PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Evening Star, Issue 15909, 15 September 1915, Page 10

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

FOREIGN MISSIONS COMMITTEE. The monthly meeting of the Foreign Missions Committee of the Presbyterian Church, of .New Zealand was held, yesterday afternoon. Prof essor. Hewitson presided, and 18 members were- present. —General.— Communications were received from the conveners of the Assembly Arrangements Committee, Auckland, and the Bills and Business Committee, Invercarg'll, sugfesting Wednesday evening, November 17, or the presentation of the foreign missions Teport at Auckland Assembly.— Date agreed to. It was resolved to Tecommend China as "the subject for next year's mission study, and Rev. H. Davies and the secretary were appointed to consult regarding a suitable text book. 'The Mission Committee of Southland Presbytery reported that missionary de- ' putations and exchanges had been effected throughout the bounds, and there had been only one absolute refusal to allow the special campaign.—lt was resolved to thank the Presbytery for their good help 1 given. j A number of letters were received from j Dr Porteous TepoTting on his campaign in ! the North Island. Mrs Beard, of Papa- | toetoe, had given a cheque for £700; he expected a similar sum to bo raised in I Auckland, and that the whole contribuj tion from New Zealand will be £4,000 £2,000 from each island. In reply to a query from Christchurch as to the cost of the upkeep of a bed in a mission hospital, it was announced that the cost! is £2OO capital or £lO yearly. In connection with the report on Chinese church presented at last meeting Rev. R. Fairmaid called attention to the unintentional omission of the name of Mrs Lo Keong as one whose valuable services could not be overestimated. Rev. H._ Davies was asked to draw up a minute in connection with the jubilee meeting of the Otago Bible Society to be held soon. The convener reported having received from an anonymous donor the sum of £BO to complete the annual contribution of £2OO, and a promise of another annual payment in October or November. Mr A. Burn moved the motion of which he had given notice—"That a deputation to China, and, if possible, India, should be arranged before the end of this year." The motion was seconded by Rev. G. H. Balfour and agreed to after full discussion, and a sub-committee appointed to consider and. report. —China.— The Canton Council reported that Nurse Stubbs and Dr Paterson had passed their second-year language examination; that Dr John Kirk's services had been granted to the Canton Hospital until September 30; that the estimates for local field expenses for the current year are £2OO per quarter.—Agreed to congratulate the examinees and grant the amount of estimate. The general annual report of the C.V.M. and the annual financial statement were forwarded by Rev. W. Mawson, with individual reports from Misses M'Ewan, Prentice, and Wright, Messrs Davies. Milne, and Wilson, also Dr E. W." Kirk and Dr Paterson.—The individual reports were > ordered to be published in the ' Outlook ' and the general reports presented to the Assembly. Writing on July 24, Mr Kirk said that Dr Kirk was frightfully tired after his fight with flood and fire. . . '. The new hospital site at Kong Ts'uen had water over the verandah of the first house. The old hospital at Ko T'ong was wobbly, but held." Several of the country chapels were in ruins. ■ - —lndia. Miss Henderson sent minutes of council meetings, general report for the Assembly, and individual Teports from Dr Robertson, Nurse Milne, and Rev. J. A. Ryburn The council reported having chosen a plan for nurses' bungalow, and was getting estimates of cost. Estimates of £175 per quarter for local expenses were passed. Mr Ryburn reported that the summer had been the hottest for many years. In his report on Sabathu Leper Asylum he stated that tie number of inmatea on March 31 was 95 and Europeans 6. Altoln * the Pun i ab tl«» number of lepers as a,091, for whom there are seven asylums with accommodation in all for about 500 Writing on August 6, Dr Robertson said i ii i , Hospital is pretty full, and the heat is awful." —New Hebrides.— Rev. 0. Michelsen reported communion services on July 25 at two stations on his island of Tongoa, with 164 and 225 native communications. They gave a collection -d ™H- foT ""ssion. work in China. Rev. W. V. Milne reported the birth of a daughter on July 25; that a mild epidemic of measles had broken out in the island, having been introduced from the , island of Tongoa. He says : "It will spread throughout the island (Ngunaj for it seems impossible to make the natives realise the need for isolation. No one SfniHwf from ft the y **»» to S,rri a, \. ntti ?«-* bi - fu « about S™?' 6y f( f £° tten the terrible epidemic of measles about 13 years a ff o, when so many adults died from it." Mr Milne s natives had manufactured another large quantity of arrowroot to pay for their books, and it was expected that this would be sent to D.medin in October The sum of £23 was authorised to be paid to the Victorian Chnrch for the j£ n« of three of Dr Bowie's Ambrim teachers, now working among refugees on Malekula, in the Victorian field