2 THE CANADA LUTHERAN. EDITORIAL & CONVENTION NOTES What is the matter with Port Colborne ? It is all right! Who says so ? We all say so, who attended the Conventions. The Place. It is fine: peaceful, prosperous, progressive. How could it be otherwise when we recall that it is preeminently a Lutheran community. No less than five Lutheran churches are found within a radius of a few miles of the twin-towns, Port Colborne-Humberstone. All are German, except Holy Trinity, Humberstone, where our conventions were held, which is exclusively English. The towns are located at the hike Erie entrance to the Welland Canal, about 23 miles west of Buffalo, N.Y. They are in the great electrical power zone, where power is furnished at one-third the cost of steam. Four of the largest electrical power companies in the world are located within a few miles of Port Colborne. When the extension of the present mill of the Maple Leaf Milling Co. is completed, the largest individual mill in the British Empire will be located in Port. Colborne, having a capacity for 9,000 barrels of flour per day. This place is also noted as a .summer resort. Loraine, on the east, Solid Comfort and Sugar Loaf, on the west, are well-known throughout Canada and the United States; for the summer pilgrims to the rejuvenating airs of Port Colborne come from all parts of the continent. Being located at the southern extremity of what is known all over the country as the Garden of Canada, in the midst of the fruit belt, vegetables and fruits are grown here in abundance. Well might the pastor of Holy Trinity, Humberstone, say with the Psalmist: "The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage." Lutheran "gemutlichkeit" and The People. hospitality characterized the reception given to us by the kind people of Brother Knauff's parish. We (the editor and his wife) were royally entertained by the highly honored and respected Police Magistrate of the village of Humberstone, Mr. F. J. Quin, an Irish-Lutheran. whose capable housekeeper is a German-Lutheran. Mr. Quin is a recent convert to the Lutheran Church, having been brought up in the Church of England, a man of sound judgment, business sagacity, and a warm friend of the church. If he is a fair representative of the members of Holy Trinity Church. Brother Knauff is, indeed, to be congratulated. These good people also show their appreciation of their pastor, by their recent action of raising his salary $100.00 per annum. Let the other congregations in our Synod take notice of this, and "go and do likewise,"--follow Holy Trinity's example and President Maurer's advice. That they have men of means in the congregation, which was our hostess, we learn from the fact that one of its members, Father Cronmiller, is having built, at his own expense, the addition being erected in the rear of the church, for small gatherings. It certainly is a valuable adjunct, and was made good use of, both for the Women's Missionary Society exhibit and committee meetings during the conventions. The excellent music rendered by the choir, under the able leadership of Mr. Kanold, was also greatly appreciated by all the visiting delegates. ht is "the tie that binds our The Purpose. hearts in Christian love," which annually brings us together in these conventions. "Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,--Our comforts and our cares." We live in an age of conventions. There are, however, conventions and conventions. People of all professions and walks in life find it an imperative necessity to get together to confer with each other upon subjects pertaining to their particular interest and calling. The convention idea is not a new one. It originated in heaven with the angels who started a rebellion against the King of Heaven. On earth the first convention was held in Eden which. like its proto-type in heaven, had disastrous results. But, not all conventions are had. In history we read of many councils of different kinds being held, many of which had noble aims and purposes in view. Formerly the assemblies of ecclesiastical dignitaries were called councils. When the politicians got together for the promotion of their interests the name convention was applied to their