The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1914, Page 94

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94

The Lutheran Pioneer.

heard a paper by Rey. A. O. Friedrich on “Com-
forting in Afilictions,’ which occupied the entire
forenoon session, after which adjournment took
place in the usual manner.

Friday afternoon we met again.
to take up business matters at once. ‘The Commit-
tee on Themes made its report. From this re-
port Conference made the following assignments:
1. Bible History: “The Tower of Babel”: Teacher
Thompson. 2. “How to Teach Arithmetic”: Teacher
Wiley. 3. Cathechisation for Primary Department:
Teacher Pollert. +4. A Model Catechisation (theme
optional) : Teacher D. Meibohm. 5. “Worldliness
of the Day’: Rev. A. O. Friedrich. 6. “Faith
Cure”: Rey. E. R. Berger. 7%. A Report on Colored
Missions in General: Field Secretary N. J. Bakke.

Next in order was the report of the Committee
on School Calendar, September, 1914, to June,
1915. The report submitted was adopted.

The report was followed by an interesting. and
earnest discussion as to how we might make our
open sessions more interesting. We want more pub-
licity, and we also want the members of our con-
gregations to get up and talk.

We are to meet again next year at about the
same time.

The Secretary was instructed to send a letter
of remembrance to ‘Teacher N. Seeberry, who is
recuperating in Denver, Colo.

It was decided to give the Reformation Collec-
tion to the Mission Board.

Conference closed its sessions with the Lord’s
Prayer.

Friday night Rev. Ed. Schmidt spoke on Con-
version in the second open session.

-November 1, Sunday, we celebrated a joint Ref-
ormation festival at Bethlehem. Rev. E. R. Berger
was the first speaker. His theme was: “The Chief
Blessing of the Reformation of the Church. First,
Wherein it consisted. Secondly, What we must do
to retain it and, with it, all the other blessings of
the Reformation.” He was followed by Rey. A. 0.
Friedrich, who showed that Luther’s Reformation
finds its focus in his reassigning unto Law and
Gospel their divinely appointed position in the plan
of salvation. ~ The Conference Choir enhanced the
evening services with sacred selections, having prac-
ticed for that purpose between sessions.

‘The banner attendance we had at the night ser-
vice, 300 people listening with rapt attention to the
speakers. ‘The collection, however, was easily lifted
by the two collectors.

It was decided

In conclusion it may be remarked that all‘ papers
read and the sermons preached gave evidence of
great diligence on the part of the respective brethren.
The conference, therefore, was profitable in more
ways than one. Above all, we are resuming our
work with renewed strength and zeal.

Reporter LUTHER CoNrEeRENCE.

Items of Interest from the Colored
Mission Field.

Mount Preasant, N. C.— Missionary John
Alston reports that his school is greatly in need of
desks. Perhaps some congregation has a supply
of usable desks which it would be willing to present
to our mission school at Mount Pleasant. We are
sure that the gift would be greatly appreciated.

PassaGe or A Pernicious Bint Averrrep. —
During the last session of the South Carolina legis-
lature a certain Mr. Fortner introduced a bill pro-
hibiting the employment of white teachers in col-
ored schools. ‘The passage of this bill would have
been a calamity for the missions among the freed-
men of the state. Luckily the bill did not pass, and
now the people have shown their dissatisfaction
with the author of the bill by refusing to elect him
to a state office for which he was running.

Necro Morrauiry 1x tHE Sourn.— Recent
reports on the great mortality of negroes in the
larger cities of the South ought to open the eyes
of the people, and induce them to improve the sani-
tary conditions of the houses occupied by colored’
people. For social reasons colored people are able
to rent only the poorest houses. The owners of
these houses are generally averse to putting these
houses into proper condition, and the city authori-
ties often neglect to compel them to do so. The
consequence is that the death-rate in the larger
cities, such as New Orleans, Baltimore, Atlanta,
and others, is twice that of the whites. In some of
these cities the rate of deaths is more than 30 per
thousand. It is about time that these cities begin
to realize, not only their duty to the negro, but the
fact that this high death-rate among the ‘colored
people is a menace to the white population as well.

F. J. L.

———oo>—__—__

Tr is astonishing how soon the whole conscience
begins to unravel if a single stitch drops. One
single sin indulged in makes a hole you could put
your head through. — Charles Buxton.