MELANESIAN MISSION.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17394, 3 March 1922, Page 10

MELANESIAN MISSION.

/ • i\ WELCOME TO BISHOP STEWARD. / ~ _ \ A public welcome was accorded ,J£ish,op Steward, of Melanesia, at the £ '- Choral Hall last evening. Byhop Julius {i presided orer a rather small attenh~ f <- y dance'. •,'" Bishop Julius spoke of the disorganiI -i sation J under which the Church was ?:*■ \. working at [present, and expressed the ]* ' hope, that all would endeavour to make %}. the missionary fwork one of unity. The * Mtilanosian Ausison had ajways been . one in which interest uas taken in Aew >■ Zealand, particularly in ~nnstehurch. > "Wr> v ßtoward was now payingyins hrst % t Ji > visit to Chrjstchurfeh; he had worked lor Pf many years in Melanesia, and if ' he was giving his whole heart and soul V to the -work which God had entrusted ;'' , to Ms care. The mission was going W forward, and its Bishop and its clergy, & ~ *"d *IA "the people in Now Zealand, 1 \ v "*«* resolved to do their best to reach \ - v those, whom "the mission had not vet t> *\ ' s jP*] *¥!*ty"*U was heartily .apiplau'ded, expressed tho thanks of the I of Melanesia to the whole of the - i - oioceip -of Christchuroh for tho splendid ./ J&VS in which it had responded to the ; k<!?PP e . a l % help. He was, he said, ap- ► s gjuanhg/ra the rather unusual guise of >- more, or less, contented missionary x " '" hyopp> for, financially at least, tho , " o J* e « UI * a,ail mission was doing satisfac- | *' tfW*&» Proceeding to matters conoernA* in K *he mission, Bishop Steward said f "SSi'* 116 Westwn was often heard, l „, waft,the ship Southern Cross con--5 twued an commission ?" The Southern '<Sr«M, said the Bishop, was, as far as t ? - v ,J3**i»iiiiE expenses were concerned, one .. cheapest ships afloat, corjjHaxnJy, her maintenance tooL. a. very U v'lVB 9 1 am ? u »t of the mission's funds, f*, - .but she did a great amount of tha 5f ', at, for ships, &, cheap >&, r'-Mte. rhe work of the mission was *" ' .continually extending, and the South- ;* ' <sm Cross was found to be of the " r j ' " v *S» a * eßt use—it was an absolute necesj/'; '-sity—and of comparatively httle ex , i peoie, in carrying out the work and in ti t -wmfeying; the necessities of life to the s .TOflsionrworkers. Bishop Steward con- ** "turned that he had always -been an ad- §■- ■*' ■lS cal i?. o f the. industrial side of missions. £.}' <The Meboesian people appeared to be % carpenters and cabinet- £* , with a little instruction should realise money which a Tei 7 lon K Wft y towards esyfe\*<;k<tablisning and developing the educaBg- 'jfonal and industrial work aimed at. people thought that large profits ||W *uade out or cocoanuts ana land. W'? v ! 3* 88 ' 011 ; however,"had no plantain seEse °i making profits W&k['J^^^^^ f, "^ l h <iJie,land

that had been purchased was purchased for the* purpose of seeing that the I natives were not left without homes. I Bishop Steward remarked briefly on i the ways m which New Zealand could assist the mission. Personally, he said, he had been surprised and delighted to find thoVinterest in the Melanesian Mission that was taken in New Zoaland; the Dominion appeared to look upon that mission as its own, and to take an interest iu it accordingly. To be able to take such news back to Melanesia was going to give a big impetus to the mission. Tho mission was prepared to carry on the work fir which it had been sent to the fullest possible extent It recognised that a solid foundation at home was needed, and it hoped to branch out from suoh a substantial base. When an advance was made, he was certain that much support would be forthcoming from New Zealand. Melanesia, Bishop Steward proceeded, had New Zealand's love and lier money, but what is wanted more than anything was "more New Zealanders," s and he looked- forward to the appointment of a New Zealand Bishop of Melanesia. More pucst's, more workers in every field w ere wanted, and the majority of the workers Bhould certainly be New Zealanders and Australians. In conclusion, Dr. Steward expressed His very great gratitude for the manner in which Christchurch, had supported the mission in the past, and for* the welcome it had accorded him as, the Bishop. t