P.C.N.Z.

Evening Star, Issue 16837, 12 September 1918, Page 2

P.C.N.Z.

FOREIGN MISSIONS COMMITTEE. The monthly meeting of the Foreign Missions Committee of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand was held at the offices. Stuart street, on Tuesday afternoon, Profcteor Hewitson presiding. GENERAL. Miss A. D. Hancock, who had recently returned from Canton for her first iurlough. was present by invitation, and was welcomed by professor Hewitson, and it was resolved to give- her an opportunity to address the committee at the meeting in October. Letters were received from the district manager of the Public Trust Office, Invercargiji, with a copy of the will of the lato IMr James Fuliarton, of Otautau, by which, after the death of the widow and a of £I,OOO to an unmarr.ed daughter, one-tenth of the residue of the estate is to be padd to the Presbyterian Church foreign mission fund. Miss Joan Green, Taieri Mouth, wrote advising that the late Miss Catherine Livingston had bequeathed £SO to the fore.gn mission fund, and this will be paid over when released from mortgage. A letter was received from " C.E., Southland," covering a cheque for £250 in aid of foreign mission work, " to be expended wherever it is most needed." Mrs I). Borrie, Queeustown, reported that the total value of boxes, parcels, and money in lieu of box goods sent to the mission fields for the year is quite £BOO, and that the Matovura Women's Association, alone had sent to the value of £Bs.—lt was reserved to record sincere gratitude to the P.W.M.U. hrajicli.es throughout the Dominion for their generous a::d useful contributions in this way. .Rev. \V. J. Comrie, general treasurer, Wellington, forwarded a statement of approximate balances in the foreign mission funds as at July 31 as follows:—General fund, credit, ' £3,865; China, debit, £2,480; India, debit, £716; New Hebrides, del-it, £77. The secretary stated that there is also a debit balance in Amhrim Hospital fund of £4lO, leaving a net credit balance in all the funds of £172; as the financial year began with a, credit of £677, this snows an excess of £505 outlay over income, but the real position will not be known until the treasurer's statement up to the closing of his books on August 19 shall have been received. The report on mission deputations stated that D-r Pat-arson has been addxeasing meetings in and around Dunedin; that requests had been received for him to visit Ashburton and ihe North Island, but as he is under orders to leave Auckland for Samoa on military service for one year lie will not be available; also that Mies Hancock had been invited to a S.S. teachers' conference at Ashburtcm on October 28 and the annual P.W.M.U. Onin. ChrL«bchi>rch during 3S T ovembea\ As Mks Hancock, by request of Dr John Kirk, is to do only a Kmited amount of deputation work, and as she wishes to specialise with high schools and colleges, it vacs decided to allow hea' to undertake such after October 13. and to accept the Ash bin ton and Chr'stchurcih invitations. Mr H. L. Watt. TJtmedin, honorary distributor of literature, reported that the wlvw edition (8,350 copp*) of the last annual report had been sold, the remit being largely due to tlio energy of some of the Presbyterian associations, the largest distributors being:—l>unedin and Dunstan, 2.037 copies: Auckland, 1,048; Timarn, 910; Canterburv. 706; Waikato, 485; Wanganui, 462; Wellington, 456: Clutha, 272; Southland, 270; Ashburton, 248. The report was received •with, pleasure and beartv thanks. INDIA. Miss Henderson, Jagadhri, forwarded minutes of mission council meetings of June 15 and July 5, the principal items of which are:—That tbo tame has come for the establishment of a primary boarding school, with departments for both boys and girls to provide education for the Christian children; that a permit had been received for the necessary number of railway waggons to convey lime for the building of the Bible- classes bungalow, and the building would be started as soon as the lime arrived; that a statement is to be forwarded to the committee regarding proposed linking up with the Indian Presbyterian Church, of -which the missionaries aro in favor; that Miss Sanderson was given permission to appeal to the F.M. Committee for a grant of £4O 10s for equipment for the village lads' trainrrsr classes, and £250 for building houses for village preachers and teach.rs_ in places Avhefe notwes cannot be obtained : and that the F.M. Committee be asked to arrange for the local treasurer having £2€o as an emergency fund. In a covering letter Miss Henderson stated that this year there are 4.995 applicants for baptism, compared with 700 last year; that six additional preachers (one ordained) and teachers, and five Bible-women must bo engaged to cope with the work, and she asked for the £290 10s endorsed by the ctaar^a

I Rev. J, A. Ryburn, mission treasurer, ■j forwarded 'budget for 1918-19 expenditure, approved by the council, and asked i for £1,456 for local expenses, compared > with £B6B last year.—lt was resolved, to •■ authorise the general treasurer to remit one quarter's allowance at tins rate (£364). and to submit the budget, with Miss Henderson's requests to a small subcommittee to consider when the revenue for the year hds been ascertained; also, to remit £2OO to India for emergencies, and to express very great pleasure at the evident progress of the work, notwithstanding the depleted staff. A letter- was received from Vr W. J. Porteous, New Zealand Convalescent, Hospital, Hornchurch, stating that Mrs Porteous is still on duty dispensing at the WaltSu-on-Thames Hospital; also one from Miss Salmond at Landaur, stating that Mrs Riddle had gone to Mussorle for the'hot season, leaving Miss Henderson alone in Jaffadhri.—lt was resolved to congratulate Dr Porteous upon having obtained, his degree of M.D. Mrs Thomson, Tapanul, advised that the Girls' Auxiliary there had sent £6 for tho upkeep of a girl at school in India.-—Thanks recorded, with the information that for all students up to Standard VI. the annual requirement is £7. CHINA. Rev. W. Mawson forwarded minutes of Mission Counoil quarterly meeting, June 26, and annual meeting, June 27, and Mi' Wilson, treasurer, submitted quarterly and annual finance summaries, budget for 1918-19, statement of shortage in salaries for June quarter, owing to adzverse exchango, of £3lB, and full statement of hospital building fund, showing total receipts £13,272 14s 6d and outlay £12,729. Tho. principal items in the # council minutes are :—Approval granting 200 dollars toward the salary of a union supervisor of primary schools; approval of sketch plans of 'a . girls' boarding school at Kong Chuen—tho plans to be sent to F. M. Com.; approval of the treasurer's budget for local expenses; amounting to £2,200.—1t was resolved to agree to the grant for schools' supervisor, to authorise remittanco of £313 for salaries shortage and one quarter (£550) of the new field allowance, the whole budget to be considered by the subcommittee already appointed. Dr John Kirk forwarded list of 100 hospital beds allotted to donors in New Zealand, list of surgical operntions, and summary of revenue and outlay for the year, showing that out of a total expenditure of 10,086 dollars, the sum of 5.664 dollars had been raised locally, arid the cost to the New Zealand Church had bc<=n only 4,422 dollars. Mrs W. D. Stewart, Gore, reported that the Mataura P.A. has £l2 to send to China in lieu of box goods, and asked for advice.—Resolved to advise remittance to the general treasurer, earmarked " bed outfits. Kong Chuen Hospital." A lett'T was received from Mr Joseph Chan stating that in June he graduated at the Canton Union Theological College, and intends taking a third year before returning to Auckland.—Resolved to strant Mr Chan £45 fox expenses during his third year. NEW HEBRIDES. Rev. W. V. Milne advised having returned to Nguna on July 17, very cordially welcomed back by the Nguna people; Communion service on July 21. with 156 present, the admission of 29 new communicants and baptism of 2 adults and 23 children; is sending 7341bs of arrowroot made by the people for mission purposes; his father (Rev, P. Milne) is in his usual good health. Rev. 0. Micbelsen, Tongoa, wrote that he had been suffering considerably for some weeks with eczema, which is affecting his eyes; he thinks' that on account of the shipping inconvenience next year's Synod will not likely be held on Tongoa, but rather at Rev. F. G. Bowie's station, Tangoa. Mr John Cameron, Sydney, wrote that he had received the committee's grant of £4B 19s 5d for steel rails to be sent to Rev. W. V. Milne for his launch trolley, but that the Commonwealth Government had rigidly prohibited the export of all iron and steel, and the purchase had been help, up indefinitely. Ihe applications of Rev. F. G. Bowie for £6-0 toward maintenance of the Tangoa Teachers' Training Institution, and'of Rev. M. Frater for £54, halfYear's salaries of native teachers on Ambrim, were granted. By request of the convener, Revs. W. F. Evans and D. Colder led the com mittee in prayer for the missionaries and their work and thanksgiving for evident progress.