THE WORLD TO-DAY

Hokitika Guardian, 28 June 1932, Page 2

THE WORLD TO-DAY

[THE ATTITUDE OF THE CHURCH. SOCIAL PUDDLE.US EXAMINED. 1 There was it large attendance at St. ’Andrew’s Hall 1 st evening -when theiirsb of a seiies of lectures dealing .•with the Cliureh and its relation to •social and economic conditions to-day vas held. In the ahecnec of the Alayor (Mr (I. A. Perry), the chair was taken > by Air T. \Y. Duff, and with him were the Revs. G. A. Xayior, H. I. A\. Knights, C. O. Tla Iwood and Captain Abbott. TlljEU chairman. apologising for the absence' of the Alayor, .expiossed licensure •at the attendance. Tie said that the jiiini stows had had t-luj idea of this series'Mf addresses in mind for some time, and lie hoped that they would he attended by success. Mr Knights .said that it seemed to be the general idea that the Church should only internst it-elf with matters appertaining to the Church, but there was not one single tiring affecting humanity that was outside the sphere of the Church. ATr Knights referred to the quotation. ‘‘Love the brotherhood. . . and said that the- term should he stretched t-> cover more than those .swearing a’F-giance to one church. “A Vo should deal with all persons ns one family as one brotherhood, or fnmilv, and helo our fellow men in nil times of need.”

Continuing, lie said that, in a family, it was tile duty of the parent | to teach the ignorant and reprove those in error, and Mich a parrallel could no drawn with the Church. It had a duty to consider the ordinary j problems of life as well as the social | problems, for, was not Christ, a. great j social reformer? If the Church hcI lieved that Ho was not satisfied with the wogd. it should take step’s fo indicate, or suggest steps that might be | taken to .solve the great problems of the day. Captain Abbott dealt wit i the effect ill uuc"iiu !oyim.'fit on the human eliar- ’ after, which, he said, must he classified, for some were strong and others w.-rc weak. All human, nature was nut the same. Unemployment had a great,.iTovb on tin. l mail who was not. a. Christian than i.n him who wm. “We an' in Cod’s melting pot am! when we get, back to Cod things will improve, j lor He is the only solution to the world’s ill.-." I Air Hailwood spoke on tire Christian i message of the unemployed. He s.aid * that, when the soldiers left for the i Front, the people could not stop them > but gave them a cheer of courage. Today it was the same. Those out of , work were bearing the brunt of the depression. and were, so to apeak, in the front line of trenches. One could L j not. prevent this, but they could he , ' given encouragement. He urged that > men out of work should accept re-i i [ without a Hush of shame arid avail themselves of the ns istance offered by • those who deplored the present condition-. and who were willing to share

iheir goods, and give sympathetic ear to the sulfering of others. |

It wnn moio by good luck than by good management, to use a hackneyed expression, that many were in jobs, and of these there were quite a number who were haunted by the tear of losing tlie'ir positions. Society should be like a family where Hie members share alike. If a man wa.s in queer street tluough his own foilv ho was reaping bis. own reward, but unemployment was an economic fault —not enough work to go a round, thereby denying men of Hie opportunity of using their lira.ns. men who bad become Iho victims ol a widespread social disease. I here wig - no reason why a man should lore Its s. If resport because lie was not in employment The times had proved too great a test, however, for some, who had 1 .'Mime parasites and gone down hill, lie urged pcop’o to lie as contented a., possible ns condit io’'s would allow- not a spinel, ss acceptance of coiid.l 'Otis as they were, but with a strong intelligent contentment, having courage and patience a- a hackground.

He made an a'ev'U for the utilising of spare time to disadvantage, and in the time, of stms. the falling hack on not prejudices, but manhood, which was a test of strength and endurance. The host wav to overcome difficulty to-day was to join with the man who stiff .'t ed here, but who kept his manhood clean.

The. Christian mew age to the employed was ill a .subject also taken bv Air' Knights, who said that the man in work had a certain setr-e of security

in his position, and who knew a. natural feeling of selfishness to maintain j his present position, which feeling j tended to produce a sense of superiority. It. wa„ very difficult for the man

in work to know exactly what the unemployed, feels. Ihe iormer must learn the true spirt- of Christian charity that wider spirit e.f love, taking a greater interest, in those who are not in t !(ir own ranks, and also loam to put hi- hand in his* pocket to help hi; less fortunate brother, but to he careful to do this in the best way. There, ware two templa t im’.s to the euipii ye ! man - to spend all h s moiiev. or to save all. Any wdio had a real knowledge would know that in times of limine.a! sire s. to spend wa.e to maintain a I'm.me al circulation. but money mini lie s ;>o’ , t w isely, thereby creating work fo- the man out of work. Wages shim d lie regarded as a sacred 'tru.4 to be used for tin* welfare of tba unemployed.

Mr Xayior also 1 rielly addre sed the meeting. and said th it w’ld? reliit work was necess.irv and desirable, it was not g( ing to remove uremployment permanently. This mu. t come through a vast and vital spirit of goodwill among the peonle. Df nil the depre-sion brought about, ho co"iiidered tint about tea p r cent, was due to real causes, wh le the remaining ninety nor <*('?it. was due to “funk,” or. pi other words, fear. Con.ideiiee and goodwill could only conic from Christ innit.y. At the end of the addresses there was some dDrussion. and a vote of th.T’ks to the speakers terminated the meet i llg,