MANY CHURCHES

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 52, 25 November 1930, Page 11

MANY CHURCHES

Tonga and Samoa OUTSPOKEN VISITOR Dominion Special Service. Auckland, November 24. “I was greatly impressed wjtb the number of churches In the Tongan Group,” said Mr. G. W. Allsop, a retired Auckland architect, who returned by the Tofua this morning after a seven months’ visit to the Tongan and Samoan Islands. “The place is simply bristling with churches. In villages where there are only a few huts each denomination has its church, and I found instances where three and four churches were established when the total population would not fill one. Some of these churches are most pretentious and quite as large as would be met with in the suburbs of Auckland. The altars in many eases have cost from £2OO to £4OO each. “There is great competition among the missionaries, and they appear to be the only people prospering,” he continued. "They certainly are living in the lap of luxury. They are paid considerably higher salaries than the} would receive in the Dominion or elsewhere. I know of one missioner drawing £450 per annum. He conducts one or two services a week and the rest of the time he lolls about his house, which, by the way, is provided free, as is also his motor-car. The natives will steal anything from a cow to a chicken to give the church donations in kind or money,” he added. “You are delivering a scathing indictment,” suggested the reporter. “That is so, but it: is true,” said Mr. Allsop. “I. am speaking from my own experiences in the islands and also from the experiences of residents recounted to me.”