GENERAL SYNOD.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18307, 14 February 1925, Page 14

GENERAL SYNOD.

YESTERDAY'S SESSION

(PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGBAIt.)

DUNEDIN. February 13,

The Anglican Synod was continued to-day. the president. Archbishop Julius, in the chair. The Synod resumed consideration of Mr C. J. Tunks's statute to provide for the constitution -of a Melanesian Finance Board.

Archdeacon H A. Hawkins (Auckland) said lie approved of the Bill, and hoped it would be oassed. . J\lr. : J. W. Henderson (Wellington) 'raised objection, to the 'word "PreleminenV': iii. the preamble, to.. where it "stated that' it was acknowledged to be the pre-eminent dut3- of the Church in New Zealand to maintain the Melanesian Mission. It Avas, he said, a strong word. "First" could very well be substituted. He referred also to the word "maintain." stating that heretofore they had maintained only 25 per cent, of the mission. Was all the maintenance now going to fall on the Board of Missions?

Mr G. Shirtcliffe (Wellington) agreed with Mr Henderson's remarks. He said the preamble ignored the assistance the mission got from the English Committee and the Australian Board of Missions. That should be definitely referred to in the preamble. .He felt sure that if those amendments w*re put through in Committee the Bill would be acceptable to the Synod. Archdeacon Fitchett said that the preamble of the Bill set out, that the Melanesian Mission should have a finance board. The nature of that board could be dealt with in Committee.

Mr Tunks said he was quite satisfied to accept the amendment Mr Shirtcliffe had indicated.

• The Bill was read.a second time and the Synod went into Committee.

On resuming in Synod, the chairman reported it had passed through Committee with amendments.

The third reading was passed

Diocese of Waikato.

The statute moved by Mr Tunks to provide for the creation of a new diocese of Waikato was considered in Committee, and the chairman reported on resumption that it had passed through Committee.

• .The third reading wa s carried and the Bill passed. „ After a'session lasting seven days, the Synod was brought to a conclusion to-flight. It was decided to hold the next Synod in .Wellington on .the second Thursday after Easter in 1923. .