THE CHURCH AND LABOR PROBLEMS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2213, 17 October 1907, Page 2

THE CHURCH AND LABOR PROBLEMS.

AN OUTSPOKEN CLERGYMAN

Press Association,

AUCKLAND, Oct, 16. At a men’s mass meeting, held ill connection with the Baptist Union Conference, the Rev. J. J. North, of Wellington, speaking of the attitude of the Church toward the labor problem, declared that it was liis belief that tlio working man was tlio only one who liad a right to he on this planet. Ho was a working man. The blood of working men was older than the Norman blood, and was infinitely omo.ro respectable. Thougjk the • cities in New Zealand were .already beginning to appear, and when these towns became more populous they would find the clouds then would cover the sky. He came from a city where they liad a land .problem. In Wellington the land •had gone uii to such an enormous wine that the ordinary citizen, the working man, was only able to tenant a house with a backqard as largo ■as a blanket, and they paid rents which made even Londoners open their eyes. Men had grown rich, in Wellington while others slept,. He proceeded to denounce the competitive system, which he said, was responsible for many of the evils that now existed. He confessed that tlio antagonism which existed between the Church and the labor people was largely the fault of the Church. Tilio Church had been plagued by conservatism and intolerance, neither of which should exist. Then it* had continued another blunder, by being too slow to move intellectually, but this had not always been the case. When he heard it stated that the Church was the. ally of the existing state of things, of land monopoly, the competitive system, etc., liis blood boiled. He believed tliat through the Church of Christ they would be able to accomplish much towards the solution of the present social problems. If be felt that the Church could not assist in putting matters to rights, then lie would bo dope with her. They should endeavor to create hoalth.v public opinion, without which everything would go wrong. The golden era was coming, and it was coming along the lines of morality and self-sacrifice, which the Church! through Christ, could do so much to induce. If the Socialists wished to succeed, ’ they could only do so hv the aid of that moral enthusiasm which Christianity had, (Applause.)