The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-05-25
WOULD REBUKE Brethren
Who Grow TOBACCO

Whether these members are commit.
ting sin or not win be decided at the
Hershey gathering.
From the West comes a query re-
garding the ethics of wearing fash
ionablo neckties, = which is also to como
before the Hershey conference. The
query is worded as follows:
1--WE, the members of the Quinter
church, petition Annual Meeting of
1915, through District Meeting of
Northwestern Kansas and Northeastern
Colorado, to say whether the dress de.
cision of 1911 forbids the wearing of
the fashionable necktief
The recommendation of the commit
tee is that the dress decision be con.
strued as forbidding the display of
fashionable neekwear. That there is
some unrest over the matter of dress
is evidenced by another query from
Eastern Maryland as follows:
''Since the holding and expressing
of widely different views on the dress
question by members, especially pas
tors, evangelists and elders of the
church, has caused much confusion and
discord among us, and since what we
have on our Annual Meeting minutes
is inadequate for our present needs, we,
the members of the Monoeacy church,
sincerely pray the Annual Meeting of
1915, at Hershey, Pa, through the Dis.
trict Meeting of Eastern Maryland, to
appoint committee of five, who shall
prayerfully consider and investigate, in
the light of the Gospel of Christ, the
church s need on this question, and re.
port to the Annual Meeting of 1916 a
basis for union and harmony among the
churches of the Brotherhood, so that all
may walk in the same rule. Scripture
references: l Cor, 1:10; Philip 1:27;
3:16.n
From Northern Virginia church
comes the following:
"We. the Mill Creek congregation,
petition Annual Meeting, through the
Northern District of Virginia, to ap-
point competent committee of three,
whose duty it shall be to make thor
ough investigation of the conditions
that lead to the loss of so many of the
brethren children to the Church of
the Brethren, and to recommend such
remedial measures as may seem wise,
and report to Annual Conference.
Rules in Favor of Unions
Among the reports prepared by com
mittees for presentation at next week S
conference, under the head of unfn-
ished business, is one in answer to u
query of the Reading church as to
whether leniency can be shown members
who Join labor unions; whether it is
allowable for contractors to sign the
union wage scale and whether brethren
are justified in belonging to relief asso-
Citations. The committees decision
follows:
"After most careful Investigation
of all the issues involved in the above
queries, your committee submits the
following report;
81. Members may belong to labor
unions, relief associations and bene-
ticiary societies when by doing so they
violate no gospel principle.
"2. Members desiring to have the
benefits of labor organizations, relief
associations and beneficiary societies
shall, before afiiliating with such organ
izations or societies, request the local
church to investigate said organizations
and societies, to See whether any gospel
principle may possibly be violated by
affiliatine with such organizations and
societies.
"S. All former decisions, conflict
ing with the above, are hereby re-
pealed. -
Must Not Be Reproachful
One of the regulations to be fol
lowed at the meeting, to prevent any
of the thousands of delegates from be-
coming unruly, is as follows
''In ease brother or brethren shall
speak reproaehfully against the Annual
Meeting, or her proceedings, at the time
and place of Annual Meeting, said
brethren shall be held as offenders
against the General Brotherhood, and
thev shall be tried at once by a com
mittee, appointed by the standing com.
mittee, and approved by the General
Council: and said committee shall deal
with them according to their otfense,
and their decision shall be respected by
the General Council, and by the re-
spective churches. The word 're-
prcachfully' shall not be so construed
as to prevent any brother from express
ing his opinion with Christian court
esy." "
An interesting feature of the con
ference this year is that it is to be held
within one hundred miles of the land
ing place of the founders of the Church
of the Brethren in America, IN the
eastern district of this State. This one
district has thirty-four local churches,
with a total membership exceeding g.
400. The church in this city is the
Hummel Street Church of the Breth-
rem. which has one delegate at the con-
vention.
New $4,000 Tabernacle
Extensive preparations have been
under way for some time at Hershey
for the reception of the many dele
gates. The tabernacle, known as the
Hershey convention hall, in which the
business sessions are to be held, is a
new steel and tile structure built at a
cost of $4,000. The seating capacity
is nearly ten thousand.
A temporary postoflice near the rail
road station, on the way to the tab
ernacle, will be used for the handling
of the mail of the visitors. A special
baggage room is being built by the
Philadelphia & Reading railroad, at the
passenger station. Special trains will
run to and from this city during the
sessions, from June 2 to June 10.
A newspaper, "The Conference
News" wifi be published daily on the
grounds during the meetings. The big
day of the conference will be Sunday,
June 6, when $4,000 members of the
Church of the Brethren are expected to
be present.
To Raise Question of Autos
(Snerial to the Star Independent)