The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-05-29
METHODIST
GENERAL
CONFERENCE

| ASSOCIATED Press Mail. Special TO the
Advertiser.)
LOS ANGELES, May 19.-Although
the election of bishops is just now oc-
cupying almost the entire attention of
the delegates other matters of mate
rial Importance to the church are be-
ing discussed and shaped for the final
action of the Methodist General Confer
ence.
DIVORCE A DIFFICULT QUESTION.
The proposed revision of the disci-
pine in relation to the subject of divorce
has been re-discussed in the commit
tee on state of church, but no final ac-
ton has been determined upon. 1t was
finally ordered re-committed to the sub
committee having the handling of thas
matter, for further consideration and
report The question is one which has
reused great interest in the conference
and widely divergent views are held by
the delegates as to what disposition
the conference should make Of it.
EPWORTH LEAGUE MATTERS.
The election of DR.. Joseph F. Berry to
the Board of Bishops necessitates the
election of his successor as editor OF
on Epworth League has already de-
cided to recommend that the editorship
of The Epworth Herald and the sec
retaryship of the Epworth League be
distinct offices hereafter. This means
two important positions TO be filled.
DIR. A. H. Lucas of Albany, N. Y, DR..
George Trevor of Wisconsin. and DR..
Stephen J. Herben are aspirants for
the editorial position. DR.. W. III. Jor-
dan of South Dakota, Dr. Robertson
of Dakota University, DR.. Ward Platt
of Buffalo, and several others are can
didates for the secretarysf1ip.
PEACE PROBLEMS.
The report of the committee on in
ternational and industrial peace, which
was read at this morning ) session, viii
doubtless provoke an interesting and
animated debate when it comes MP for
consideration next Tuesday morning as
the special order of the day. In asking
the privilege to read the report. which
was out of the regular order, Judge
Lohr, chairman of the committee. stat
ed that request had been re ;eived
from the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers, now in session in this eity,
for an expression by the conference up
on the subject of arbitration.
The report recommends three agen-
cies as the means to accomplish uni
yersal arbitration and the settlement of
Industrial disputes, namely: The Hague
Peace Court, a United States perma-
nent national industrial peace court
and a permanent periodic international
peace congress.
QUESTION OF TRUSTS.
The paragraph on corporations, which
is likely to arouse heated controversy,
is as follows;
in the Industrial world gigantic cor
porations, with impersonal relation to
their employees, have largely monopo-
Ifzed manufacturing and industrial pur-
suits. They have superseded The old
personal and often tender relation in
home contact and life of the master
and the apprentice. Most Of these cor
porations are founded upon the expec-
tation of large dividends. Under the
spur of greed and competition they
demand of their employees maximum
labor at minimum wages. The stricken
toiler turns upon the oppressor. He
organizes, strikes, boycotts, calls off his
banded union brothers from their re-
spective employTnents. He shuts the
doors of the factories and in the stress
of want and despair often resorts to
acts of violence in the destruction of
property and life while the employer
sits encased in Indifference. The grasp
ing nonopolist and the walking dele
gate are representatives of these OPP
posing forces. In the main public SYM
pathy is generally and rightfuIly with
the toiler."
STRONG DISSENT UTTERED.
When the reading of the report had
been completed, John Young. a 1ayman
delegate from New Hampshire, arose
and offered vigorous protest to the
language of the report. He denounced
the portion of it referring to the in
difference of corporate employers to
the welfare of their employees, as being
unjust and unfair, and "a slur upon
men right in this conference. as well as
many other men who are employers of
labor who have just regard for the in
terests of the men they employ"
Mr. Young moved that the considera-
ton of the report by the conference be
deferred until next Tuesday and that it
should be made a special order for that
date. His motion prevailed.