RELIGION AND THE TRADE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XII, Issue 714, 12 November 1903, Page 23

RELIGION AND THE TRADE.

AN ANGLICAN OPINION. A Dunedin telegram on Monday states:—The licensing question came up at the Anglican Synod, where a rather remarkable speech was made by the Rev. Mr Kayll. He moved, “That the Synod considers the first step towards the solution of the problem of the excessive use of intoxicants consists in the total abolition, of private profit from the retail trade, and that a league should be formed,, having for its object the propagation of the principles underlying such a system.” The speaker said a great many of their brethren of other denominations had. brought their politics very prominently into church life, and had worked veryhard to make converts to prohibition. People had wondered why the Church of England had not also had a definite, policy as to whether they should or should not support prohibition. They in the Church of England had been accused’ of being half-hearted and without any real desire to see the reform of the drink traffic, and it had also been said that they had had their mouths closed in a certain way. Firstly, there was thequestion were they as clergy called upon to submit to their people any definite policy ? His definite contention was that they were called on to make nosuch attempt. They were not called on to attempt to organise their people into political leagues, and moreover, they were definitely forbidden to do so. It, was no part of a clergyman’s work to ask his people to support any' political platform whatever. Their first duty was to preach the Gospel. It was the duty of the Government to guard public sentiment from;, outrage, and; the Government: accordingly made laws which were largely experimental in nature, and yet theclergy were supposed, and the behaviour of others had given a great deal of support to this opinion, to make an attempt to. organise their people into a certain political league and call on them in the name of Christ to support this or that. It did not matter how strong their personal convictions might be onewav or another, they could not. as a Sa nod, do any thing at all. They could", give no direction to their people.