GENERAL CABLES

Hokitika Guardian, 12 June 1928, Page 2

GENERAL CABLES

(United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) PRAYER BOOK. LONDON, June 11. Interest in the Anglican Prayer Book measure overshadows everything else in Parliament during the coming week.

The Hone of Commons, at eleven o’clock on Thursday night, following on two days of debate, will take tho decision that is to decide the Church of England issue. This issue the Bishop of Winchester described as being “the gravest in three centuries.” Lobbying on a large scale, with a shoal of correspondence to the Members of Parliament, lias been experienced during the last few days. Sir AVm. Joynson Hicks (Home Alinister) and Sir Thomas Inslcip (Solicitor-General) are marshalling their forces and speakers against the measure for the new Prayer Book. The opponents of the New Book include Air Lloyd George. There are forty- members' of the House of Commons ready to speak in favour of tho Prayer Book. They include Atr Baldwin (Prime Alinister), Sir Robert Horne (ex-Chaneellor of the Exchequer), and the Duchess of Atholl. Canon Donaldson, of Westminster, struck a new note during the week-end by appealing to the Labour Party to support the Prayer Book Bill, on the ground that the Party cannot consistently demand freedom for the Trades Unions if it denies freedom to the Church. Canon Donaldson expreses the opinion that the rejection of the measure will result in an ecclesiastical controversy that will be occupying so much attention that social reform will be retarded for a generation. Prayers for the rejection of the measure were offered in many of the non-Conformist Churches on .Sunday. The Primitive Methodist Conference passed a resolution appealing to Parliament to reject the measure. The Lobbyists agree that the decision of tho House of Commons either way will be won by a narrow majority.