CHURCH & LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1590, 6 November 1912, Page 10

CHURCH & LABOUR.

"HIT tyranny WHEREVER IT IS eouxd." CAUCUS SYSTEM DENOUNCED. The question of the position that th'o Church should take toward tho Labour party's industrial movement, was the subject of discussion at the annual session of tho Congregational Union of' Kciv South Wales. Tho Eev. V. Dosvljng read a paper on "The Relations of the Church to the Present Industrial Situation." The demand of men of to-day, he said, iva-s for religion in tabloid' form, 'with, a guarantee of no mental reaction. (Laughter.) It was urged against the diUrehes by those associated, with the iSbour party that ministers of religion w'ero in the habit- of taking part in tire political fight against them. ,lt was said, "Scratch a parson,, ami 3'oti find a Liberal." (laughter.) It was also urged ('hat the Ghivrelj hiid riiado 110 eifort to stamp out sweating and other evils. He .advocated un effort on the part' of the churches' to put nil end to the rending of the bod) - politic whick was being caused by the conflict between organised Labour and Capital. His suggestion was for a united effort on the part ■ of the churches to discover the linis of approach, So as to effect a settlement. The Rev. F. Priest said that uon-at- ' tendance at elwrohes was Hot confined to workers, but wits a charge that could be laid against the well-to-do and leisured classes. He had questioned ! those at(ached to the Labour party. who bom-' : plained against the attitude of the Church, and he had found that many .of them had not been to chtah for a dozen years. ..... ' The Rev. W. L. IViiison said that if the Church was to have any atitude on industrial matters it. should .be to. hit tyranny wherever it Was foUiid, Whether it was tyranny of Labour, or tyranny of Capital. "I want/' ho said, "to get rid of some of those, nieh who are not true labourers, wh.o aro to a disgrace to the Labour who are responsible, in my judgment, for a great deal of .niisc'liief that is being Caused, and who are riding the Labour party like the ass it is. (Laughter.) ' They will 'have- to' get • rid of thesej atid especially should they have a rule ill the Labour movement: 'Xo exparson need apply;' (Laughter s .) I will never vote for Labour till it gets rid. of the caucus, the worst tyranpy I have ever witnessed,"' i