at Home, but was una'jlo to observe any direct connection between this fact and evidences of poverty. There was a good deal of begging in the streets, but much less than I expected to see." NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE BYEELEC- «. TION. Referring to political matters, Mr Laws said he was in Newcastle-on-Tyne during the last bye-election, when the Liberal party sustained a defeat, and a Conservative replaced a Liberal member. Dealing with causes that led to thie result, he said.: — "While the question of tariff reform weighed with the electors to some extent, the factors that decided the election were the strenuous and organised support which the Liquor party gave to the Conservative candidate, and the large amount of unemployment in the electorate. The suffragettes were also very active in the election, speaking in halls and in the streets, and urging the electors to vote against the Government. Another factor in the election was the active political opposition of the Roman Catholic Church authorities, owing, to the veto of the ' Premier against the intention to have a procession of the Host in the streets. The fact of a Socialist candidate taking away votes that would probably have gone to the Government candidate was also an element in the election.' THE WOMEN'S FRANCHISE ! MOVEMENT. ! Asked as to the position of the women's i franchise movement at Home, he said he ! did not think he would be far wrong in saying there was a very large body (>l opinion in both political parties in favour j of the extension of the franchise to women. He also ascertained that a very large number of people held the opinion that the only way to press the matter forcibly on the notice of Parliament and the public was by some such methods as the suffragettes were adopting. The general public opinion, however, was against the extreme methods of eections of the suffragettes, and this inclined many, otherwise favourable, to revise their views on the subject. Lawabiding methods met with general public approval, but lawless acte alienated the sympathy of the more moderate-minced supporters. RELItiIOUS LIFE AND THE NEW THEOLOGY. Speaking of religious life in the Homeland, Mr Laws said he thought the religious life of England at the present day wae in an interesting stage, and at no time had there been greater theological unrest than now. The beliefs of the churches were being subjected, as they never had been before, to searching scrutiny and criticism, and he had found a great deal of sympathy among- a certain class of thinking people with the New Thcologj as expounded hv Rev. R, J. Campbell and others cf iiis ,«chccl ; bu;. on the whole, he did not think tho Ne\. Theology had made a 'v cry ctroiicy mipre — on on the Church. There bad been of' laic year- ;i liberalising of tlwolciry in all fbe qliurcbes, and old doctrines weic be ins? expunged in accord with the newci- li^ht Tho general feelnig among Christian teacher^ was that tho. New Theol-offv lobbed the Christ of the CYc*c of its \cry heart and motive power, and left v hide more than a mere freak. M^«i of the churches at Homo were in acti-.e h\mptthv with all social work, end he «d> ver\ much struck with the multi-pidmou-i agencies employed by the Methods ctatial missions suid the Congregational institutional churches .with which he c:»ne in contact in this field of church label 1 ". At a time w^hen there was so much theological unrest, and when there were go uiany iKm-r-nurch-going people, it muet pro\ iJc food for anxious reflection on the pan of every man desiring the bv*i> for tho prople, and he did not think there had run- been a time in English hi^fory when tl.e fhurches had' teen more active in their voik, more liberal, and more eelf-denying, <•:■ lucre thoroughly in sympathy with every ii.oK.mont for social betterment of the mazes than was the case to-day. PALESTINE. The places \i*itcd by Mr Laws in Palestine were Jaffa, Jerusalem, Jericho. Joidan Valley, the Dead Sea., Bethlehem, Samaria, Galilee. Nablus (Saechem), Nazareth, Tiberias, etc. While in Palestine lie sat on the coping of Jaooiw's Well' and climbrd. the summit of Mount Gerizim, and also visited Damascus, travelling ihenoe by (lie French railway to Beyrout, and vwitmg Tiaalbeo, wiherel tome ex-r.-en.i-h I'it^icning ruins were Been. Retur ri in<2: by the coa,st he called at Haifa, and acccn.d' ;1 Mo'int Carmel. Mr Lawe returns to tho Dominion much invigorated for his pastor j I work, and like mo3t of those who travel abroad, k glad to be home again, ■■■ i*'i v>id m od experiences.