VETERA N MISSION RY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13354, 7 December 1906, Page 6

VETERA N MISSION RY.

REV. W. TITOS' JUBILEE.

A LARGELY-ATTENDED public meeting was held in the Pitt-street. Church last evening, in honour of the ministerial jubilee of the Rev. W.'Gittos, who has for 50 years pa«t been a Maori missionary, and for the last 20 years of that period has occupied the position of superintendent of the Maori mission movement in this district. Th« gathering was presided over by the Rev. G. Bond, and ho was supported by the Rev. W. Gray Dixon (president of the Ministers' Association), the Rev. Canon Haseldcn, Revs. .1. S. Rishworih, W. J. Watkin, and Hauraki Paul, and Mr. The*. Ruddle (laity). ••' . The'meeting was opened with a hymn, prayer, and a Scriptural reading, followed by the singing of the doxology. The chairman read a. number of congratulatory telegrams received from various parti of the colon v. tho tenders including Sir Joseph Ward," Hon. das. Carroll, Hon. Geo. Fowlds, Rev. T. G. Brooke (president of the Methodist conference), and Nelson,; Wellington, Canterbury and Otago districts. Tow Revs. Watkin, Canon Haselden, Cray Dixon. Hauraki Paul, and Mr. Buddie delivered short, addresses, expressing keen appreciation of the life and work of Mr. dittos, and bore testimony to the honour and respect in which ho is held by the people amongst whom lie lias laboured for such .i long period of years. Laudatory references Mere also made to the assistance given by Mrs. (iittos ill furthering the missionary work, Mr. F. L. Prime, a contemporary of the rev. missionary, also tendered his congratulations and on behalf of friends throughout the colony, handed over to Mr. Gittos a cheque for the sum of £133. Mr. Gittos, acknowledging tho congratulations bestowed on him, and the gift of the cheque, remarked that he would only appropriate his reasonable share of the credit for tho expansion of the missionary movement, and would gladly transfer the remainder to his beloved wife, without whose valuable aid he never would have performed tho work he had done. At the same time, he realised that his work had not been complete; • he unreservedly made that confession, and was afraid that in the end he would be compelled to say, " unprofitable servant." (A voice: No! no!) Although he had been in the work 50 years, he was not tired, and he would be glad to consecrate the remainder of his life to the same cause. The rev. speaker took the occasion to lodge a protest, against the base neglect of the Maori girls, for whom he advocated an institution should be established on the same lines as that existing for the education of Maori boys. He concluded by sincerely thanking hisfriends for the manner in which they had honoured him, and for their kind congratulations on the attainment of his fiftieth year, of ministry.

During the evening Mr. Rutled«<' effectively sang the duet, " 0, Song Divine," and the choir rendered hymns and anthem?. The celebrations will be continued at Pittstreet Church on Sunday evening, when Mr. GiHo*. will preach, and he. will be assisted by the Rev Hauraki Paul. A -