WCP530

[1]

[in ARW’s hand] Answd

West Thurrock Vicarage,

Grays, Essex.

Jan. 6. 1912¹

Dear Professor Wallace

Please let me join in the chorus of congratulations which pour in upon you on the occasion of your 90^th birthday. I read the interview in the "Daily News"² of this morning. The social evils you refer to are certainly very real and [2] 2 our duty is to try every means to eliminate them.

My own opinion is, that if true religion governed in the hearts of the people the rich would appreciate their duties to the poorer people, but how is this to be accomplished? You say "strip the rich of his wealth" but I cannot think that this will solve the problem or make people happier [3] for we still have many factors to contend with – viz. vicious tendencies, coverteousness, incapacity, over population, sickness, infirmity, accident, old age, laziness - &c. Certainly in Denmark where there are less rich people there is less poverty, but the State there is very careful to attend to and encourage its own people and its own manufactures first.

With pleasant and undying recollections of my former conversation with you touching the evolution of man and future progress.

Believe me | Sincerely yours | J. W. Hayes³ (Vicar) [signature]

I⁴ see that you are a "literary scourge" ready for "Bishops, Archdeacons, Parsons and curates". I wonder does this include plain vicars?"