The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-04-08
LABOR TEMPLE REAL CHURCH
FOR WORKING PEOPLE.

The Labor Temple, combining re-
ligious services for working people
with wholesome secular amuse-
ments, will be the name of the
Fourteenth Street Presbyterian
church New York; beginning on
April 10th.
The Labor Temple is the realiza-
tion of the dreams of the Rev.
Charles Stelzle, secretary of the
Department of Church and Labor of
the Presbyterian Board of Home
Missions. Mr.. Stelzle is from the
east side, and still retains a certi-
ficate that he is a journeyman ma
chinist. He is also a member of the
Machinists' Union.
When he was a boy, Mr. StelZle
had sharply defined opinions as to
what a church ought to be. He
likes to tell how he formed those
opinions as he walked the streets
and asked himself, Where shall |
go now?" When he reached man
hood not many years ago, his opin-
ions had not changed, and when he
became a Presbyterian clergyman he
took those same opinions into the
ministry
When he became secretary of the
Church and Labor Department,
created for him, he spent much of
his time addressing workingmen
The rest of it he spent leaning over
his pulpit and asking this question
of congregations all over the coun-
try:
why the dickens don't you do
something real for the working
MANI"
Finally the congregation said:
well, since you insist, we will.
The Fourteenth Street Church has
been consolidated with the Thir-
teenth Street, and well let you
have the building for a two-years'
experiment. Well give you $10,-
600 year for your expenses, and
we'll give you an assistant. Well
let you decide what this something
real you're always talking about
shall be, and if you show us at the
end of two years that the project
has been a success we'll make this
Fourteenth street institution per-
manent, and we'll put place just
like it in every big city in America.
Here's luck!"
Mr.. Stelzle could hardly wait un-
til they were through telling him
about it. He started work the next
morning, and now his plans are
complete. Already he sees labor
temples at 200-mile intervals across
the continent.
The first week at the Labor
Temple will be typical of every
week, beginning Sunday afternoon
at 4 o'clock with an address on a
popular topic. Congressman Will
liam S. Bennett probably will be the
first, with a talk on immigration
When he is through speaking an
opportunity to heckle, as they do at
the Peoples Institute, will be given
In the evening there will be a pop
ular service, conducted by Mr.. Stel-
zle's assistant. 1t will be religious
in character, but not evangelistic.
On Monday night there will be a
travelogue, with moving pictures, and
the lecturers will be men of popular
reputation.
On Tuesday night there will be a
| discussion of social problems, in
which the audiences will be invited
to join. Jacob A. Riis has been
asked to be the speaker at the first
of them, and men of his stamp and
his experience will follow.
On Wednesday night there will be
a success talk-Inspiration Night
is the name that has been given it.
John Wanamaker is announced to
make the first address, and will be
followed by men who are conspicu-
Gus in other activities.
On Thursday night there will be
a "sociable," when the people iden-
titled with the Labor Temple will
gather for a good time.