The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-09-23

The Boards meeting will be held IN
Pilgrim Church, St. LOUIS, the Rev Dr.
Michael Burnllam pastor, and one ses-
sion is TO be given up 10 some theoloslcal
seminary professors. who are TO De IN
session there at the same time. who are
TO discuss the relation of the seninaries
TO foreign missions. The Boards debt
remains above $4,000, having been re-
duced only $1,000 last year.
With the American Baptist Missionary
Union. the American Board is almost the
only American society. home or foreign
mission, that is not free from debt.
1t is at the Springfield meeting where
the American Missionary Association. an
other Congregational Society that is af-
fected by the recommendation about an
nual meetings at the same time and
place, is to dispose OF the constitutional
amendment question about the re-eiec-
ton of executives. Men making up the
mana ging body's membership have been
accustomed TO succeed themselves year
after year. Other societies have adopted
rules forbidding such practice. The mat
ter comes up for final action at Spring
field by this association, and q deter
mined effort Is to be made to defeat it.
1t has been laid over a year Now it
is admitted that the vote will be close
furthermore it is declared that If it is
defeated here the question may be re-
opened in the other societies. 1t is one
Of several irritating questions troubling
the Congregational benevolent bottles,
with the churches on one side and some
society managers and their friends on
the other.
The Ruskin Hall movement, which orig
mated in Oxford, England has address
ed a letter to societies connected with al
churches in the United States. asking that
delegates be named to Il conference which
it is purposed 10 hold on Washington's
birthday OF next year. The F3tlsr ia:
signed by thirty-two OF the foremost min
listers of Great Britain and Ireland and
the provision is made that delegates who
cannot attend the conference. which is
to be held in Oxford will still be members
and De consulted from time to time. The
purpose is to make a great demons traton
in numbers, and February ed is selected
because 1t is the natal day OF the man
who best represents the Ruskin Hall idea
The beginning OF an American organlZa-
ton has been accomplished, and the pur-
pose is to enlist as many people IN this
country as possible. In the task the
church societies will be utilized
Ruskin Hall is working mans college
located at Oxford. Instruction is impart-
Ell by 1t chiefly through correspondence.
Its nonresident student list now num-
bers about 1909 Efforts are making to
plant a. Rusktn Hall, or something akin
to it, in this country. The special sub
jects taught are constitutional and insti-
tutional history, and its purpose IS to
introduce among young WorknSrnan
sound views of history and sociology, and
of development according 10 knowledge and
the worlds experience in place OF wild
iTnagiuation5 of possible milleniums to be
attained in a minute. Hence it receives
students, not with the purpose OF making
them lawyers or clergymen, but with the
hope of sending them back TO their Own
work equipped for the leadership OF their
own class. The movement has made
marked progress in England and has
gained some footho!d here.
Not little alarm is expressed in many
religious bodies over the lack Of growth,
in some cases the loss, of Sunday-school
membership. For two years Presby terians
have had d. Sunday-school COMMISSION at
work, with the aid Of adding 10000 pupils
to Presbvtaris II schools within a specified
time. The headquarters of the Commits
sion are in Philadelphia. Yet in that city
Presbyterian schools report a loss. The
Commission, or Twentieth Century Move
ment, as il calls Itself, claims to have
taken in 100000 children into all Presbyte-
rian schools since its organization, but
says that during the time, about two
years, 10000 children have been lost. The
same cry comes fIom other religious bod
les In England reports just to hand show
that the Church OF England school, lost
last year 100 in membership, Wesleyan
Methodist, 54Cc; Baptist, 7.H1O; Calvan!s-
tic Methodist. 400; Presbyt erian, I,4o0,
and the Free Church of Scotland, 1850.
The trouble seems to be in the notion OBJ
tanning among young men and young wo-
men that they are too Old 10 go 10 Sun
DAY school. An effort Is to lie made in
England to dispel this notion n the hope
Of curing the trouble and stopping the
loss.
The American Bible Society is supported
chiefly by Methodists. Presbyter;ans and
CongEegatlonallsts, and its three sec
retaries are selected from those relig-
ious bodies Recent reports concerning its
condition and its plans emanate from
ly misinformed. One report was 70 the
effect that ii was 10 come 10 an end.
Such an occurrence would be national
calamity, if not Il national disgrace The
Bible House, Tor many years its New York
headquarters. has been in the real estate
market for four or five years The
reason is that Office buildings in rapidly
growing cities yet out of date and out
Of location. That is the story Of the BIZ
bic House. Tha property is very valua-
bic, and any change that is made does not
affect one way or the other the standing
of the Society AS for the manufacture
OF Bibles. the Society does rot affect the
regular Bible trade, and is not in turn
off rtaT ny !