MILLIONS FOR PLEASURE

Taranaki Daily News, 8 August 1930, Page 10

MILLIONS FOR PLEASURE

A BISHOP’S DEPRECATION. HOW THE MISSIONS FARE. A p triking comparison between the amount of money spent on amusement in New Zealand and that given to fniasion fields , was * made by Bishop Williams, of Waiapu Diocese, on Wednesday evening in the course of a sermon delivered at the annual provincial thanksgiving ,• and intercession service held in. St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral, ’ Wellington'. • “Before the 'end of this week,” he, said, “there will-be ; about-£50,000 taken in gate money at the.'football match with the touring British team. And I suppose that £50,000 does' not represent by any manner of means, the money paid for the tickets. And there will be tram fares and car fares. At a very moderate estimate,, the amount that will be spent will be five times the amount I iiientioned —a quarter of a million pounds. ; ■ • • ■ ■ “But that is only one thing,” he continued. “What do you spend in golf, lawn tennis, horseracing,. tobacco, pictures, leaving out the great number of ways in which we can so easily spend cur money? .Do you know .that you are spending about a million and a half in tobacco annually, four millions in the pictures, four millions . in motor-gars, and two and a half millions. for their upkeep for fuel alone. Assuming tliat, half of the motor-cars are usgd for busi-. ness purposes, we have left ; tiyclve and. a-half million, pounds spent for amusement and luxury. , “The proportion of Church of England people in New Zealand is about’ 48 per cent., so that we are spending' approximately five millions’a year. If we are going to be true disciples of Christ, we must take up our cross and deny ourselves and follow Him. We must be prepared for some self-denial. If we. will deny ourselves to the. extent of 1 per cent, for amusement,. under these, four I'Oadings alone, we should have £50,000 to give to the missions. We are forced'at the present time to give, but £lB,OOO. Until you people of. the Church' encourage the 'Board of Alissions to do its duty in this matter, we,will make a very poor showing in our direction. “Go; ye into all the world, and preach tlic gospel to every creature.’"