The Henson Journals

[378]

Friday, September 15th, 1916.

774th day

Lady Renshaw carried off Ella to see the Clyde. Sir Charles went into Glasgow on business. I was comfortably established in the Billiard Room, and left to myself. I wrote letters to Lord Guthrie, Arthur Morgan, Reggie Still, and Commendator Richard Bagot. Also I revised my sermons: and wrote up my journal. After lunch I went to meet mine host and brought him back to Barochan in time for tea. Later, we walked over his farm together. The fields were being cleared of their crops, from which a crowd of feeding pigeons rose as we approached. Renshaw said that after the war he expected the most serious labour troubles. He pointed out that transport workers of every kind were now linked up, and could act together. He feared that their political action might result in the serious attempt to establish in England the labour policy which prevails in Australia. The influence of Hughes, the Commonwealth Premier, would tell in this direction. Probably the five shilling income tax would be a permanent arrangement, for the post–bellum Budget could hardly be less than that which is now being provided. It is certainly a depressing outlook. There came to dinner a neighbour named Speirs who holds a large property in these parts. Though already over 45 he is still unmarried having been 'hodden doon' by his mother, a masterful and appropriating lady who died recently at the age of 92! This gentleman expressed much discontent with the elective method of appointing parish ministers. But I assured him, all churches are at their worst in their systems of ministerial appointment. Probably the root of the difficulty lies in the irreconcilable conflict between spiritual office and professional preferment, between the 'cura animarum' [cure of souls] and the 'benificium' [promotion].

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