VISIT OF JOHN HODGE. M.P.

Southland Times, Issue 14635, 27 January 1911, Page 5

VISIT OF JOHN HODGE. M.P.

TEE COUNCIL ON SUHDiY MEETINGS. The Trades and Labour Council yesterday evening asked the Town Council’s permission for the use of Victoria Hall on Sunday evening next to enable air Jno. Hodge, M.P., to deliver an address entitled “Christian Democracy.” The Mayor pointed out the difficulty of discriminating in such matters regarding Sunday evening entertainments. Cr. Scandrett moved (and Cr. Corson seconded) that tire application be granted. Cr. Bain objected to the leasing of the hall and he moved that the application be received. The matter of Sunday entertainments had previously been threshed out, and the Council should adhere to its previous resolution. He was surprised that the Trades and Labour Council, as champions of trades unionism, should encourage occasions like this where people had to be employed. It was all very well to call the lecture “Christian Democracy.” It could be given a name, but they did not know what it might be. Cr Dunlop seconded the amendment, provided its terms were changed to read that the applicants be informed that the Council had made it a principle to discourage Si nday meetings and had therefore to decline. Cr. Scandrett said that the Council had not affirmed it a universal principle, to refuse to allow lectures like this to be held. The lecturer was a distinguished man from England, with but a brief time at his disposal and the Council should grant him every facility at their disposal. After some further discussion, Cr* McKay raised a point of order based on the fact that a previous resolution bearing on Sunday meetings had been passed and would have to be rescinded before the motion could be put in order. The Mayor ruled that the motion was not in order, but Cr. Scandrett asked the terms of the previous resolution, and the discussion was deferred forsome time to enable the resolution to be looked up. It was found later that; the resolution could not at the moment be discovered, and it was agreed to put the matter to the voices. After Crs. McCulloch, Moffett and Strang had spoken in support of the motion (granting the application) it was carried by a. narrow majority.