JOTTINGS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12933, 12 October 1907, Page 12

JOTTINGS.

The Methodist Central Mission of Dunedin has secured half an acre of land in that city as a site for the new Mission Hall, at what is considered the moderate cost of £3000. The proposed new building will, of course, run into an expenditure of many additional thousands. The Rev. W. Slade, who now presides over the Mission, in succession to the Rev.., W. A. Sinclair, is hopeful of rasing the requisite sum without incurring a burdensome debt. A committee of Catholic laymen has for some time been engaged in formulating a scheme for the foundation of a settlement, on the lines of Toynbee Hall, for the promotion of social and educational work among the poor of London. The Archbisnop of Westminster has expressed his cordial sympathy with the object of the movement, and already <a considerable number of prominent Catholics have contributed to the fund. The primary aim of the settlement is to promote association and union among Catholic boys after leaving school by providing for them means of recreation and enjoyment, and generally to co-operate in undortnkings calculated to promote their welfare. The requirements of- male adults, however, will not be overlooked. Negotiations are now on foot to secure premises in Hoxton for the first foundation. The minutes of the General' Conference of the Methodist Church of Australasia have at last reached New Zealand, arriving nearly four months after the Conference itself closed. Including 128 pages of Supernumerary Fund reports and balance-sheets, the ; volume includes 294 pages of matter. I This delay in publication contrasts with I the expedition of the officials of the English Conference. Its annual volume contains 740 pages, and was printed, bound, and delivered just three Tveeks after the Conference closed. From the English minutes it appears that the declared Wesleyans in his Majesty's Army and Nnvy number 25,000 men. Also, that in universal Methodism there are 51,196 ministers, I 103,116 local preachers, and 6.914,906 ! Sunday School scholars. The Wesleyan Methodist Church iiv. Great Britain provides seating accommodation for 2,326.228. The Yen. Archdeacon Scott has taken rooms at 31 Cambridge terrace, and will devote himself for the next few months to the work of hie archdeaconry and of tho Church Mission Fund (says the "Church News'"). He is going to his old parish of Kiimani for a visit before eettlin-g down in Christ- : church, and on his return, from the j West Coast towards the middle of the j month he will receive a farewc<ll from his parishioners at Sydenham". A Wesleyan Method uft- layman, wellknown for his evangelistic zeal, was deeply influenced recently by reading the "Life of Thomas Collins, a Typical ; Evangelist." written by tho Rev. Simpson Johnson. He reeolved to ; place a copy of this stirring work in j tho hands of every Weslevan minister 'in Great Britain; and in accordance with his order, a volume was last month despatched , from the London book room to the residence of each of 2500 ministers, whoso names appear on the minutes of the Conference. General Booth was to leave England for America on September 13th, end to arrive at Quebec on the 20th. Orf j September 27th he was due in Boston, where a civic greeting awaited him. ' On the Sunday ho was to address 3000 people in the Boston Theatre, and next day, as a cure for Mondayish ; dullness, he wee to receive interviewers I from morning till night. Then he ! goes on to Albany, Schenectady, Syra--1 ciise (a university town), Rochester, Buffalo, Cleveland, St. Louie (where tho State Governor will preside, as at other places), Minneappolie, Chicago, Pittsburg, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York. On November 9th he leaves New York for Germany, where another big campaign awaits him. In, a small publication by Mr R. W. Perks, M.P., on the subject of the Methodist Brotherhood, some interesting facts are contributed relative to the projected Methodist Church Hall at Westminster. For giving effect to this part of the Twentieth Century Fund scheme the Westminster Aquarium was purchased for £300,000.

Subsequently the trustees. *>W worth of thread, i^jgjj 1 £?*• 35,000 square teet. Dte d and neV buildings hare fcceptoa the foundation work will be in nine months, after * h *L* ture mencement with til* , it will be made. The whole b«iW»jg * expected to be completed within «re* jeW The no*- haU wil 1 ««^*T main auditorium to seat 2000 I*** 0 "*; with space for an additional w° "*. the orchestra. On the,, ground floor there will be a large library accommodating some 700 persons, two spacious conference halls, committee, tea, and dining-roome. On the second ana third floors will be numerous suites ot oftkes for Methodist deportments, end offices are already let securing «•» annual inooint- of nearly £4000. "There is no doubt in my mind that the English clorgyman enjoys a tinct advantage over the Americau. This statement w«is made to a representative of the "Daily Mail" byMgr. O'ConneU, Rector of the Catholic University in Washington, and one of the greatest and most revered exponents of Catholicism in America. "Everything, in your English churches tends naturally toward that spiritual repose of mind with which an effective preacher must necessarily be imbued. "When I enter Westminster Abbey or St. Paul's Cathedral T am struck dumb with admiration; the very spirit of religion seems to shine down upon mc through the noble stained-glnss windows. One cannot help being inspired in English houeee of worship, so pregnant are they with holy and historical associations. A preacher here has but to stand within, the pulpit to find himself a part of the great work which ft is his duty to expound. But in America all is different. There everything tends towards individualism. Our churches .were built yesterday, and }>y men with whom we might almost have shaken hands."