Omaha daily bee., 1912-02-07
ROACH HEADS FEDERATION
Nebraska Churches Elect Lincoln
Clergyman as President
TOO MANY CHURCHES IN CITY
President OF Order Says More Good
Could BE Done by Better organi-
zntion-PhRses of Work
Outlined.

Rev. L F. Roach Of Lincoln was chosel
president TO succeed Rev. F. 7. RousG
Of Omaha as head of the Nebraska Fed
Grafton Of Churches at the Afternoon
meeting held yesterday at the First Con
gregational church. Rev. A E. Miller O.
Blue Springs Was elected vice president
Rev. II. r. Chapman Of Lincoln. record
ing secretary; Rev. ". o. Jones Of Lin
coin. treasurer. Delegates to the eonvsn.
ton of the Nebraska Federation or Labor
were selected as follows: Rev. d. E
Jenkins, Omaha; Rev. T. H. Hull. Have
lock. and Rev. C. C. Christopher, Hast
inyA .,
Phases of work.
Study Of social conditions in local COM
munities with special attention to liquor
traffic, the social evil, and pool halls
Support OF juvenile courts and play
grounds.
Support Of manual training and domes-
tic science in the schools.
Supervision Of dance halls, picture
shows and theaters especially in relation
to the social evil.
and endorsement of the Initiative and
referendum and Of legislative candidates
pledged to temperance and reform.
Opposition to secularization Of the
Sabbath and Of the legslizing Of Sunday
base ball. Il. ..
Work in the interests Of a just wage
and Of the abolition Of child labor.
Commendation OF Omaha BARRIERS In
their effort to make Sunday rest day
and OF all efforts for six day working
week.
Enactment Of a new law relative to
h. ~
failure OF juries TO convict in cases of
notorious offenses and the corresponding
peril to good mon from corrupt jurtes
constitutes very grave menace to the
well-being OF the commonwealth"
These are the chief phases Of social
work to which the delegates attending
the third annual meeting Of the state
council OF the Nebraska Church fedora
ton unanimously pledged themselves In
their opening session yesterday in
the First Congregational church. Rev.
b. F. Feiiman. chairman Of the social
service committee. presented the sub
jects VI.
The key-notes Of the meeting with ref
erence to future work were cooperation
and concentration.
Unnecessary Churches.
Rev. f. 7. Rouse, or the First Congre-
gational church In Omaha, In bis presi-
dents address, declared that the primary
field Of the federation was In home
missions and that cooperation Of the
churches and not competition should be
the watch word. He urged the elimina-
ton Of unnecessary churches.
II am against an overincrease in the
number Of our churches" said Mr..
Rouse. In Omaha we have too many
churches now" He stated that the
theory that SSS people were enough for
one church was wrong, that that would
make 80 churches the approved number
for Omaha, which already has nearly 100
Protestant and Catholic combined. lie
emphasized few churches and more har-
mony between them.
There is noticeable an interblending
Of denominations" said Mr.. Rouse, and
he stated that In his own congregation
the superintendent Of the Sunday school
was a United Presbyterian; the mis-
sions director. q died-in-the-wool Bap-
list: the cholrister, member Of the
Church OF England; the leading soprano.
a Methodist; the head Of the womens
society, a new thoughter. ...
I'VE are intermarrying and interblend-
ing in our churches until the Individual
constituencies cannot tell each other
apart" .-.#.
Need of Federations.
DR.. Rouse urged the organization OF
decorations in towns and cities and