CHURCH AND LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1392, 19 March 1912, Page 6

CHURCH AND LABOUR.

SERMON jBY DR. GIBB. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Auckland, March 18. The Rev. Dr. Gibb, of Wellington, preaching Inst evening at the jubilee of tho:foundation of St.; James's Presbyterian Church, AueklamVdealt with "The Church and the Claims Of Labour." Every seat in the building was occupied. Dr. Gibb said he proposed to consider the question of the demand of organised labour that tho Church, 'to ..justify - its existence, must distinctly and definitely ally itself with the- political and social movement working for more equitable distribution of'tho wealth of the world. Hβ said that practically .'meant the Church to identify itself with and -bocomo an agitator on behalf of labour for a larger share of the combined products of tho employer and employee. It was said that the Church must become a little lose' respecttable, paying less attention to Dives and more to 'Lazarus. When at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church' a good deal had bei-n said oil-that line, he thought they should riot' lay down any hard-and-fast rule, but personally he had no hesitation in saying that when they found recently in th« Homeland that the carters wero striking to havo their hours of labour reduced to 12 perlday—God help them—and their pay raised to 30s. per week, any minister who' would say such a reasonable and just demand should not be granted wus guilty of cowardice. It was tho duty of the Church to speak.on behaM' of the oppressed, but they must 1)0 sure of their facts before doing so. The day would come when the. rich man who ,did. nob consider ho -was" ■■ merely the steward of his wealth would bo regarded "hs an'object beneath contempt. Still he did not think it wise that ..the Church at tho present juncture in New Zealftud should identify itself ..with." organised labour,-because the Church stood for all, and should speak out if the rich oppressed the poor or the rich were, harassed by means of legislation amU class combination. Personally, he believed.tho s6lution would havo to be by co-operation; and profit-sharing. On one side some employers were too greedy to share tjij :p'rofits, and on the • other the workers were not magnanimous onoughto pay ;their. share of tho losses that might occur- in unfavourable seasons. They must not-forget that, many employers found; it; difficult to mako both ends meet. Ho considered it would be'folly"for the Church to identify itself with organised labour,-and shut ils doors to the rich, for even if that were done he had not such a mean opinion of tho worker as to think he could be caught by fawning upon. A very large class of skilled craftsmen and casual labourers wero completely ontsidp the CJvnrch, and they would not get them- by -furthering their demands. What was more, if they could be got by that means they.were not worth- tho game. There was too great a tendency in this land for men to lean, not upon themselves, but upon others. When he was a young maa if tkejf wanted u football or a cricket club they earned tho money themselves, but nowadays the young men went round with a subscription list to get the mpney. They had not tho grit to earn. Dr. Gibb said there was poverty in New Zealand, but a good deal of it Vas tho result either of drink or gambling. There was too much waste in New Zealand upon picture shows and places of amusement. Ho contonded that tho workers would never bo converted by a gospel of economics.