SOCIAL SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1172, 6 July 1911, Page 4

SOCIAL SERVICE.

WHAT TIIE ANGLICAN CHURCH IS DOING. At tly> Anglican Synod yesterday Archdcacon Harper moved:—"That a fund bo established, to bo called 'Tho Dioccstm Social Service Fund, 1 to 1)0 administered by a committee consisting off tho Bishop, three clergy, and four laymen, olected bv the Standing Committee; all matters to do with tho building up of tho fund and its administration to bo arranged by tho committee under tho final control of tho Standing Cowmitteo aiid Synod." Speaking to tho motion, Archdcacon Harper said tlic position arising was that there were many different institutions for tho poor, and they.were competing against ono another for the support of the same church people. There _ seemed to bo a general erroneous opinion that tho Church of England was not responsible for any social work, and that tho general work rested with tho _ Salvation Army and tho Roman Catholic Church. Tho Church of England owned, supported, and was exclusively responsible for It homes in Nov Zealand, and was equally respqusiblo with "others for "seven more. Amongst tho 2G children's institutions which wore inspected by tho Government, there were seven belonging to tho Church of England exclusively, and there were five more for which the Church was partly responsible, fivo lor the Salvation Army and live for the Roman CatliQlics. As a matter of fact, the Church of England had actually moro social institutions of tho kiud than any other organisation; but ono would not get ono in fivo persons on the street to agree that tho Church of England was doing any work of tho kind. 110 did not object to people giving money to institutions outside of iho Church, but ho thought the Church had first claim on its own people. In passing,- tho Archdeacon paid a tribute to tho work which was being dono by the Government, on behalf ot tho children; It was, he urged, tho duty of the Church to look after its children, and he thought tho fund should bo built up and administered for tho benefit of existing social work and further social work, lie thought each home that was working separately should help its subscribers, but that persons who did not wish to contribute to any of thesn in particular should bo able to contribute to the general fund, which ho believed could bo built up until it would put them in a far moro efficient jicsitiou lo deal with the social work, which was increasing, and which it was not the duty of the Church, to hand ovor to tho secular Government. (Applause.) After some discussion, in which tho point that money which should go to tho Church efforts was diverted to other schemes was stressed, tho motion was carried on tho voices.