The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-09-06
CHURCH MUST BETTER ACQUAINT SELF
WITH LAB0RER'S STRUGGLES, PURPOSES,
MILHOLLAN AYERS AT MIN0T MEETING

advocating educational work, such as
free text books and the proper selec-
tlon of text books for our public
schools.
Agreeing with a minister friend
who described the mission of the
church as one to make bad people
good and good people better, Milhol-
Ian said he likes the idea because it
contradicts the theory that ''thc
church is maintained solely for the
benefit Of those who profess religion.
1t the church is TO reach that great
mass OF humanity represented by
labor. there must be, first, a sympa-
thetic understanding of the problems
Of labor and, secondly, the application
of the Golden Rule
Commenting on the successful ef-
fort of great corporations to improve
public relations by acquainting the
public with its aims and problems.
Milhollan said great change has
been wrought by the dissemin atiOn
of accurate information. Old pref
udiccs have been broken down and
confidence has been built up.
If, in like manner, the business
man seeks to understand tho prob
lens Of the laboring man and the la
boring man seeks to understand the
problems Of industry. successful
solution Of their difficulties would
be easier, Mlhollan said.
Criticises Church Attitude
Commenting on the attitude Of the
church as !. whole toward labor the
speaker said: Frankly. the attitude
of the church as 4 whole toward the
labor union has not been altogether
friendly. There arc many contribu-
tory causes for the feeling among
laboring men that the church, as Il
whole, is unfricndly, one of which
is that many of the publishing houses
maintained by church organizations
have openly opposed organized la
Dor"
Taking up tho attitude of the work
ingman toward the church, MilhOllan
quoted executives of several inter
national unions as reported by DR..
James Davis Of Yale University. One
man. he said, was quoted as saying
Il don't think much of the church
because it doesn't think very much
about US. Another was reported as
saying. "Why should we be interested
in the church? The church is not for
workingmen but for businessmen and
employers. Ii you don't believe nc
look at the names of the board Of
trustees Of any big church and you
will find them filled with bankers
and Chamber Of Commerce magnatcs
but you won't find single repre-
sentative Of the men who sweat for
their daily bread"
third man was quoted by the
Yale professor, Milhollan said, as
having gone to church as a lad in the
country but that, when he moved to
the city, found that the city church
"had no use for the man who wears
ovcralls. | got frozen out the first
time but went back the second time.
heard an intellectual sermon and
saw lot Of wcll-dresscd people. but
| never got one friendly word as
walked out of the. door,
Detroit Incident Cited
This attitude Of organized labor
toward the churches was cmphas lied,
Milhollan said, by an incident which
occurred in Detroit last year. At
that time. he said. many leaders of
the American Federation Of Labor had
been asked to speak in Detroit
churches during the time of the labor
convention. The president Of the
National Labor body was to address
a Y. NJ. G. A. meeting. All of the
invitations were summarily with
drawn. Milhollan said, and at mass
in one church a Detroit pas
tor charged that the staff Of the De-
troit Board Of Commerce had offered
an affort to the churches of Detroit,
charging that their action had inter-
fered with the work of the church.
Il refer to these instances for the
purpose of emphasizing that If the
church desires to promote brother