South Canterbury Times. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 1890.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6203, 30 April 1890, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 1890.

To-morrow will be a fateful day in Europe. The “ labour demonstrations” of May Ist will either show the strength or the weakness of the employed in the several great centres of industry. We are much afraid that weakness not strength will mark the carrying out of the programme generally. This appears to be a fair inference from the attitude assumed beforehand by the authorities of Germany and Austria and so far as we are informed by the employers of Berlin. Unless they saw plain signs of weakness they would scarcely venture to announce beforehand that punishments shall be awarded to the workmen who proclaim for themselves a holiday. The German Minister of Works will dismiss any of his men who take part in the demonstration ; large numbers of employers will punish such of their hands as take part in it by depriving them of a week’s work ; the Austrian Government gives instructions that any disorders arising out of the meetings are to be punished with death. Perhaps however the authorities and employers are mistaken in their estimate of the cohesion among their work people. We shall see.

A suggestive item among the Frisco Mail budget telegraphed yesterday is this : “ The Pontiff desires to head the world-wide reform demanded by organised labour.” Read in connection with the numerous cablegrams of late respecting the proceedings of the Emperor of Germany, and the later item by the mail that he is credited with being the author of a pamphlet in favour of Imperial Socialism, it would seem that the Pope ’ sees in the Kaiser’s action a “ lead ” in a direction in which the Church should not only go, but go in the van, and sees further that the time is about ripe for a start in that direction. The old church is an immense power in the world, in spite of all curtailments of its former privileges, and if it would gird up its loins and take up this work, it would be able to effect more than any mere monarch, however powerful in his own dominions, because the influence of the church cau be made felt everywhere, and if the church of Rome set the example in a work of this kind, the others would soon follow it. The reform demanded—the reform of the social system —is essentially one in which the principles of practical Christianity are concerned. There is needed a liberal infusion of kindly spirit within and between all ranks, the practical results of which would prove, for each and all, that “it is wore blessed to give than to receive.”