THE LATE MR JUDKINS
MEMORIAL SERVICE
Upwards of 2,000 people pressed into Wesley
Church yesterday
afternoon to take part in the memorial service to the late Mr WH
Judkins. In the
evening the church was again thronged, when the Rev. AR Edgar paid a
tribute to the
Christian work of the late gentleman.
The afternoon’s service was more particularly held
to commemorate
Mr Judkins’s work as a social reformer. The Rev. AR Edgar
presided, and the
Rev. GH Cole opened the service with a prayer. The speakers were the
Revs. Henry Worrall,
JC Martin, R Ditterich and Mr John Vale, representing the Victorian
Alliance.
Mr Henry Worrall, who was closely associated with Mr
Judkins in his
social reform work during recent years, paid a high tribute to the late
gentleman’s
zeal and singleness of purpose. Mr Judkins had never sought
notoriety, but
worked might and main for the Commonwealth. Australia had known
no greater nor
worthier patriot than he was. He was a champion of the home and
hearthstone, and ever
sought the ennoblement of women. These causes spurred him on ever
in his zeal
against the evils of gambling and liquor. On the very day when,
to use his own
words, the doctors gave him his death-warrant and told him he must die,
he faced his
destiny nobly, and, with the aid of crutch, attended an important
social reform
deputation. He had now received his Master’s “well Done!”
Mr John Vale eulogised Mr Judkins’s
magnificent liquor
reform work in New Zealand and referred to his notable campaign
against a certain
gaming institution which once flourished in Melbourne. At the
time when Mr Judkins
took up secretaryship of the New Zealand Alliance he was offered
commercial positions with
more tempting salaries than the Alliance could give. Mr Judkins,
however, chose the
path of service, not salary, and New Zealand and Australia were the
richer and
better for his life.
The Rev. JC Martin, Mr Judkins’s successor in
the work
of the Social Bureau, said that the late Mr Judkins had done much
to remove
secularism from Australian politics. Mr Judkins had taught that
there was very
little use in shortening the worker’s hours of labour and raising
his wages if
the social parasites were permitted and encouraged to grow upon him. Mr
Judkins had laid
aside well-worn tools of earthly service in full expectancy of entering
higher duties
Otherwhere.
The Rev. R Ditterich said that Mr Judkins’s work was
not yet
finished. It was given to those present to carry it on.
From THE ARGUS 9th September 1912 Page 15
