THE CHURCH AND LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 511, 19 May 1909, Page 4

THE CHURCH AND LABOUR.

- Sir — "Canting bosh'!, is' the Kev. -. Dr. 'Gibb's ■polished .'comment .',on tho Commonwealth Premier's address '■ to .the. Presbyterian: General. Assembly .of .Australia;:. Evidently ■the tnith'of-'the .lattor's remarks has stung :thc' i reverend gentleman. .Mr. Fisher should :hav'e gone further and/duined jnto tho_headß of tho olerios the remedy for our social evils. 'The abolition of-land monopoly and-Customs duties '..is .tlio remedy.;. - it .'only needs one short Act of ; ; ParJiamcnt to apply it. j, J?ho Act should provide that the' commiuiity-ore-atodValue-of'land shall be'.diverted from, the landlords' pockots. into-, the ■ national '.exchequer fdf.'tbo benefit of the'people, as a whole, and/that "Customs, duties shall bo remitted, frdtri-'tiino 'to 'time in proportion .to '.the amount of-land-value revenue collected. -•; '■■ •'■ i/The: Dr.;, r .Gibb Vsays :, : "Tho : Church..bas; 'been, tho friend' of 'the 'poor." vl; say that.it is the friend of the rich, for it'.supports'.a .system whereoy.the masses of .the, peoplo'are .robbed 'forHhe benefit;of the rich. .All ;tbat "the Church has'donb for tho poorhns been.to' distributeVoharitablo' doles. ;' It has,not had thoinOral eburago v to denounce' the hugo system ? jof' -sp'bliation , under which .'most. of :us live and;die,':.a:.systoin .which renders charitablo .-.-doles' necessary.,: ;lt; is moro '.philanthropic to ;pr'event ; poverty .by removing the. causothonto'dealwith tho effects of-poverty' by'distributing' charitable doles. ,'lhe. people do. hot I want'charity. v : They Want justice. They J.wantvtheir natural .rights, which would affordth'ehi'freedom and independence, which the, Almighty- intended., mankind, to 'enjoy.' In'.,fightiiig. for. these rights wo, are fighting far,the most important part of the righteousness": "taflght ■ in • tho"<Bible,- but wWoh .tho clergy never.-so. much' as.mention. The ..land-', less wage-earners do not ask-the Church'to role. ' What they do -ask, is;that:it'ah'6uld discriminato'botween right', arid jwr'ongj.'-ahdi vigorously and ucnoußco all -branches of moral law, especially,? land i monopoly, and .that it should continue ;sucll ; denunciati(m; regardless ol : .wn6m it may .'offendjj.until ■ the.; abominations .under which :wo .suffet-'peaso .tb' ; oxist." Tho-Church wili;thc'n ; :riave.done something;'tb justify its existence, -amUto claim ■',the, confidence and support of the'workers.. ■■:■ ■'•'.'-. '.'•• . ;■'"'.'."' Let me draw. Dr. Gibb's attention to the fact that;pn March 18 last-there appeared in a 'Wellington daily paper an open letter to religious teachers from the pen of Mr. Edward: T.', Evana (issued : by the Hutt Branoh; ofJtho'Singlo'.'Tak League), in which the .writer. :clearly, exposed ,'tho great econo-mio-wrohg-under whiohHlie landless workers have suffered so^long, J 'and'in scathing language commented irrponl'tho. silenco of religious' teachers' genorallyjin. rcgard.to social ovTls;which,ovenwOTldlyinen. are denouncing as: the abomination of-abominatioris.'• •'' That Utter, was ',the most, terrible arraipimont of the.ChurchXthat has-eyer been published in New ..Zealand: 'But thus"far not a Binglo re-. plyi to 'it has been'.mado bvany cleric, which clearly shows .that there;is a conspiracy of 3ilenco on the. part of ministers of .religion and religious .teachers generally concerning the greatest iniquity,6f modern tim<>s.—l am. etc,. "•••■'■:■.- .'".' i- M. WILLIAMS. -May 15,: 1909.,- '.'< : \',v. .;':;-.: