October, tqi. 



History of the Month. 



Ixix. 



l.itioiis of employers and employed, and who, at the 

 same time, are recognised as teing in sympadiy 

 with the ideals of the Christi.an Church. Plain an- 

 s^vers are .sou^'ht from the citizens thus circularised 

 to the following plain and pertinent questions: — i. 

 What are th«- causes for the apparent antagonism 

 between emplover and employed? 2. How far, in 

 your opinion, is the Church concerned in the mat- 

 ter? 3. In what way can these causes he removed 

 s<i as to promote a better understanding and a 

 kindlier spirit? 4. How can the Church contribute 

 to this? 5. What are the main rea.sons for the drift 

 of the masses of the people from the Christian 

 Church, particularly as concerns Presbyterian ordin- 

 ances? 6. What means do you think the Church 

 could use to bring about a better state of things? 

 N.B. — If you can illustrate your replies by facts of 

 your own e.\perience it will be all the more helpful 

 tn r'v- rommittee. 



N'othing but good can come from 

 Where Does the >ii,h an enquiry, and the spirit 

 Fault Lie . which has prompted it is praise- 

 worthy. The business of the Church 

 is to preach the mes.sage of the Advent and promote 

 the spirit and practice of the Golden Rule as be- 

 tween all men. If employers and employed are in 

 danger of ignoring that teaching, and are seeking 

 to work out their industrial saUation outside the 

 scope of influence of the Church's teaching, it is the 

 duty of the Church to inquire why. There is much 

 in the spirit of industrial unrest and turmoil to-day 

 which is calculated to cause the Christian Church 

 anxiety. But man's extremity is the Church's oppor- 

 tunity. In the abstract, it is almost accepted as an 

 axiom that the ma.sses are largely adrift from the 

 Churches. If this is true, who.se fault is it? Is the 

 fault with the Church or with the masses? It is 

 definite information on that point that the Presby- 

 terian Church in New South Wali-s is now .seeking 

 through its s|)ecial committee. With the ch.iracter- 

 istically practical Wnt of Scot.smen. the committe.; 

 have determiiK-d that their inquiry shall be compre- 

 hensive, and that their report .sbi.ill not cover mi-r<- 

 geiK-ralities and reflections derived from the .studv 

 of social r|ucsiions or movements in other parts of 

 the ttoriil. u 1' n- conditions are essentiallv diffi-rent 

 from those pp viiling in Australia. Their purixise 

 is to obtain i-\ idence at first hand from citizens who 

 have studi.d the qu<-stion right here. F;very Church 

 in the Com nmn wealth will be vitallv interested in 

 ^'1 ir quest. 



.Sydney hotelkeepers are having 



The (ircnt trouble in their iletermination to 



AustralLin \UU. ,|„,|i,,, ruunter-hinches. a cu.stom 



almost as old as the State. There 

 w.is .1 |io|>ul.ir theory in the earlier days that couil- 

 ter-lunch<-s, <-s[ieciallv in the back-countrv, where 







-^<f 



From tlie Sydney 7)0/(1; Telegraph. 

 COUXTER-I.rXCH IXKJIC. 



The Pessimist: "Talk about prosperity— wliere's your 

 prosperity wlieii the pul)9. 'ave stopped the wmnter lunch?" 



The Optimist (as lie ticrlitens his belt): "That proves it, 

 ouite. Tlie publirans are so prosperous that they can 

 ufTord t-o be iiulepeudeut." 



salt-beef sandwidies were the staple provision, were 

 a cunning device of the landlords for exciting a 

 thirst. In later times the institution came to l>e re- 

 garded as a concern of necessity, or, in other words, 

 a sprat to catch a mackerel. But another change 

 has passed over the trade. The hotel business is not 

 what it was. There has been an evolution in the 

 public appetite which has led the hotel-keeper to cast 

 aliout lor legitimate economies and the alx)lition of 

 the counter-lunch is one of them. Hut in the licens- 

 ing business cu.stomers, as well as hotels, have to be 

 grarli'd, and by .si>me of the Sydney publicans, re- 

 niem1)ering the character ol their cu.stomers, the abo- 

 lition of the free counter-lunch is interpreted as bad 

 business. The Sydney hotel -keejiers are evidently 

 not as well organised as the average trade union, for 

 a numl)er of them have ignored tiie general resolu- 

 tion to discontinue the free lunches. Not only has 

 the cry of '• bla<kb-g " U-eii raised, but the brewers 

 are being petitioni-d ti.> inflict a lioycott, and thus 

 assist th<- I.ict-nsfil Victuallers' AsscK-iatioji to " see 

 that the Markli'i;> j-t no U'cr." 



