The Otago Witness WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE SOUTHERN MERCURY. (TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 1928.) THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3864, 3 April 1928, Page 47

The Otago Witness WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE SOUTHERN MERCURY. (TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 1928.) THE WEEK.

Eastertide.

"Nunquatn allud nature, nllud sapientia dixit.® -JCVBSAh. ■ ; “Sood uaturo and good sense must ever join.”—* ion.

The proposal to fix a- date for Easter

would', tend to rob ’the festival of its charm of uncertainty. Few neorrle

r V- *■ j. #U. / A trouble beforehand to undertake for them-.; selves, the. intricate calculation necessary . to ascertain the exact date of Easter from year to year. The majority are quite content to await the publication of .the calendar and to accept -its statement of the case without question.: The; complaint is sometimes, made’ that its religious significance is often overlooked, and that ■ Eastertide has degenerate*! into little-more than a popular holiday season, .he more enjoyed since <it is the last Jong holiday before the winter sets in.. Moreover, this holiday moodis in keeping with tradition. It is true that Good Friday—a corruption' of God’s Friday—ha- ever been a day of watching and fasting, and- was proclaimed by Constantine as a' day. of rest; but promptly’ at midnight on Easter Eve, “Out with Lent ” has been the universal cry. : ‘According to a custom observed in' Ireland at cockcrow ran Easter Day the sun should dsnee. On that occasion “fat hens are due to go to the pot, and woe to any who taste 6f the stew before the cock crows in the morning, when at about 4 o’clock in the morning families.’should •ssemble to see the sun dancing.” How widespread ; wak this belief is seen in the solemn statement , of Sir Thomas . TSydwne in ‘ Pseudodcfxia Epidemica “We shall* not, 1 hope; disparage the resurrection of our Redeemer if we say the .sun- doth not ance on Easter Day. And though we would Will-, ingly. assent, unto any .sympathetical exultation,' yet' cannot cpncelve therein any more, than a- topical - express-ion.” •Sir John Stickling ‘ all-ides to the same: tradition ’when’, in'“A Ballad Upon a! Wedding,” he exclaims :— - > ' ' ■ :* ■ But, 0,. she - .dp.nces such a way, No sun upon an Easter 'Day '

Is half so fine a: sight. ' ' : Thus the modern craze for dancing in association with Eastertide has a good foundation in fact.

Wcmen and Easter.

If the large majority in. favour of the second reading of the

Equal .Franchise Bill in the House of Commons.be taken as a reflection of

public opinion on the matter, the time is at hand when all 'women over, the age of 21 in the • United . Kingdom .will- be accorded-, a vote . in the Parliamentary elections. . This is only in keeping with the signs of the times, and the cheap sneer at-the ‘flappers’” -’ote is but an insult hurled at the head of the entire sex, denying them the measure of intelligence enjoyed by their male compatriots. The Dean of Durham foresees die time fast approaching when the placing of women on an equality with man in respect of the franchise will force, the hand of the Church in a similar direction. “ If the State treats women and men on a basis of equality,” declares Bishop Welldon, “ the Church will not always be able to keei> women on a basis of inferiority.

There is not a sufficient reason for denying them holy orders. A woman’s ministry -would benefit the Church spiritually, especially at a time when male* candidates are' diminishing. The time is cominfc —perhaps it is not far distant —when thfe ordination of women will be an ndeomplished fact;” This idea of the of women is but an old custom revived, as Easter traditions go surely to ‘show, ‘ Since Easter holidays were proclaimed by King Alfred, '■'omen always seem to‘have taken a : large' share of the holiday Starts, such tfs play at tjie game bf. football, the . reputed “ mother of cricket,” for tansy cakes. Jn the famous Easter sports at /Chester >’ women even 'p.ayed ’football in the -bow-ai)d-ar-row xlays. A loehl legend ’ tells of a Mayor’s daughter who, when playing football with other maids at the Pepper Gate, was carried off by a dashing lover. Her father ordered the Pepper Gate to be closed for ever, whence . the Chester proverb; “ When the daughter is stoler , close the gate.” '

Easter and Evolution.

lii his book entitled “ Should Such a TTlnth Hffnnd?” WAnn

raitn uttena • - Bishop Barnes remarks: “The Controversies of : recent

years have done good by -forcing Christian theologians and preachers to admit that they can no > longer claim as historical the stories tf • Adam ‘and Eve, the Garden, of Eden, and the Fall.”' Such a statement necessarily involves a modification of the orthodox Easter belief. “ Belief in evol-tion,” says the same authority, “is becoming as much a commonplace in this, country as belief in Copernican astronomy; and almost all now recognise that Christian theology - among us must ba' adapted to meet the changed standpoint.” If, however, the , theory of evolution has any meaning, it has a bearing upon the future as important as is its bearing upon the past. And as the controversies concerning man’s past appear to be closing with a reasonable agreeme in; sight, so the controversies regarding the future of man are only beginning to open. There is, fo; instance, the recent statement made by Sir Oliver Lojlge before an audience of University men at Oxf J. I that the human race is only in its infancy and is not yet properly civilised. . In proof of which sts tement he Cited man effort to destroy his brother man by waging war. And Sir Oliver Dodge pointedly remarked that dropping bombs on everybody and submarines crawling about : sinking fishing boats was no occupation for gentlemen. Sir Oliver is a great believer in the ultimate evolution of the superman, a theory Which receives reinforcement from the remark of an American astronomer of world-wide fame', Dr Henr Norris Russell, of Princeton. Aceordiiig to . this authority, life probably exists on Mars, and it may extend to- hundreds and even thousands of other worlds, ‘ In those other worlds living; beings, have in ill probability reached a sta'e of development billions of years in co df. the inhabitants of this earth. There follo-ris this remarkable statement: “Ti e laws of mathematical chance make it possible that .of the unknown ■ worlds thousands (perhaps millions) of planets which may revolve about' the 1,000,000 known stars support life.” ’ .

Easter and Indastry.

Having made a beginning .with .its deliberations. thh T ational

111 C <.IIIV It <ll Industrial Conference has adjourned over the Eister holidays : luid it : may be

uvuuajo • Livi it hoped 'that the brief recess will be spent 'by the delegates iir serious- thought concerning the vital issues invclved. The conference has had the privilege of, hearing the various views pre ented by the several -professors of' economies at the university colleges, an! . xnnot but have ’ noted the differences in the theories advt.nced and the suggestions ’i.ade -for a settlement .satisfactory to all concerned. The conference has also, listened to the views put forward -by leading men representing important .industries; indeed, anyone and everyone able to th.-»w light upon the industrial problem will be given opportunity to speak. Whatever be the ultimate issue of the conference, concerning which it is too soon to speak with any confidence, o’ne important fact has already emerged, .viz., that .before any general conclusion 1 are formulated there; must be a good deal of give and take on every side.' The', Prime- Minister Lasi ut-ged the .delegates to ! the ■ conference to put on one side all personal; political, and party interests and to* be intlu’ertced solely’ by a concern for the good of the* whole community. It remains to. be seen ho-v far that appeal has fallen upon d-'af ears. It may be hoped that the joy and peace characteristic of Easterljde will influence the minds of the conference, delegates; that-aneient feuds will be buried on Good Friday; and that with the coming of Easter Day there will be. a res: r.rection of -the •of general goodwill.