The Henson Journals

[83]

2nd Sunday after Trinity, June 10th, 1923.

I left the Castle at 9a.m. and motored to Collierly, where I preached on "Citizenship in the little parish church. A large company of Freemasons came in a motor–char–a︡– banc from Consett. After lunching with the vicar, Ferguson, and energetic & hard–working but rather conceited little man, I went to Beamish where an "United Service" had been arranged in the parish church by way of publicly inaugurating an "Educational Week" in the district. The Church was thronged, largely with school teachers. I preached on 'Education'. After tea at the Vicarage, & an interview with the woeful and mendicant Riley, I preached at Evensong on "The Home". Then through a strong gale, we motored back to Auckland, and arrived about 9.15p.m. Sydney Webb, who had been addressing a meeting in the Town Hall, came in shortly afterwards: & we dined together. Scott Plummer and he had a lively duel on the subject of a capital levy, for which I thought the Socialist showed a stronger case than I expected. He was positive that, under some description of other, this financial device would have to be adopted within the next few years, whatever party was in power.

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