THE BENIGN CHURCHES;

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1888, 24 October 1913, Page 7

THE BENIGN CHURCHES;

REPLY TO LABOUR LEADERS.; ! (By Tel«frrapl>.—Press' A«ootaUon.) Chrlstohuroh, October 23. The attitude taken up by members of tho Labour party towards tie Christian churches .was Icriticised by tho Mayor (Mr.H. Holland) this afternoon at the opening of a sale of work in aid of the . Presbyterian Orphanage at Bligha Road. His Worship said that he had been very interested in the discussion which had been going on with regard to the Church's relation to labour, and the Church's alleged want of sympathy with tJji working man; 'He desired to dissent from tho view.3 express.?d by members of the Labour party. They had said that the Church could not convert starving people, and that- might /be so, " but," Mr. Holland added, " I deny that there tiro any starving people in Christchnrch." Mr. Holland went on to say that, whenover he had made an appeal for help in a deserving caso, there, had been a ready response. For that reason he was sure that the Church Was doing its duty, and ho. was only sorry that the labour movement should take up a hostile attitude towards .it'. Ho was sure that labour had jio moro genuine friends, than it. had. in the Christian Church, hut the Church could not identify itself with any paTty, It numbered in its adherents hoth employees, and employers. Ho was prepared to stive credit to the churches that, to-day, we should be living under such pleasaavb circumstances. Dr. Charles Perrier, police surgeon at Nimes, France, concludes from experiments lasting ten years that thieves and incendiaries have the longest feet. Coiners come next, these being followed in Tegular order of succession by dynamitarda, tramps, swindlers, and poisoners. More than 10,000 boys under sixteen years of .ago were injured in mines in Great Britain last year in,such a way as to disable thom for more than a week. There are about a million coal-mine workers altogether, one' worker in every seven being killed or injured last year. At Babingley, on the Sandringham estate, the King has provided a now club for his workmen. Through His Majesty each village on the Royal estate now has 'its club, where tho men go for/reading, games, and other, recreations. The institutions are all much appreciated. Seven membors of ono family living in the Ness district of the Island of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, go weekly to the local post office to draw old age pensions. This, Tomarkable group consists .of three brothers and four sisters, all, of course, over 70 years old, the family of John Gunn-Lionel. ' A paper chimney, 50ft. high, and fireproof, is a curiosity to be soon at Breslaii, Germany. •