Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-12-16
MINISTERS VOTE.
TO BACK HEALTH.
BOARD SOLIDLY.
in CLOSING ORDER.

The ministers of Americus, at a
Special meeting held this morning at
be Y. M. G. A, voted to stand solidly
ehind the health authorities in their
1der closing or partially closing pub
ic meetings within the city because
/ the recurrence of influenza.
The meeting was called primarily
or the purpose of formulating pro-
est against the action of the city
| ard of health and DR.. b. F. Bond,
ublic health officer for Sumter coun-
J, in closing the schools completely,
I'D allowing the churches of the city
- hold only one service on Sunday,
while allowing the pool rooms and
torres to remain open. The endorse
j ent of the board and the pledging OF
cooperation in the enforcement of
tst regulations came after DR.. Bond,
Ndo was present, had talked frankly to
Tie ministers and explained to them
ht reasons behind the order.
At the conclusion of the meeting a
] solution proposed by DIR. Leroy G.
Henderson, of the Presbyterian
church and president of the Minister'S
8 ssociation, was adopted, thanking
d-L board of health for the concessions
{ ready granted to the churches of the
ety. requesting an additional hour
In Sunday night services in the
I i.urches, and pledging absolute coop
I ation of the ministers with the
oard OF health.
The association also Instructed DR..
] 1enderson to prepare statement to-
he public asking the people to keep
| cir children at home during the pres
cit threatened epidemic as a measure
+ tamping out the contagion. Comply
tg with these instructions, which had
Tue nearly anu uHdulAlOuo OANOI Do
rent of all the ministers, DR.. Hender-
son issued the following statement
ever his signature, for publication in
The Times Recorder:
AT the meeting of the Ministers
Union this morning we had full ex-
preston from Dr. Bond as to the &C
ton of the board of health in closing
tle schools and the Sunday schools
and other places where the children
gather, and this action of the board
was not only unanimously approved
but to show our full cooperation with
the work of the board in their en-
desvor to safeguard the children, we
request the parents and guardians OF
CIR city to do what they can to keep
he children out of the crowded stores
nd other gatherings around town for
he present, at least"
The meeting was held because of
he feeling of the ministers that the
Churches were bing unjustly discrim-
rated against, especially inasmuch as
sanitary conditions in the churches
are good. DR.. Bond explained that one
Ct the chief reasons for limiting the
churches to a single service of one
hour was the fact that real menace
existed in the negro churches where
meeting of from three to five hours Oh
Sunday nights are common, and that
the board could not discriminate be-
tv cen the races in the matter of pro-
Ihibiting religious gatherings. The
ministers accepted the explanation
readily, and the discussion resolved it.
self into possibility of obviating this
objection by granting a limited time
for night services. DR.. Bond thought
this might possibly be granted, and
rcmised to take their request, which
was formally made in the motion sub
.sequently passed, before the health
board.
| Rev. Guyton Fisher, pastor of the
Fist Methodist church, made a plea
sol the additional Sunday service on
the ground that the church is an in
Fsitution of real importance. with a
material mission as well as as piritual
mission to perform, and that it is ac-
ually business, which. by closing, is
becoming badly disorCaa.zed. E.T.
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