The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-01-25

in certain industries, in bringing
about kindlier relations between the
church and laboring men, in safe
guarding the physical and moral we'll
being of women and children who are
bread-winners and in promoting
wholesome literature and the better
intellectual development of our youth.
In all this we are unitedly seeking
the highest welfare of our great ma
tion whose chief magistrate has our
daily prayers and our loyal aid. We
rejoice to recognize as president one
who is exceptionally acquainted with
our great and varied national inter-
ests and who fully commands our
confidence so that we are content to
see through his eyes completed Pan
anna canal and the conservation Of
the best possible good of the Phil
ippines whose little brown men he de-
light to call brothers"
Too Many Cit. Churches.
Too many churches in the city
with the consequent heavy financial
drain on communities was the theme
of the address last night of the Rev.
DR.. Charles L. Thompson, secretary
of the Presbyterian board of foreign
missions, at the opening session of
the annual meeting Of the executive
committee.
DR.. Thompson cited New York as a
CONSPICUOUS example of the waste of
funds on churches. He declared that
the platform of the council was sus-
tanned by it's economic value, its apol-
ogetic value and its spiritual power.
He said
Tourists looking out of car win
dow on a small town having two
churches inquire why is this waste
of the ointment? 1t is pity to waste
ointment, but for every case of waste
full overlapping nut west l will give
you a .lalf-doxen of far more waste
full overlapping down east.
ut is pity there should be two
little churches in town OF three
hundred each drawing few hundred
dollars a year from the home mission
treasures. But what about churches
crowding each other in the great cities
at an outlay of hundred thousand
dollars a year--crowding till they
gradually crowd each other off the
field and then le2*e it churchless and
hopeless. r. 81
There stands New York in the bad
esLinence Of waste of money beyond
any other home mission field l know
Of Let no man talk of western over
tapping so long as the ecclesiastical
history of New York and other capi-
tails is remembered
Now for the practical question
What can federation do for home mis-
sions? 1t and it alone can fully
standardize hole missions. 1t is for
federation to climb to the top of the
world, to see and interpret the in
ter-play OF moral and spiritual
| forces. 1t ought to be spiritual
clearinghouse whence values are dis
tributed. and standards are erected.
LAS to home missions, federation
| should be able to say how it is related
to the city. to kindred reforms tt
world problems and to international
policies. In word what part does
it play in Gods program for this
"And then what can hone missions
world?
do for federation? Tersely home mis-
sions must accept to the full the re-
sponsibility imposed by the larger
view and the wider connections. Ii
must live up to it's standard value
and its responsibility must be local
as we'll as large. Home mission
fields must take local responsibility
for federation ideals. Federation at
the top is Utopian dream without
federation at the bottom.