CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 124, 16 May 1908, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE.

YtJl'Nt; .MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOUATIOM KOK NEW I'LYiiOUXII. To the Editor. Kir,—A few days after I came to New Plymouth, 1 enquired: Is there a 1.51.C.A. here! You know the answer I received. 1 soon felt there ought to be something of the nature of a Y.M.C.A. for young men. As 1 walked along the streets in the evening*, and noticed the number of young men, who spend, or rather waste, their time there, and conversed with a few of them on this subject it became evident the was very real. 1 mentioned this matter to a few of the leading and Christian men of the town, and they have expressed their sympathy in a very real way, and not a lew offered delinite and liberal donations if the matter were taken in hand. I have made enquiries as to how work of this kind is carried on in the Dominion from places where Y.M.C.A.'s exi.-t. All tlie information required is not yet lo hand, but as soon as possible something definite ''will'' be done ill this matter. It is hoped that it may lie possible to start the work by getting a Y.M.C.A. .secretary or someone acquainted '.villi work of a similar kind to connhere ami address a public meeting. 10 which all the young men of New l'Pvmoutli wlli be invited, and confer wit a n- and give us tile aid o! iwpciien-e, < i ill!-el. and advice. At present one or two thing,, are manifest, viz.. that there is need for a Y.M.C.A. here; that this cfelt by the young men. for a few of I hem have tried to express it. and thai our leading business and Christian men are in sympathy and willing to help. As -non a,, po-sible I will write again and give fuller particulars of how plans are maturing. 1 am, etc.,

■ lUIJN laii:d. liapti-t Church. New Plymouth, ST. MAHVS CHURCH. To toe Editor. Sir,— I quite agree with your r-orrcs pondent as to the unfair treatment ar-eorib-d to .Major Coleman at. the. I'ari-h----io- meeting, Al the same time. I hope he will not ventilate hi- grie\all''e ilirollgl, the I're-fS. The \ e-t I'y jl!-! elected 110 doubt have the lull Clilltidnin of the congregation. 11 would I ii'imm Idy be well if both he and Ihe \iear put llieir respective cases before them ami lei them judge. Such a course would probably stop the ugly rumor-, that are Hying about and obviate Ihe necessity of washing noiled linen in I'ublic.—l am. etc.. CHURCHMAN. [We agree with out correspondent's Ce-vY-. Di-cn—ion of church affair- in a -eeolar new-paper in nol calculated lo lie'p tie- work of the church concerned.

MI;, KNHHTII .\M) lmuhuimtion. 'Jo Uif hlitur. Sir.-1 hiivr Mr. Kun.thV ivi'MH'l'T lIJOIV 111111 l oll<-". UJltl «'.UI o|||\ I loll)'' 111 till' cnlK'lilMnll tllitt if !l'' ''"tl ' lity lust ;11l .Ipolouy. HIIMI ll«' 11HIM iiaw Veil looking trim* w;iy> nit Suiul.n while on iii- w;iy to church. Whether lie u.u iu>i»ir«'il. or hi- iu<!;:HjeiM 011•■■■ihvil. liy iln' Shiril (or -piiiKl i-. ;i----l.ir :u I .-111) enticerneil. like llir |ic;nv « f \Yh;il \< tin' u-e oi for tlir Clnirc]) i'r>r ;ill 1 lir iIN iiuiii i> heir

to? The Ulnm-h is composed of men like liiuii»( k lf mostly, and if she i* to iilamo loi everything then lu: >tand* likewise. 1 am credibly intoim- i oil 'that tin* I made re Kug- | land licinn tin- most i.'lnistian country ; par excellence in the world is not true; j m fact, my intonnant is a ibidem «>«. our (.itvand. by result*. I miK j confess that there is a jjood dial <■! truth in his contention. Kio. Enrol h nui-t Ik* a student of the Kibl,-. I'or bil letter >(■''lll,-. ;i 11 Bible, Hi iS estimate of tlx- cliaraeler ol ( hrist MM'iiis to lie a very e\aUed on,\ ami reading [ between {ln- lines J >hould judge liiii) | to be a friend of publicans, if not sinner*? bu! ilial is inn my business. I

simply voire an impression. It is no concern of mine either what tin* whito man <li«l to the. negro, any more than is what hu : . been done to tiic Irish in the way of evictions for many a long year. \\*e an- so tar awav that those tiling j tlo not toneh ns closely. Kless von, arc |we not all Christians? If we need a reversion to Jtiblicnl method* let us hope that Jlro. Knroth, if he is conntiiut«'il leader. will not propitiate tie l i practice:-, of the ancient Jews when they |o\erran Canaan, or Noah when he came out "f tin* ark, etc., nor the latter pari of the Kith vtThii of the Kith chnpler| of Murk. Latter-day common i ought to teil us that they didn't know eventhing down ui -Judea, any nioiv I than wo do in our present-day eeonomi" practice-. I know full wril thai an Act of Parliament will not take the taste for alcohol out of a man's month, hut it will make it much easier for hi»*« it he has any love left for Urn wife and babes. to roach a higher staudaid of manhood than in* otherwise would. I am not troubled a l»it about what I til her pleasant vices will lie attacked after the drink is abolished. Ijet us get rid of that first. Then we ean hitch up our pants and *pit on our hand* for the cause of ' religion and liberty''—not 1 license.—l am, &e., J. A. ROBKKTS.

SOCIATJ&M. To the Editor. Sir.—l desire to thank you for your kind explanation of what constitutes a -political freak," and all the more sincerely because the mind is so much relieved by the discovery tliat he m no« nist what might be imagined from the name. 1 read your quotation and reference to "his* Indian peregrinations" with pleasure, and derived great eoneolation from them, for 1 find " political freaks" are not such isolated eases ot mistaken humanity n n one might sup- «. and possibly, sir. we can am* to 'lilYer as to the results likely to follow a jrreat increase of them. If it w not i taking up too much space, may 1 allude io vouv observation about my wandering in a rut: I lv.ul not thought it po*slll to do much wandering in a rut., but tin* also may bo a matter of opinion. At anvvate I agree, sir. that New Zealand Icids tlio world in social refoim. and * lull" -ts (he present prosperous state ol the" country last* we may not be so |,adlv caved for; yet. even now. » forebodings of storm are obsene,l n Uu , ( ,„uimercial atmosphere, and w.e ma> vet come to agree that- the application 111 an extreme remedy is the right ww*.IO pur-lie. Kindly allow, me al-o •> „„ote from Mr. Keir Hard.es speech I. l'ivored in Wellington: 1 can » member the astonishment there was in Calcutta when the news was v.ililcn \C ' from 1/mdoii that 1 was pl.iy.np lie nut of a firebrand in Cul-ulta and £iC tl- 1-opb' to sedition be11i.!,,: Those on the spot I i • r v,l about it- and would not h.m known about it vet if the news had not from l.o„dn„." Thunkirp you m anticipation.—l am.