CHURCH AND LABOR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 225, 21 March 1912, Page 6

CHURCH AND LABOR.

SUGGESTED ALLIANCE. "FAWNING UPON THE WORKER." Auckland, March 18. The Ret. Dr. Gibb, .of Wellington,' preaching last; evening at the jubilee «i< the foundation of St. James' Presby:--terian Church, Wellington street, dealt with "The Church and the Claims of Labor." Every seat in the building was occupied. Dr. Gibb said he proposed to consider the question of the demand of 'Organised -Labor—that the Church, to justify its existence, ! must distinctly and definitely ally itself with the political and social movement working for more equitable distribution of the wealth of the world. That practically meant the Church to identify itself with and become an. agitator on behalf of labor for a larger share ol the combined products of the employer and the employee. It was said that the Churfch must become a little less respectable, paying less attention to Dives and more to Lazarus. Even at the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church a good deal had been said on that line. He thought they should not lay down any hard-and-fast rule, but personally he had no hesitation in 6aying that, when they found recently in the Homeland that the carters were 1 striking to have their hours of labor reduced to twelve per day and their pay raised to 30s per week, God help them! Any minister who would not say such reasonable and just demands should be granted was guilty of cqwardice. It was the duty of the Church to. 6peak on behalf of the oppressed, but they must be sure of their facts before doing so. THE DUTIES OF THE RICH. The day would come when it would not be considered enough for a rich man ■ to say that he kept the Commandments. The day would come when the rich man who did not consider he was merely the steward of hia wealth would be regarded as an object beneath contempt. Still, he did not think it wise tfoat the Church at the present juncture in New Zealand should identify itself with organised labor, because the Church stood for all, and should speak out if the rich opposed the poor or the rich were harassed by means of legislation and class combination. Personally, j he believed the solution would have to i be by co-operation and profit-sharing. On one side some employers were too greedy to share the profits, and on the other the worker was not magnanimous enough to pay his share of losses that might occur in unfavorable seasons. They must not forget that many employers found it difficult to make both ends meet. It would be folly for the Church to identify it-self with organised labor and shut its doors to the rich, for even if that were done he had not such a mean opinion of the workeT as to think he could be caught by fawnin® upon. ° OUTSIDE THE CHURCH. A very large class of skilled craftsmen and casual laborers were completely outside the Church, and they would not get them by furthering their demands. What - was more, if they could be got by that means they were not worth the game. There was too great a tendency in this land for men to lean, not upon themselves, but upon others. When he was a young man, if they wanted a football or a cricket club they earned the money themselves to get it started, but nowadays the young men went round with a subscription list to get the money they Had not the grit to earn. There was i poverty in New Zealand, but a good deal J of it was the result either of drink or gambling. There was too much waste in New Zealand upon picture shows and 1 places of amusement. The workers would never he converted by a <rospel 1 of economics. ' ° J