LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 931, 26 September 1910, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

THE METHODS OF A TRADES UNION SECRETARY. Sir, —A letter under the above heading appeared in your issue of September 17 above the; signature of A. E. Adams. The same, was discussed'at/a meeting of our,union, held last, evening, when strong exception was taken at the attitude of your paper in publishing such; a .letter reflecting as it (lid on the union and the secretary, without submitting sarnie to them so that .their side of the. case could be published in the same, issue ;as iVMr. Adams's letter; However, the union passed a resolution requesting -yoidi' paper to kindly publish the following reply to the points raised by j\lr. Adams:. . y ■ :'V 1. The;; quarrel with the Labour, Department is the FuiSpiture ; .Union v. the' Labour Department, and hot Mr. Moriarty. v. the, Labour Department.' - , 2.. The part'played in the matter by Mr. Moriarty;. lias: been done .by . him under .instructions from the, union, and has met with the union's approval. : 3. The' statement . "at. any. ; tribunal you like to set up we mil prove our charges," made by Mr. Moriarty when appearing as. one of a ;deputation' to tho Primo Minister, was made on behalf of the union, and the union hereby endorses'.' that and if given the 1 chance will- prove .all.' the ..charges : made: by it against.the Labour Department. •'' •" .- . 4. The statement , made by Mr. Adams, that Vhe . believes; the union . harbours employers' of; labour;is on- a . par with , the . rest,: of ■' liis statements—contrary to. fact; J It is : not necessary .to go into detail, to .explain.';; the; .motive, that prompted 'Mr.. Adams." to write .as ■ he did, but. the union ventures to assertthat if your paper, was aware of, what was behind the :scenes; it 'would, never have published the letter. 'or. . The sequel to the matter was reached at the last meeting of . the union when it . was unanimously to take, the power away from Mr. Adams of sending inaccurate-.statements to the press —as' a member of the union. — I ' • Trusting you . will' publish this.. and thanking' you in anticipation,—l ,'ajn, W. A. ALLAN, ■ ' President W.U.F.T.TJ. September 23, 1910.

MR. HOGG ON DEFENCE.

Sir,—For many/ years I have been 1 a gTeat aimirer of Mr. Ho{p as a-poli-tician: Have voted for him on different' occasions, with both pleasure, and. "confidence,: but, alas," after:reading your report of his views on defence,. as published .iniyour.editidn- of. yesterday, am inclined to' believe'.he is not the-perfect ; ' 'noii-sucli'' that- for a long timo lie! ■appeared-ito me. What nonsense •he talked when asking if Gennany had ever, produced a Johnson or a Jeffnes,' or if any country on the : Continent had produced,' Sandow.', . Surely . such levity , was; Out of place.; -But. what,' may I ask, would be the good -. of hundreds ;of sich ;notables, 5 even if assisted: by; a Samson or a Gohath of.Gath in case of -an.; unless - they had ,not" only .'firearmsiybut'.'the ability to use ;them?i For courage and muscle he (Mr. Hogg), says we must 'go to Old England. He, a :Scqtsmaii/ treats his, owii: country ;witli silent contempt, • and says England, 1 instead of Great Britain and lreland. ( :ln olden; times. England, with hundredsof : German,iand^bther.^^mercenariesj^tried .hari,;|o.;.^jqiie^'^jsn^uevSootlaii^C but such assistance foiuid-.iC was rather, a hard nut for her to.crack. No_ doubt she had the iionoy with which;.to. pay.\her. hirelings, .but;; as for. the courage and muscle of which. Mr. Hogg boasts, I rather think , they were .loc.ated. North',of ithe Borders.','';-. But -lam ■ straying from the'subject of New Zealand defence. : Mr. : Hogg; asks if we are pigeon-hearted, and why wo should rely on ftrearras and man-traps ? for' our . defence, i What .else;does he think would save liiis' former? No doubt; he declares, if ,our conntry should ever be in .danger,- thousands of our young men would hasten, to offer their services.;. But what, may I • ask, would be the worth of an untrained mob in resisting •an invasion?:. I think it• would only be a.useless sacrifice of life. . . ,' ; ;

Certainly I would not like to see war m our country; but Mr. Hogg must surely admit* that the": surest": way-: of preserving': peace; is -to be • prepared for war. 1 think it was • Lord Beaconsfield, or - some -other "Big Wig," . -who- .. told >' us . to trust 111 Providence, but keep our powder dry. It ! ,i's generally admitted that drill smartens'a man wonderfully, so surely a few days of it would • harm no one.' Besides, ' it may yet bo of incalculable value in saving our country from any. foe who might covet it. I also reckon that any man who - would " grudge '. such a. small part of his time' for the - defence of his country) is not worthy of the name'"of 'citizen.'';' As : ' for Mr. :• Hogg's, declaration that' mercantile mon want war so that ; they can got •!rid .of their rotten meat, surely he cannot bo in earnest when he expresses such bitterness. -Then again, ho speaks of people while'in church and'engagedin. prayer '■ studying Army contracts at': one. ' and ;the same; time. iWhere does he get such startling information ? In his case, he surely must , bo measuring "other topic's corn with ; his\own::bushel.'' In conclusion,! ! I 1 may. 'state : : that"thbugh' now .too "old-and feebleVforv drill,''a;long* time" ago\ I ; 'had three, years' of it,. : ahd' ; waswith • many' others",: greatly' benefited thereby. Thanking you in anticipation, ■ and ; hoping ; Mr.: Hogg will soon change his views on the defence of God's Own Country.—l anij etc., '• SCOTTY. Pahiatua, September 24, 1910.

SABBATH DESECRATION.

WHAT CONSTITUTES IT? Sir,—ln this morning's reading I was; Struck ..with the .followng. text:—"Surely your'turning, of things upside/down shah; be , esteemed; as .the. potter's - c}ayy-. etc." Isa. xxix. 16. When we have published in ; the' Dapers this statement .by one;-of-he. ministers,. "Sunday gardening—in . my. district, - where there is as much .Sabbath desecration: as in'any district round Wellington.", . There is a turning.; of; things upside down,- of turning of two distinct, separate . days - ;into-one.';;-,Mixing, the .seventh- day.with the first—the Saturday into Sunday. ' . The Sabbath of Matt, xxviii. I.was.before.,thai.first day: o fthe weak. :o.; ; ' . The Creator, .who- rested on. the seventh; day, said, • "The seventh day is. the .Sabbath." The first day of the/week-,.was one of the-'six o£ the week on which, work is permitted. But,"in consequence of tho Roman Catholic 'sea captains and sailors crossing the Pacific Ocean in search of territory,- for the Papacy, .they v-miigect the days o£ the week, and called the day which was known in the East as rhe sixth day-r-they!;'called :it 'the seventh,-.or,- in other words, they called" Friday, Saturday, ' a;ul Saturday- they called • Sunday. Here; we , see the'; Divine, order .of - the' numbering of tho days changed by;,nian. The Creator appointed the sun fo rule the day, and not the navigator. TKe'sun's rule ' where Adam dwelt, would continue its rulo all round the world, and the change to the next day could only be made at tho same place. It is unreasonable to stop the sun's, rule boforo ;it 'has finished. its a'pparent revolution. •> If : we ■ change the day .where Adam did, we shall have a 'Bible example,' and the Sabbath which Adam and Jesus observed, if allowed to come to New Zealand unhindered and unchanged by n\ an, would be, as it undoubtedly-is, the misnamed Sunday, and Monday would he Sunday, tho first day bf the week. There are four ways in which tlio Sabbath of thA Fourth Commandment has been changed by man.

Ist. The first day' of 'the-.week has takcil" the ' place;. . of,-, .the,' seventh-rSundayT*; instead; of - Saturday. ~ 2nd." Midnight ha# • taken the place of sunset for'the begin*' of • the Sabbathi ■, "IProni even, to even shall ye. celebrate; your Sabbath.* 32. . ' 3rd; The reason -for-keep-lng the Sabbath has. been changed,. fo?' the cnpposed-resurrection-of Christ' onthe' first-day,; which is.not true.Jesus ross on the babbath, or Saturday.' The reason--why the Sabbath 6hould be kent is; cause it is the memorial of the formation .of heaven-and earth in six-days. By thig .we -/should- remember- the Creator., ,4th. ; The place where the Sabbath commences its journey round the world has* been'" changed from -Eden-to. the Fiji'lslandswhich makes'void the 'Jaw. ' ; •••'v• time ,for Thee to' work, 0 -.Lord, for. they have, made Void Thy. law'.". ',: ; . The. Moderator desires ansivers to the following questions:— S ; .(i) What- forms, of . Sabbath- desecration" are most* common: within your'-bounds?. Answer: Shopping,' business/ and pleasure r aft«r;.the. holy. Kburs the Sabbath have ' ; commenced on .Saturday, after Sunset. ' : (2) How is - the.' work .of ' . the '• Church - affected... by -them ?—When the' -: Church ; obeys.thecommdndments'of. men,instead ;of the Commandments of : God, they, cease ; to , 'be-His^seryahts. ; ''.' Eoin.' viV : 'iG/;V. • • (3). Have any.stens: been ; : takfen during the • past-:year-to' deal:with- them?r-Not ; : that we know of- l, bv; the; Presbyteriaii' ■Church. But the Church of 'God, : at Wellington, :• coristatitly !/obser7'es; '~.an<l.. teaches -the.correct, way,-of keening the - sabbath. - ~ " . . . •.." . /

;{4). Caa yon offer . ; ahy; suggestions/' as :t*/ ;- . what should be? done ? ' Answeri-. 'Keen ', *-.'- ..the. day. called-in mistake Sunday,i whichv;' -" J;' is the -real Bible . Sabbath." ; Begin .at sunset . on Saturday .until' nn > :day evening.- ;Keep it-as,the memorial oi : '' ; .creatlpn.•,' : - i ', you- can teach- and-act on -thfl i v .authority of the. Almighty, and ,th 6 - exr' r J m pl© of all -'Bible;"cnaracters. • . "A'sfc :- for - , the ..old., paths,: where the - good- way and. walk; -therein,; ; and -ye. shall/, find 'test ;; 'for;- your., souls.'?., Jer.,vi. 1(5; /See Is* lv.m. 13, 14. It is not likely that Sataa . : ' will to : ! th»'->"V : . Lord....Bßurt r men- of-'God, or ;Godlv- mea«' '■ wilL-I am, etc., DAVID NIELD, i . , Pastor -,of-the Church of God,; : / v ,: v .'?';; Wellington. . ....