The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-01

as q citizen and measure the regard in
which he is held by his fellow citizens by
the interest which is always shown In his
published utterances on general topics, but
think that ministers and lay folk alike
\ all over the country will agree with me
| that what he said recently in regard to
| his experiences In religious affairs in New
York city was quite interesting. 1t Is not
every minister of the gospel who can
speak from an experience of 40 years in
one church and it is that that to my mind
| gives the special charm to the doctor 8
frecent interview with a representative of
| a New York newspaper DR.. Macarthur
did not like the opinions recently ex-
pressed on New York as the ministerial
cemetery" and In his interview on his
four decades of proclaiming the gospel in
the largest city in America he said: '"If
New York is the graveyard of preachers
some of us are pretty lively corpses.
| Still, I recognize it as a pretty hard
| place in which to preach. In certain re-
| spects 1t is harder today than 40 years
ago. Sunday is not observed today as a
time of church going by church people as
| 1t was 20 years ago. Then few theatres
and concert halls were open on Sunday.
Those which were open were generally in
parts of the city where foreigners espe-
cially abounded. Now every Sunday Cal
| vary church is surrounded by concerts
whose prices are lower on Sunday than
any other day of the week. There are
also attractive lectures in the neighbour
| hood These are patronized by church
people.
"A clergyman near by on a recent SUM-
day night paid a visit to Carnegie Hall
after his own service, and he says he
saw more of his own congregation there
than were in his own church. The neg
lect of the Sunday night service is a Sc
we're trial to many pastors. 1t is with
great thankfulness that I can say | have
no. had to suffer in this respect. But
have to work hard for -alvary's night at
tendance.
This neglect of Sunday night worship
is not due to those who observe what Is
called the Continental Sabbath 1t is due
to church men and church women who
deliberately neglect the Sunday night
service. Some of them are trustees, dea-
cons, elders. These same matters were
discussed 90 years ago when as a young
man not yet out of college I was called
to New York. The night service Is much
more neglected by church people now.
To-day they have Sunday evening teas
and receptions, not being willing just to
stay at home themselves, but actually
I'll ging their neighbors to stay away from
church also. These people, therefore, are
bringing up a class of children who do
not care for the Sunday night service
Ministers ought to put their best effort
on their Sunday evening sermon. Many
pastors have contributed toward the neg
lect of the evening worship by preaching
any old thing that they might have on
hand, or by not preaching at ALL They
turn over the service to their assistant
This Is all wrong. 1t Is rather going
out of fashion in these days for ministers
to make pastoral calls. I found In my
early days In New York that a home
going pastor makes a church-goine peo-
pie. For nine years 1 had no assistant.
did all the calling myself spent hot 8
each day climbing stairs and visiting in
apartment houses and tenement houses
have made as many as 1& calls a. week,
sometimes Is an afternoon. I can't do as
much Of this as once did, but try to
see each family once year and to make
calls on all who are i'll.
II believe the man who will do this to-
day will not preach to empty pews; at
least, not SO many empty pews.'
DIR. Macarthur though, however there
were many signs of Improvement in the
churches today. Among the good signs he
thought was the attitude of the daily
papers toward RELIGIOUS news, He said:
The newspapers of the city today give a
great deal more space to the reporting of
religious happenings than they did 40
years ago.
The New York Churchman can always
be counted upon to be interesting when
1t treats upon what some people call the
labor problem For my part all these
so-called problems settle down to the
question, DO I love my neighbor as my
self? Howeved( we won't discuss that
now. but simply listen to the report from
Pittsburg
"A long step forward in improving la
hor conditions has been taken in the steel
industry, largely, 1t Is reasonable to sup
pose. as a result of the facts brought
to light by the Pittsburg survey. That
careful review of Industrial conditions
found that one in five Of all the steel
workers in Allegheny county in 1908 was
working every day In the week.
I THE steel corporation has 900 en-
ployes. The executive officers of the cor
poration on March 2 sent Geographic in
structions to the heads of all the con-
stituent companies insisting that the shirt
Of a resolution adopted in 1907 should be
observed and carried into effect There
should be and must be no unnecessary
deviation without first taking up the
question with our finance committee and
asking FOR change of the views of the
committee. which probably will not under
any circumstances be secured
The resolution referred to was thar
sunday labor be reduced to the mini
mum; that all work. excepting such re-
pair. work as cannot be done while op-
Grating. be suspended on Sunday at all
steel works. rolling mills, shops, quar-
ries and docks; that there shall be no
construction work. loading or unloading
OF materials. 1t was not thought pra,.
ticable to apply the recommendation 10
blast furnaces and some other DEPART
ments. where a break In continuous on
Grafton would occasion large financial
loss, but much of the encroachment on
Sunday rest in rolling mills and open-
hearth foundries can be avoided. and
this will affect in Pittsburg alone over
5000 men, The action of the executive
officials is, as the Survey says, an evil
dence of business courage lin line with
the best impulses and soundest judg-
ment OF some Of the broadcast minded
industrial leaders in America.
ut remains to provide similarly for
weekly day OF rest in the Continuous
processes, such as the blast furnaces,
anG this we are assured is being serl-
ously considered. That 1t is quite prac-
ticable, foreign experience has shown
and 1t is economically justified A six
day man does better work than a seven
day man, whose life Is cramped and his
efficiency duled by unbroken toll. More
may have to be employed II each Is to
have an unbrolsen "a hours interval of
rest, but there will be a counter ba lanc-
ing gain and more men will be given an
opportunity to test their abilities as
'understudies' of the foremen and over
seers. If the Steel corporation will take
this further step. the logical sequence of
the step it has already taken. its action
viii have an influence beyond the limits
of its own industry. and In all employ
merits that seem to demand continuous