Social Problems.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13685, 29 August 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

Social Problems.

iln June last, in London the Pan Anglican Congress, dealt with the Drink and Qainblilig Problems. of -Columbia, -was' in the • chair,' and the TSa'rl of-Lytton, who opened the debate, • took- the position ■ that the consumption of alcohol was wit in itself iihmoral, and that the' objective- of the temperance 'workers should be to" influence the individual so as to raise the'standard of self-respect and to educate'public opinion to reprobate intemperance. ' He offered two points for ilie consideration of reformers (1), to pi-event -people wanting t(> drink (which was quite different from trying to prevent people from getting .drink),;' (2) to remove opportunities for the abuse of drink. Lord Lytton welcomed the provisions in the present Bill to reduce the number of public houses. j Judge Ma'cdonald, of Canada, told in detail of the"'failure of prohibition' in the Dominion, and then the Bishop of Kensington made a powerful speech in (which he,defined itfce attilud© of' temperance informers.- He took his' standon the declaration of the '. majority report 'of the Royal Oommissionj signed by •representatives of the trade as well as temperance reforriiers, that a gigantic evil : remains io ; be remedied'and, that, no' sacrifice is too gjreat which 1 would' 'result in a marked) diminution of this national degradation. The Bishop did not think that-they could trust to temperance work aV'the-pnly instrument of reform-; there must bea "com- - biriation of public opinion ahd : legislative ajetion. The prohibition campaign/ had failed in this-countiy, and lie did not believe it would ever succeed, fo.r ib was contrary to .the .instinct, rooted in the British' mind.- iTh'e' ainv of: reformers, -on the other hand, was not'to' make' eVery'-' b°dy, ! willy. hilly, total; or Ho throw.-contempt; upon 'themoderatedrink-' er; and '•■ certainly?, the - aim' of a sane and: ' intelligent temperance' party was not 'to'" cover the trade, 'with; abuse',' or": to 'suggest : ijbab.l those 1 working: ;it '■' were .worse than Aher men. (Cheers, j .':".,>.

There .were three distinct aims -before the, great intelligent body of temperance reformers. : Fin "it, . .they, sought the reduction of drinking facilities—a': coceiderable reduction,";:os'-- rapidly .-attained '■■ at) '■ might be consistent "with j'ustice, on a legal

compulsory and uniform basis, but with full and generous consideration for tliw-o wlioto interests .were involved,, By what right did tliey iimifc the '.number .of •those who sold liquor,,and leave -unlimited the number of those who' Bold meat, and .'.bread,? Was it not that'the whole licensing'system rested ou two grounds (1) that .the, tr.ide is costly to the nation and dangerous to the individual, and (2) that the danger increased with the extension .of facilities? (Cheers.) The second demand was .that the .State should have complete, control, and the third was that' the .will qf the people must" be- and enforced. This was the highest aim 'of the temperance reformeiis—to give the people a voice in settling a quiction so vi,ta|ly affecting themselves. (Cheers.) . This spetch was very sympathetically applauded. In the couise 'of the subsequent discussion Miss. Brandrelh. a temperance worker in South .London told how sensible, educative work had it's effect- where wisely applied. Then she brought, roars of laughter from the house. Having explained that public, opiniun, was far is advance of legislation on (.his' subject, she said she thought the. reason was set forth in a "temperance Limerick, - ' which she rec'ittd as .follows: ,'-rA Temperance worker said "Asses! This Bill's for the good of.the masses." Bub he altered- his inind , When he happened, to'lind

That his aunt had her money.. in Bass's. The Bishop of Utah, with pronounetd American twang, also . won some of -.. the ebullitions of laughter which are very rare in this Congress,. He sai,d prohibition had i\ot had "a square deal,!"; from the Canadian'judge, and I 'ho was there to defend it. This he did with earneistnes.s and also- with wit. "We people in ; , the. United Stales," he said "don't know, what you .mean when you talk about a respectable saioou. We haven't got.any. .. s\rom what;l. hear you don't seem to. have made yours respectableby putting.women in ; them." , .■.■;'' < "Why, don't you. want, .prohibition.?" he continued. - "It, it ;; because, of pour sympathy apparently with the moderate drinker. What is the moderate drinker ? He is supposed to be a, man who can stop altogether if he wants to. But you seeui to have so many in England who have no possible idea.of, wanting to." He wound up w.ith a very racy c-tory, and the session was brought to a close in the best of good humour. GAMBLING.

In the afternoon " Gambling and {speculation " wars the topic, and the Bishop ; of Bunbury, from. West Australia,, made a trenchant onslaught ,011,..those who gave way, to the Speculative temptation. ; Ho denounced rafiies at.Church bazaars, anid threepenny points at whist in the club;. he condemned the. women .: who play bridge; ho assailtct bucket shops and newspapers? which published betting figures. -." The. Synods must, not only condemn, but the clergy must abolish raffles in connection. with their churches," .he ,said : "our lay Churchmen must. give up the wild excitement of threepenny point." Mr.. S.. H. ,M., Killik; a'member of the London Stock Exchange, -read ;a .paper onthe subject of gambling .in business. His conclusion was- that'to far ,as .the Stuck Exchange is concerned niere gambling .is discouraged/and. that much of that, which may be .called speculation is gambling, die said, .chiefly, fostered by outside, brokers, whose business it was to encourage- dealings by persons of all class;-j, ii respective of. their means. They issued epecioi'ii-.cir-culars, and advertisement* inducing- people' to risk large sums on gambbng. But. while Its was difficult, to eay. where speculation ceased 1 in business aud gambling began r he thought that in Stock Exchange transactions there was little that was illegiti-. male.

,Mr. John Hawke, secretary of the AntiGrambling League, wau .the next speaker, and in the eaurse* of. his address he attacked the Press l and advocated .the suppression of the publication of betting newt; and the various-'.competitions which encouraged tins gambling instinct. ..He said '" Uha only pofuibjef; ;mst-hod of dealing with the ever-shifting plans of the Press gambling farmers-is now under consideration by a - Parliamentary committee '- and' is recommended by. tht public prosecutor. It -will forbid . the i offering of these tocalled- prises .if 'derived from contributions of the. competitors. l ' (Cheers.) Hb said many strong things in condemnation of the Limtriek competitions,.' and urged membeie of the Church to uue their influence to check the gambling tendency of the times. . • , . . .

.These papers led to an interesting debate. ...

" Christain Morality as Criti&ed in, jbe 'West-and in the.Eost," was dowii' for discussion afc Kensington Town Hall. ■ (One of the most interesting speeches of the day, was that. of the Rev'.' AJr. Tflfirs'on, from Jujmn. He. spoke of the pasting religion in Japan, >and said that there was only one ■direction,in irlifch the courtly was changing. They -had a great steamship line, great butrntiis' :liove-ss, great banks,* and" great-commercial col : leges. People are catching the commercial ■spirit of,"the West. In tire- old' day.?, gentlemen were taught to despise money, strange, as thab might seein, but) now thsy are running after; it.. All. this was uft'ect- . iug the ethics-of the country. People wsre at least learning that honest was the hext ■policy, bub they were becoming■'-so--- stuffed with the sweetmonts -of eoinmerciuljl'y that they found no time for Chrislainity. .. The. movement towards commei'ciu'lisni, continued Mr. Ryersou, was turning., tipside'down the entire social-system of Ihe people. They .would have i|.o• face all thts'j pi'oblems that England had- toi solve, ami these' problems are? coming upon.: then* far more rapidly . than they had passed oyer lis. Indeed, tile wlw'le life 'of ths peojjle was greatly changing and bringing the individual more to tho front. For instance,. there was . how young girls sell-ing-'stamps in the. postrofiioas and tickets • at the railway stations. /A great many studeirte were' living away from their'' homes—a thing unheard of before .

.Tliese new Itendencies formed a challenge' for the 'Chrktiiin Church.' It was worth' their while to try .'and convert (hat great and mighty nalipiiu not only , for Japau'e sake,- but far - oiirs, . and for tlift sake, of the whole -world: They wanted more men to gt> out "and sjiread Christianity in Japan. ' .< ■ '