MILL TO BE USED

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29998, 6 December 1962, Page 19

MILL TO BE USED

Mission At Nelson

(From Our Own Reporter) NELSON. Dec. 5.

General good use has been found for the Nelson cotton mill, but it is unlikely to yield any great financial return. The mill building, completed to the first stage and lying idle since July, will be used over the Christmas holiday period as headquarters for an undenominational mission.

The mission, sponsored by a group of Nelson businessmen under Faith Enterprises, is planned to be the biggest evangelistic campaign ever held in New Zealand. Permission to use the mill building has been obtained from the Government. The initial approach to the member of Parliament for Nelson (Mr b. A. Whitehead) was well received and the DeputyPrime Minister (Mr Marshall) looked favourably upon the project, said the campaign manager, Mr I. Copeland, today. Asked if the Government would make a charge for the use of the building. Mr Copeland said that all negotiations had not yet been completed, but he felt that whatever charge was made would not be very large. The building is completely wired for power and the organisation will need to have the power connected. The campaign will last from December 26 to January 16 and the organisers are catering for crowds of 2000. This number will fill but a small corner of the giant brick building. A stage big enough to hold 250 people, including a band and a singing group, will be the centre-piece for the mission. From it Mr R. Coady will address the crowds and a variety of entertainers will add to what Mr Copeland described as a “pretty unorthodox sort of mission.” Those who attend will not be allowed to forget that the mission was held in the cotton mill building. Small stalls set up around the walls will be selling such commoditieSas “cotton mill fizz” and “cotton mill pies*