The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-10-19
TIE CHURCH AND IND UsTRY.

worthy in the action of many of the priests of France who lost their liv- ings as result of the separation laws of the French government which abolished the pension provisions that formerly were enjoyed. These priests, like the apostle Paul, who earned his living at tent-making, while engaged in his missionary work, have entered various occupa- lions to which most readily they could adapt themselves. Matchmaking and printing; gardening and horticul- ture; painting and decorating, are among the number of occupations. One has written a book entitled .'Trades Suitable For a Priest To- day" An organization of working priests has been formed with an orr gan called Trait D'Union," for the furthering of the new purposes upon which they have entered. In their printery and workshops are seen the synbols of their religious faith and the atmosphere in which work Is done is different and better than that in a great many other kinds of shops generally known. A positive good too will be done by this touch of religion to the workaday world. While retain ing devotion to their church and con tfnuing in her service, they are mak- ing of the work by which they ob- tain their living a devotion too. There will be the consciousness that in do- ing the work we'll they win the ap- proval of the Master worker, and this but adds the more to the pleasure of their work.
 But this idea of occupation for clergymen with small parishes and inadequate support has been consid- cred by a number in Protestant com- munities. A few years ago Unitar- ian clergyman in a country parish in Massachusetts organized a few indus- tries. as the making of furniture by hand, of the mission style, hand printing and bookbindlngi and the like, for the employment of himself and others of the community who might otherwise be idle, and at the same time the purpose was to teach certain industrial lessons, as honest workmanship an interest in doing one's best, the training of eye and hand, mind and heart, and all under the guidance of religious inspiration. The idea was to gather these occupa- lions about the church as the center. Although the priest of France and the Unitarian clergyman of Massachu- yetts are on opposite sides of the treat water, one in the old world and bne in the new world, and moreover at opposite ends of the Christian scale of beliefs, their purposes and aims appear to be one in seeking to touch industrial life with the ethical or religious spirit.
 The separation law in France may yet prove to be one of the nlysteri- ous ways of Providence by which the priests who are adapting themselves to the exigencies of the situation are to perform saving service to France in larger and more practical way than ever. In this country many Protestant clergymen are considering the problem of living No law has taken it from them, but just as ef- fectually they are being deprived of the necessaries of life. For most of them salaries remain at the same f1g- ure of ten years ago when the prices of many articles were just half wha, they are now. A Methodist conference of the West has begun a campaign for larger salaries for its clergy in- asmuch as the conference has lost many members who have sought oth- CT fields The National Council of the Congregational church has been con- sidering the decline in young men fol the ministry, a subject that has ap- peared regularly of late years and is as far from solution as ever, Able young men, however eonsecrated ir their purposes, think soberly in the face of inadequate salaries and con. tinued increase in the cost of living The other day a dispatch from Pitts burg gave an account of a score O. clergymen within the last two year. who have left their charges to go in to the insurance business, where the, can do better in gaining living I these clergymen, by the way, will car " with them into the insurance bus iness the atmosphere of moral ant religious principle the transition will be well worth while. There is an op portunity in all business to repeat tn efforts of the priests of France.
 Along this same general line of at