The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-22
LIVE CHURCH NEWS
 OF WHOLE WORLD New Federal Council Plans.
 Membership Declining NEW BIBLE SCHOOLS
To Be Taught by Students and Will Be for Poor ChiIdren-Biblc Against yoodoism-Catholic
 Rivalry in Lybia

The Federal Council of Churches. with 1t, ,oeO,oeo Protestant Christians, will estab- fish a council office in Washington as soon as possible and place 1t in charge of a secretary At the second duadren- niai council just held in Chicago two new commissions were provided for, ono on evangelism, the other on international peace and arbitration. It is also an- nounced that a World League of Peace in the churches is being organized There is under consideration a religious cam paign to be carried on during the Panama exposition. such as was maintained dur ing the Worlds fair at Chicago.
 Commissions on religious education. to cooperate with similar organizations in the various bodies: on home and foreign missions to work with the mission boards of the churches; and local and state fed- erstions to work with existing federations to bring about cooperation and where wise consolidation of churches. were either formed or continued, and now that the quadrennial Is over, are already en- tering upon the work. Secretaries are to be provided as rapidly as financial re- sources permit. and campaigns in behalf of one days rest in seven for working men and week day half holiday, of temperance. Sunday observance family life and child welfare are recommended. On the last Sunday in March next min isters of the country are asked by the council to preach on tho subject of a half holiday, preferably Saturday, all the year through.
 The council strengthened it's social serv- ice platform over the one adopted four years ago, and is now entering upon a crusade for social service and justice. The social platform is attracting wide at tention and Is as follows:
 Equal rights and complete justice for all men in all stations in life.
 Protection of the family. by the single standard of purity, uniform divorce laws, proper regulation of marriage and proper housing.
 Fullest possible development for every child, especially by the provision of prop CT education and recreation,
 Abolish Child Labor
 Abolition of child labor.
 Such regulation of the conditions of toll TOT NOfnell dH cfidll SdiCB beAo tnt Phs t7t7 cal and moral health of the community. Abatement and prevention of poverty. Protection of the individual and society from the social, economic and moral waste of the liquor traffic. Conservation of health Protection of the worker from danger ous machinery. occupational diseases and mortality. FN Right of all men to the opportunity for self-maintenance, for safeguarding this right against encroachments of every kind. and for the protection of workers from the hardships of enforced unem- ployment
 Suitable provision for the old age of workers, and for those ineapacitated by injury.
 Principle of conciliation and arbitration in industrial disputes.
 Release from employment one day in seven.
 Gradual and reasonable reduction of the hours of labor 10 the lowest practical point for that degree of leisure for all which is condition of the highest human life.
 Living wage as a minimum in every industry, and for the highest wage that each iadustry can afford. The most equitable division of the product of industry that can ultimately be devised.
 Never have churches gone further in social directions and never have they en- tered more directly into the worldly af- fairs of their members and all others. Churches claim that this social creed having been adopted by them, they are no , longer open to the charge of not being in touch with common people, of not being democratic. The creed is one that was undreamed of. even by those outside of the churches, two or three decades ago. l Today the churches themselves take the most advanced possible ground. and set vast machinery at work in behalf of their principles.
 The venerable Rev. pr. D. B. Sanford, perhaps the earliest leader of the Federal Council idea, who has given the later years of his life to work that led up to the adoption of this advanced creed, is compelled to retire from active work by reason of inflrrnity. and, he is succeeded as general secretary by the Rev. Dr. Charles s. Mcfarland. who has been for some time his right hand man, and also head of the social service department of tho councils work. The new pres- dent of the council is the Rev. Dr. Smaller Matthews of Chicago.