CHURCH AND MIGRATION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 5 July 1924, Page 13

CHURCH AND MIGRATION.

MR A MERY ON THE OVERSEAS MOVEMENT.

ai t c , J'OXDOX, Max 10. AH L. S. Amery, M.P., was the clnefspcaker at the annual meeting of the Colonial and Continental Church Society at the Central Hall, Westmins*,ei ’ 1 ■ Gladstone, chairman or the committee, presided. , The Rev. J. 1). Mullins, reviewing the annual report, pointed out that the society had entered on its I.olst year, its ordinary income had shown a substantial improvement on last vear totalling £31.199, compared with‘£2BJ6B. ilie total amount received, inoludinoto ? eil^nal '. v t'mid snbscriotion's. ivns £48,834. There was a great need for uoi hers m the wide snaces throughout the Empire—Western Canada, Kenya, and ianganyika. for instance, where the tide of migration was now be tanning to flow. “

-Mr Gladstone expressed disappointnient that .though they hoped to tret £IOO,OOO by the Centenary blind only £1,o,0(K) had I teen given, and they would have to modify their programme. Mr Amery said the society needed iuithei support, hoHi for its present work and new developments. It was entering upon its second century at a time when the nation and the Empire were entering on a new era in history, just as it began its existence when the lire of the country was taking a new shape after the victory and, exhaustion which followed the struggles of the Na poleonic wars. He referred to the "migration movement of a century or so ago, not only to the United States, Imt to all those waste lands all over the world which were ours as a .fruit of our explorations and victories. This society was formed in order to give chose that went out from these shores the spiritual support and strength that only an organised Church could give. Ho looked forward to an immense movement overseas, and for a fairer distribution of <mr peoples and of opportunity than existed to-day. The migration figures were again beginning to approach those of pre-war yours, and lie deprecated the tendency to look .upon migration as a soil, of 'national bloodletting. He urged group settlement, and declared Umi. the need f.>r the society would become much larger than over before. ,