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The Presbyteriatfcicljhe South Vol. 96. No. 27. RICHMOND, VA. July 5, 1922. CANADIAN Presbyterians, at least some of them, seem to be trying to follow the example set a few years ago by one of the Pres byteries in the Northern Church. At the re cent meeting of the Canadian General Assem bly, we see it reported, quite an animated de bate was engaged in on the question of ordain ing women to the ministry. We are glad to see that this unscriptural proposition was defeated. The question of union with the Methodist and Congregational Churches again occupied the at tention of the Assembly. But no conclusion was reached, and the committee in charge of the matter was continued with instructions to re port next year on the legal questions involved. The great majority of the Assembly seemed to be in favor of the union, but the opposition is real and will probably cause a good deal of dis cussion yet. CHURCH building is going on at a great rate, especially in the South. According to the Manufacturers' Record of Baltimore, new churches to cost more than $25,000,000 :ire now being built in the Southern States. This shows that the South is prosperous, not withstanding the cry of certain pessimists who talk hard times and predict that the country will soon reach the verge of ruin. It shows also that God's people are contributing more lib erally than ever to the service of God. And further, this is an evidence of growth in the churches. The Church that is not growing in numbers or activity or both is not likely to put up a new building. It also means that build ings are being erected for new churches just organized. It is very gratifying indeed to see Cod's people consecrating so much of their wealth to His service in this way, and especially as this is only one of the ways in which they are giving into the treasury of the Lord for the advancement of His work. VACATIONS are beginning. What are they for and how are they to be spent? When a man or woman has been working hard all the year a period of rest is needed. Some people get the rest they need by stopping their work and staying at home. Bnt most people want to get away from home for their vacation. Ordinarily this is better. Most people need a change more than . they do mere bodily rest Some people make the mistake of rushing tli rough their vacation, spending most of it in tfoing from place to place, with the result that they return home worn out in body, even though they may have much of change. For most peo ple, the best plan is to go to some place that has w?ne natural attractions or something of spe cial interest, where there is the prospect of nioeting friends or of making congenial ac quaintances. There should be opportunity for f'iitdoor exercise of some congenial kind. And there should also be provision made for some Cental entertainment and improvement. The inferences to be held in many parts of our 0f>'intry during the next two months offer the n>ost delightful ways in which to spend a vaca tion. Those conducted under the auspices of Sf>me branch of the Church are especially at tractive. Besides providing for physical and n>ontal recreation, they also provide rich feasts spiritual things. One or more of these con ferences will be held in almost every Synod of our Church, and then there is Montreat repre senting the whole Church. Located in the beautiful North Carolina Land of the Sky, it is beautiful for situation and offers many op poi*tunities for rest and recreation. The pro grams provided there are made up of addresses, sermons and teaching by many of the ablest men of this country. And many feel that the best part of Montrcat is the genial fellowship to be found there among the choice spirit that gather from all parts of our Church. Every one who can do so should arrange to spend at least a part of his vaeation at one of these con ferences. ABOR strikes of gigantic size have been in force in this country some time, and others may be declared before this paper reaches its readers. As to the merits of any particular strike, we have nothing to say. We have been struck with the orderly way in which strikes have been conducted recently, with a few de plorable exceptions. Labor, as a rule, has been quiet and well behaved. The employers have been considerate and have done little to arouse the employes to animosity. The public has been patient, considerate, and long-suffering. If these conditions continue and both sides shall put more fully into practice the golden rule of our Saviour there will be less of friction and soon all the cause of friction will be removed and the country will shortly launch out on such a period of prosperity, as it has never known before. Let us all pray earnestly for this happy consummation of our desires. Representatives of the Young Men's Christian Association from all parts of this country and Canada recently met at Lakehurst, N. J., to consider what can best be done to emphasize more the religious work of the Association. There is a very general feeling that this should be done, and if it is done the Association will receive a far more cordial support than it sometimes receives. It will get back closer to the ideals upon which it was founded, and it will accomplish greater things for the Master and for mankind. IIICAGO frequently does remarkable things. The latest that we have seen re ported is the appointment by the mayor of the citv of a pastor of a Methodist church as Law Enforcement Commissioner. It seems that his duty will be to see that the officials of the city keep and enforce the law. Two questions have been raised as to this appointment. One is, why should such an office be necessary? And the other is, if such an office is necessary, why should a preacher be appointed? The answer to the first is evidently that the mayor thinks the officers of the law are not faithful in the performance of their duty, and that he, with all the other calls uuon his time and attention, as mayor of a great city, cannot give the close supervision needed to see that time serving men are made to perform faithfully the duties of their offices. The second question is an swered by one of the big daily newspapers. It says that the difficulty that presented itself to the mayor in filling this office was to find a man who was big enough for the job, who would be willing to undertake it, and who would not be controlled by political influence. We know nothing of tlio man who was selected by the mayor, but we consider his action as a great compliment to the ministry. lie be lieved that if a minister undertook tho work, he would do so for the good of the city and not for any personal aggrandizement. Ho also be lieved that the minister would do the work honestly and fearlessly and would not, as many a politician has done, sell favors to those who would pay for them in money or in }>olitical influence. It is a great pity that there are not more men of ability in our country who are will ing to make a sufficient sacrifice to take impor tant offices in goverment and administer them honestly without fear or favor. BOOTLEGGERS continue to do their nefar ious work. It seems strange that this the case, when it is remembered that the vast ma jority of the liquor which they sell is more or less poisonous. This does not refer to the poi son that is inherent in all alcohol. The U. S. Government recently secured through regular bootleg channels 34 specimens of various kinds of liquors. These were analyzed in the Gov ernment lal)oratory in Washington, and it was found that all but two of them contained poi sonous elements, due either to adulteration or crudeness in manufacture. The man therefore who drinks this liquor stands just one chance in seventeen of not being poisoned. The poisons contained in this liquor are said to be of vary ing kinds and of different degrees of strength, but all will do injury and eventually cause death. Is it true that self-preservation is the first law of nature? INTEREST in the Bible is greater and more general today than ever before, not withstanding the fact that the attacks upon it are very numerous and very insiduous. There have been prophets of evil in past generations who said tliat the Bible would soon be an un known book, and there are some people today who arc foolish enough to say that the Bible is an out-of-date book, which very few people care for. But the facts are dead against all such croakers. The circulation of the Bible is in creasing by leaps and bounds, and it is being given to the world in ways that would not have l?een dreamed of a few years ago. The Bible will be broadcasted by the Westinghouse Com pany from their Radio Broadcasting Station in Newark, N. J., according to a statement just issued by the American Bible Society. Daily readings are scheduled for broadcasting begin ning Sunday, June 11th, from selections made bv P. Whitwell Wilson, author of "Tlve Christ We Forget" and other religious books, and cor respondent for the London Daily News. "This is only one of many instances of renewed inter est in the Bible," said Frank IT. Mann, Gen eral Secretary of the American Bible Society, in commenting on this new program. "A west em newspaper is publishing the Bible in serial form. An organization in Cincinnati is fur nishing Bible verses, which are now used daily in hundreds of newspapers throughout the country. These nil supplement 4he work of the American Bible Society which distributes annually nearly 5,000,000 copies of the Scrip tures in 150 languages and dialects."