"FOR HUMANITY'S SAKE."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 867, 13 July 1910, Page 6

"FOR HUMANITY'S SAKE."

THE CHURCH AND LABOUR. "Yours for the sake of humanity,* wrote Mr. G. G. Farland, of the Wellington* Wharf-Labourers' Union, in a. letter to the Wellington Presbytery yesterday, asking that arrangements be made by the latter body for ministers of the Presbyterian Church to address meetings which were being held at His Majesty's Theatre on Sunday evenings, ■under the auspices of .the. Socialist party. Tie writer referred to a resolution passed at the last meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, the purport of which was to bring about a better understanding between the- Church and organised Labour, and on behalf of the Socialist party he desired to 'convey to the. Presbytery their appreciation of the action of the Assembly, and mentioned that one of the Presbyterian ministers in Wellington (the Rev. Mr. Hutson) had recently addressed one of their meetings. The address had been very . highly appreciated.' It was hoped that a view to educating the people of Wellington in this—"the relations of Church and Labour"—and kindred subjects, the Presbytery would see its way to fall in with the proposal. • .The Moderator expressed pleasure at the general tone of the letter, especially, in view of the fact that the Socialist party had recently extended a welcome to a Rationalist lecturer, whose views were antagonistic to all religious organisations.

The Rev. B. Hutson said that on the occasion of his address to the Socialist* he had been very greatly struck by th« attentive hearing he had received, and the methods generally adopted for the control of the meeting. He was on good terms with both Socialists and Trada Unionists, and had been welcomed as a contributor to the organ of the latter body. He had been asked whether it was possible for Labour to g«t.' into closer touch with the Church, and he felt sure that here was an opportunity for improving the relationship of these two bodies.

It was decided that a committee, con* sisting of the Moderator (the Rev. R. Inglis),the Revs. J. Gibson Smith and W. J. Comrie, and Messrs. J. G. W. Aitken and W.' Allen, be appointed to frame suggestions with regard to the invito tion, and report at the next meeting.