New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-13
WOULD UNIONIzE
vi. E. BOOK SHOP
Conference in Hot Debate
Over Preferential
Policy.

Saratoga. Y. Y, May ia discus.
sion over the unionizing Of the Method.
ist Book Concern occupied most Of the
morning session Of the Methodist Cen
eraI Conference. Action on proposal
designed 10 commit the Church 10
1,licy favoring preferential employ
3 ent Of union labor was deferred Until
{,-morrow after two hours Of heated
(ebate.
Professor Harry Ward, the social
service secretary, who has worked Tor
many months to get this legislation
made an impassioned appeal.
"In this case" ne said, "the prefer.
ential shop will mean Cd Methodis,s
union or non-union, shall be given the
positions first; (2) old employees 70 b,
retained and only in case Of new ones
70 give the union preference and 49,
the MANAGEMENT TO have absolute con
troll Of the Office. We cannot expee,
employers TO obey our advice 20 bar.
gain with union employees II IN our own
publishing house we refuse % Go So
Methodism appeals 20 the masses, but Is
not reaching the 4,OOO.OOO union men.
Il IL time 10 do So"
The Rev. DR.. W. F. Conner, Of Pitts
burgh. chairman Of the Book Concern.
insisted that IL the declaration Of sd
vice was passed he would interpret i
as clear instruction to abolish the
open shop. ,.,
The conference is evenly divided over
the question, but Chancellor James R.
Day. who, as the chairman, will close
the debate, has announced himself a,
heartily for the report, and with his h.
Auence and debate power victory seems
certain.
Members Of the Church who play
games of chance, dance and attend he
theatre, races and circuses will no
longer be liable TO expulsion, n rec
concentrations made by a suD-commi,-
tee of the conference are adopted. By
a vote OF 10 TO 5 the Subcommittee
recommended the elimination from the
Book Of Discipline of the clause pro
hibiting these amusements, and offered
as a substitute an additional paragraph
in which warning is made against the
diversions. The effect Of the proposed
change is to remove the absolute pro-
hibition, but to place the Church on
record as still strongly opposed to
these forms of amusement.
The conference affirmed a desire 70
have the bishops in revising the ritual
change the words Holy Catholic
Church" in the Apostles Creed, TO
Church Univelsal," on the ground that
the Roman Catholic Church was often
understood TO be meant.
Miss Mary Stone, the first Chinese
woman 10 grow up with unbound feet
and head OF the Methodist Hospital
in Kiukang, China, spoke TO Thousands
in the afternoon. More than 200 mis-.
sionaries, representing fourteen ma
tions, reported progress in their work.
II is expected that the vote for
bishops will be taken on Saturday or
Monday. A straw vote taken among
leaders from various sections Of the
country shows that the following I'VE
are far in the lead and almost certain
of election:
The Rev. z. s. Triple, D. D., of Drew
Theological Seminary, New York; the
Rev. Charles B. Mitchell, d. D., pastor
of st. James's Methodist Episcopal
Church, Chicago; the Rev. Herbert
Welch, d. d., president of Ohio Yves.
leyan University; the Rev. A. W. Leon.
ard, D. D., pastor of the First Method
ist Episcopal Church, Seattle, and the
Rev. Thomas Nicholson, d. D., OF New
York.