New-York tribune., 1910-05-23

held on the pier were delivered by a Con-
gresham and two clergymen, William =
! Bennett, of New York, and the Rev. Charles
| Stelze and the Rev. Warren H. Wilson.
| representing the church and labor de-
! partment of the Board of Home MISSIONS
| A Cabinet officer, Secretary NaSel of the
| Department of Commerce and Labor had
promised to come, but was prevented by
! illness.
| CONGRESSMAN Bennet presided at the Ia
| Dor meeting this afternoon, which complete
| ~ filled the great hall on the pier, from
| nine thousand TO ten thousand persons COM
posing the audience. Philadelphia sent
! large contingent from its labor organiza-
tions and Atlantic City contributed thou
sands more for whom the main floor was
reserved.
| Charles NJ Alexander led the song ser
vice. and while teaching new chorus, hs
| said
Til give a new hat to any laborins man
| who will rise on the floor and sing this
| chorus alone. Where is the mani"
Here he is, shouted negro.
Now. sing it out. Never mind If you
miss a note now and then"
The verse was sung SO satisfactorily that
the leader called the man to the platform.
where he sang it again, while the great
audience applauded. Mr.. Alexander au-
nounced that the man had stipulated the
kind OF hat that he wished, which proved
| to be the most expensive in the market.
Promises to Startle the World.
DR.. Charles l.. Thompson, secretary of
the Board of Home Missions, read the
Scripture and offered prayer, and then Con-
gressrnan Bennett spoke in the place Of Sec
retary Nagel on The Conservation OF
| Human Life He began his address with
the remark that while he was not an
| anarchist as a member of the immigration
| Commission of Congress statements Will
soon appear in a report of the commission
which will startle the world. This report
! is the result of Investigations in the mills
and mines In this country.
| Ex-President Roosevelt received hearty
commendation for his efforts TO better the
condition of thousands of employees in the
! Government Printing Office in Washington.
The Office has now the model emergency
room Of the world.
! "Conservation,1 said the speaker, lis
good thing applied TO coal and trees and
water. The government is doing we'll to
conserve these gifts of nature, but when
ever you hear the word conservation
whatever the subject under review, I hope
/ =
term. the conservation of the bodies and
souls of men and women
Responsibility in Industrial Life.
| Mr. StezIe, who was employed in Hoes
printing works, in New York. before he
entered the ministry, and is still member
of labor union, held the close attention
of the audience. as he denounced what he
termed the reckless disregard of life
| throughout the country. He declared that
| In the mines Of America more men are
killed proportionately than in the mines
of all other countries. One immigrant out
of every twenty who enters Ellis Island. he
added. is killed the first year that he is
in America Mr.. Stelzle said:
When thirty thousand industrial workers
are lost every year means Ina, Is
| In some cases IL is nothing short of rnur-
der It is the business Of the Church TO
remedy this situation. We should talk less
| about building up the Church and more
about building up the people The Church
| is simply a means to an end and not an
| end In itself As a matter of fact, how
ever. the Church is deliberately deserting
Che people in the most densely populated
| sections of the country.
THE Church has long been saying that the
rosnal that il breaches is a universal Cos
| pei. II the Church believes that its gospel
| is adaptable to every nation. why does 1t
| fee when the foreigner comes In?
! THE Church has been declaring for many,
wears that IL alone holds the solvent for the
| great social problems which concern the
! neonle in the factories and tenementS. But
| is the Church honestly ready TO apply this
! gospel TO the social and economical condi-
! tions of the people?
| we have been declaring that the gospel
.4is the power OF God unto salvation TO
every one that believeth, but 1t would
appear from the action of the Church that
| its power is limited to those who have
moved uptown or to the suburbs-to
! those who live in comfortable homes and
| alternately support the Church. If the
| Church sincerely believes that its gospel is
| a gospel simply for class. and that class
! one which already possesses the world
good things then 1t is justified in deserting
/ the poor in our great cities. But 1t must
| be prepared TO explain away the statement
that Jesus himself came to preach the gos-
pei to the poor.
! DR. Wilson followed Mr.. Stelzle with an
address on Conservation OF Country Life"
He declared that ministers are turning
away from country churches, and he quot
ed a Methodist bishop. who said "All my
| ministers are pra wing that they may go TO
two places. Heaven and New York City.
and they want "a 90 TO New York Cty
hrsi Or. wilson said chat in the Middle
West the Church IL being destroyed BY
speculative farming re summed M the
programme of the PRESBYTERIAN Church In
behalf Of the country population by sayin-
! that there are three supports Of the eeun-
try ccmnunttv and of one anothsr-a mod