THE STRIKE & THE SABBATH.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1933, 16 December 1913, Page 6

THE STRIKE & THE SABBATH.

(-'GENERAL ASSEMBLY'S OPINION. ' ' (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Chrisiohuroh, December 15. During tlie = discussion at the Presbyterian'. General Assembly tliis morning ~ Sabbath 'observance, ." rcferenco the holding of strike and' political meetings on Sundays. Tho Rev. Jas. Jf'G'aw (Lower Hufct) Raid, that tho . Lord's. Day '.Allianco in Auckland liad protested against meetings and processions being held on Sundays in; conncction with tlio strike, and in doinp-.-so^hird-done-rcally good work. S'Wo in ■''Wellington," lie continued, '.'have become so accustomed to theso labour meetings, in the Opera House and nrocessions to; Newtow n Park that wo liavo failed'to ; record our protest. No matter how nincli we sympathise with Labour—and wo sympathise with Labour to the liilt—l am smo of this, that Labour's aims will never bo reached sooner ' by desecrating tho Lord's Day." Tho Rev. A. Miller (Auckland) said that replies had been received to a resolution of protest sent out to tho Auckland Strike Committee, and tho Auckland Trades Unions. Those renlies did not thank tho Lord's Day Allianco for the remainder—the Allianco had scarcely expected that they would. Tho labour unions -retorted that Christ taught that tlio Sabbath was made for man and not man for tho Sabbath, and emoted other texts of similar effect. Tlio Allianco's view was that it was not in accordance with Christ's teaching that trades organisations should meet'to discuss strike matters, or that processions should bo held. Ho'wanted to call attention to a matter that "happened not a week or a month ago, but which happened on the previous day m Christchurch. There was a meoting under the auspices of the Strike Committee. That was nothing new, but thero was also a_ political meeting held by an organisation supporting one of tlio candidates for tho Lyttclton seat held cn the previous afternoon. Without indicating what candidate tho Lyttelton electors should vote for—that was no business of the Assembly—it was only right that flic Assembly should express its strong disapproval of political meetings being held on Sundays. (Applause.) It was a manifest breach of tho Lord's Day a.', far as they understood tho observance of the Lord's Day. They might have something to say about tho language r~ed. but-ho did not intend doing so. Tho fact that a political meeting should bo liolil on the . Sabbath was a matter on which the Assembly ought to strong- -- protest during discussion of Sabbath observance.