The Henson Journals

[155]

3rd Sunday in Lent, March 4th, 1923.

The proof of my Edinburgh Article arrived, from Cox . I frittered away my morning in writing letters.

After lunch I walked in the Park with the dogs, and picked up three young men, all unemployed. They said that they had been idle since the strike. I took them into the Castle and showed them round. They were extremely well–mannered youths, but plainly being spoiled by protracted idleness. Lomax came to see me about his curate, Birney, whom he wants to keep, but will not pay adequately! I spoke rather decisively to him, using his own canting phrase, 'a living wage', and indicating that I thought he kept his curates in an unwholesome dependence upon himself. Brigstocke came to talk over his projected marginalisation of Horden. On the whole it seems best he should go. I motored him back to his parish, and then went on to Hartlepool, where I confirmed 115 persons, of whom no more than 39 were males. The old church was crowded. This is a good sign. After service I returned to Auckland, arriving a little before 10 p.m.

The morning paper reported on the defeat at the polls of one minister: Stanley: the evening paper reported the defeat of another, Griffith Boscawen. This double disaster is a severe blow to the prestige of Bonar Law's government. In both cases, the decisive factor is said to be the exasperation of the electorate at the failure of the Govt to solve the Housing problem.

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