The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1916-12-11
SOCIAL WELFARE
UP AT ST. LOUIS
Federal Council of Churches of Christ
Hear Report Of Commission on
Social Service. Fm
(By Associated Press)

St. Louis, Dec. 11-At today's ses-
sion Of the quadrennial meeting Of
the Federal Council Of the Churches
Of Christ Of America, the Rev. Worth
M. Tippy, of Vanderbilt University,
read the report of the Commission on
the Church and Social Service, out
lining an exhaustive program Of gen.
eral social welfare.
The attitude Of the church to re-
creation, was one Of the subjects on
which he laid stress. This attitude,
he said, "has been on the whole crit
ical and negative; it should now be-
come sympathetic, positive, and agrees
sive. 1t should be contended that it
in a Christian service, 4 natural ex-
preston Of Christian love.
"A direct way in which the churches
are in a position to contribute to this
need is by enlarging their work as
neighborhood centers. Their possible
contribution is very significant, due
to the fact that there are 207,728
Protestant churches in the United
States, and that they are thoroughly
organized and firmly established in
the heart of every community"
The Commission urged better or
ganization among the churches for
education for social service, and dis
cussed the relation of the pulpit to
politics. 1t said, in part:
"In their relation to public officials,
ministers, evangelists, and ministers'
associations are urged to reduce the
prevailing attitude Of criticism toward
public servants and to adopt one Of
sympathy and cooperation, reserving
public attacks, as workingmsn reserve
the strike, to be used only as last
resort. The remarkable advance in
municipal government in the United
States during the last decade justi-
fies such a change of attitude"
It also took up the problem of un-
employment, and declared that when
period of unemployment due to in
dustrial depression strikes a commun-
ity, it is immensely important for the
churches to organize in a great way,
to meet the emergency" s.
"Ths present moment" it continued,
"when the industry Of the nation is at
aood-tide, when the problem is not
to find work but to get workers, is an
opportune time in which to think
through the problems Of unemploy.
ment, should it arise"
The problems Of housing, CONNER
cilalized vice, prison reform, over
work, standard living wage, and 9th
ers were discussed, with attention
given also to the equal status Of wom-
en-. The church has been backward
in the, matter Of the woman's cause,
according to the Commission, and in
conclusion says: (,
I'm the present crisis Of the relation
Of the sexes, due in part to the cul-
minuation Of the movement for the
freedom Of women coincident with the
economic changes Of the war, we urge
that tn churches lend their aid to the
women; that they use their utmost
endeavors to protect the home and to
safeguard those women, particularly
those girls, who 50 out from it into
industry; that they stand for the prin-
cipleS Of equality Of recompense
whore thsrs b equal service. and for
full freedom Of entrance in to the
worlds work; TINT they reinforce the
spirit Of chivalry towards women vn-
dss these sAaagsd ssaditjoaG" IA