The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-21
DR.. Berkley Chosen Moderator
on Third Ballot.
CALVIN'S BIRTHDAY.
The Four Hundredth Anniyer
sary Is Celebrated Today.
Elaborate Preparations Had
Been Made for the Event.

Denver, Colo, May 21.-The gen.
eral assembly of the Presbyterian
church met at o'clock this morning
and before adjournment at noon, the
organization for the actual business
of the church legislative body was
well under way.
On, the third ballot for moderator,
Dr. James Morrison Barkley of De-
troit, was elected. His only opponent
was Dr. Geo. P. Hill, of Chicago. DR..
VIM. L. McEwan of Pittsburg having
Withdrawn at the conclusion of the
second ballot The vote on the third
ballot stood Barkley, sos; Hill, 292.
DR.. William Henry Roberts of
Philadelphia, was reelected stated
clerk, a position he has held for rs
years, and Judge Charles c. Holt of
Chicago, was appointed vice mod
orator.
The various voting districts sub
mitted their nominees for the stand
ing committees, which will be or
ganized before the day is over.
The four hundredth anniversary Of
the birth of John Calvin was cele-
brated this afternoon. Elaborate
preparations had been made to make
the event noteworthy. Aside from
the regular assembly sessions. the
| business activities of the day were
taken up in the preparation of COM
mittee reports for presentation to the
| assembly Much interest attaches to
the report of the committee on Sab
| bath observance because of the ac-
tivity of the church in various cities
| in seeking the Sunday closing of
saloons and places of amusement
The second days session of the
woman's board of home missions also
| took place and the annual report of
| Mrs. Ella A. Boole, secretary of the
board was submitted Addresses
| were made by missionaries to the In
| dams and in foreign settlements, and
the standing committees were
selected
Hot Fight Is Started.
The beginning of what bids fair to
ibecome one of the hot fights of the
general assembly of the Presbyterian
church, that of the adoption of the
report of the executive commission,
iIeport of the commission. was submit
ted and permission given for its con-
sideration at a later time
| A few minutes after this report and
| the report of the committee on ad-
lministrative agencies had been submit
ted, Dr. B. P. Fullerton of ST. Louis,
the retiring moderator, who is ex-
| officio chairman of the committee, sub
mitted a special report. providing for
| the discharge of the finance committee
and the apportionment of the budget
| for the benevolent and missionary
boards.
This report occasioned several sharp
encounters. principally brought about
| by the objection of several commls-
| sioners to the adoption of a special re-
| port before the main report had been
acted upon DR.. Fullerton then re-
ceded from his position and agreed to
have the printed report in the hands
OF the assembly that it might be read
nv the commissioners before it is made
the subject of debate. Thus further
clashes were avoided but there is every
indication that there Will be some
sharp debate when the two reports are
brought up for final consideration.
Special Order for Monday.
DR.. J. n. Moffatt, president of Wash
ington and Jefferson college of Pitts
burg submitted the report of the
special committee on administrative
agencies and asked that it be made a
special order for Monday afternoon.
This was granted. This committee has
been at work upon the proposition of
| consolidating the work of the eight
administrative boards since the gen
| eral assembly of 1905, and upon each
report has met with such strong op-
nosition that consolidation and the
closer harmony sought by what is
known as the Cleveland overturn law
seemed further off than ever.
The first recommendation in list
| of about IA suggests that the initial
step for such consolidation will be for
each board to obtain from competent
LAWYERS the limit to which it may ex-
| tend its powers. Thus it is hoped that
| each missionary and benevolent board
will be able by slow process to absorb
new powers from time TO time under
existing charters and finally to con-
| solidate the powers of such admins
tration under working head.
At 2:30 this afternoon the assembly
| met to engage in the celebration OF the
four hundredth anniversary of the
| birth of John Calvin and listened to
addresses on the life and work of the
| founder of Presbyterianism.