METHODIST CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16169, 4 March 1916, Page 4

METHODIST CONFERENCE.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS, CHANGE IN. THE SYSTEM. An interesting discussion ensued at .yesterday's session of the Methodist Conference with reference.fho appoihtmont of president- and secretary." Five , synods, the South Auckland'/' Wellington, North Canterbury, B South- : Canterbury, -. and ■ •' Qtago, recommended that these officers should bo elected • a the conference ' preceding that at which they would take office. TaranakiWangattui,v; Hawke's"; ! 6ay-Manawatu, and Nelson; Synods desired 'that no' alteration Should bo made, whilst 1 the Auckland -and Southern Synods made; no recommendation. , . The Rev. W. Sinclair moved that-the conference should appoint:'the president and secretary a year aliead'as suggested: The,*r. W.J.Williams seconded, and said' that it- would give the officers re'erred to 12 months in which to prepare tor the work. ...- -'•-■.-"., ;.l .. The ..Rev.; W. Babmber : was of the Opinion, that there was no reason why they should make so great a change. It seemed to ) him ' that in New " Zealand, at toast; the delegates had no reason-to think that their presidents ;had. been unfit ;to conduct the ; work '■ of the office. ;It : was advisable, hat the president should pre' KkFL the conference which elected him to the position . The representation at a nJi ft i% V- W> ;:;K *° W 1 " Smith, who supK,u tlO W*l, said the president should i.' be m touch with F Methodists th /*.. the » and .he' could not do that unless he knew he was to bo appointed. -Ihe'proposal was a step- in the right direction. •■'. ; r r, • .• "' -a r ;. S ' yers who os «d the change, said that to appoint the president a year ahead would diminish interest in the conference proceedings. , The Rev. T.' G. Brooke said such an arrangement would remove-one of the great attractions at the' opening gathering of the conference—the election of president.., , „i- . .. .... ... l . The Rev. S. Lawry supported the motion. '*-''• ■"''' H ■-' :*•-,■-.■» -'; ' . The motion to elect the ?' president and secretary a year ahead, was carried .by 93 votes to 62. ; ■. ._. •■•-..■ Best Homes . lor ,'.' Ministers. ' . It was moved by -the Rev.' W. Laycock that _ a committee 'of ; laymen'. should .be appointed to formulate a scheme to establish homos of rest i for ministers at the different seaside resorts of the Dominion, or other places" suitable for such purposes. He 'said that '-'Mr.. B. J. : Lynneberg had already : provided -. one such', home near; Wellington, and it was hoped that others would follow his example.' ' " i'v In seconding, Mr. Lynneberg urged that there; was a'' need '" for v such" homes. He said it was the duty. of . laymen to. make things as comfortable as possible for their ministers. ■ » It was decided to appoint a committee to deal with the matter. • 'u . Reports on Institutions. . The. report :of the Deaconess Training Institution - stated ;;: that - '■'■■■ before ..: the deaconess work of the Dominion could be conducted;' in a satisfactory i way, it': was necessary that .it should. be ; in '; a stronger financial position. - ; The' deaconesses should be' able ■■; to • feel. their responsibility to, a centra] '> authority''- and should 1 -have 'the prospect of "a retiring allowance. : : ;•: The committee should •be able to'-arrange: the work in ' tho : best : : interest of * those concerned, and the churches should have the opportunity : of ; ah':- exchange I '' : of workers. A larger and more"' convenient .training home was ■ required. '■* The" foreign work of' the committee would • make large" demands in the near future, and the work in the Dominion « was.bound to extend. ,. - ; ; •'. The Committee of Institutions submitted a report ' dealing with the.: North ; Island Orphanage at Mount Albert, 1 in which' it was 'staled that at the present time there were 28 ; ; children in .' residence. The grounds'■ had'been ' considerably improved, and ■the offer :by Mr. A. ;0. 'Caughey to lease ah 'adjoining block 'of over "two-'acres at . peppercorn rent,' - withV a ; purchasing clause at a low figure would, if accepted, extend the area of the property to nearly five acres. ;;-'. Owing to; the extension, of the tramway;' system the value of the ' land had been greatly increased. ;,; .;_'.:- ~''.' ; The . financial*; statement • of ■ the ' North Island institution ' showed receipts at'£Bl3 10s 9d, and'■ expenditure tat £770 5s ■ Id, whilst' tho South Island'; Orphanago ex-penditure-was £1067 : 2d, -leaving ,a balance in hand of £279 -17s lid. • .''.,;; Wellington Education Trust. . ; '-»v The .recommendations of ' the committee set-up by tub ■.'conference' to ' deal : " with matters''affecting'' the ;,Wellington ii;duCatioti Trust,' were presented Mr.* A.' Peak, and ' adopted.; It' was'decided -by the conference to- promote a, Bill with a view to a more definite settlement of'the purposes and scope of ; the' trust. A special committee, was set uVto join' the 1 trustees in promoting the Bill, .the'committee consisting' of the president, vthe ■ Rev...' A- 0. Lawry, the.Vice.presic(.ent.'''jrr; j G. Winstone, theisecretary, ; :tWl{evv W. A. Sinclair, and'the Revs. *J> 'Dawson, ■%'". U. Simmonds, C. H. : Laws, • 8.A., "Mr. A. Peak., , ' .'/"> ,- ■ ■"■ "' It:.' was' announced ' that a /garden party will'. bo . held /at the residence of Mr. A. C. Caughey',,-: Mount Albert, ; '.to-day. Special^trams; leave the 'city;-and/. after proceeding to' the orphanage, visitors will be conveyed l by' motor-cars ; to the' garden party.-; '•-;; "\ ' ""c'--" '' \ ■ ' • ' Pictures and " Gambling. •• ; I The evening ; session. was occupied by discussions on temperance and other questions. The Rev. Wrliaycock moved that the conference; view .with alarm the increasing mania for gambling :in the community, and condemnithe. evil principle of State: legislation "■: under which ; totaljsator betting, art unions, and .rallies flourished. The' resolution' 1 which was ' passed by ';. tho conference, ~" expressed profound Tegrefc that; .in : the \ guise of patriotism, licenses should have been -given by those in authority "for. unworthy methods of rasing money for soldiers. The Rev. A. B. Chappell, supporting ■ a motion \ that the Government should establish a 5 strict "censorship over'all pictures before theyiwere screened at the.;various picture theatres, said that a picture theatre manager had informed him that on / account of ' the . morbid nature of a picture; which had \ been 'passed, by - tho : censor; he would nob allow it to.be shown, f •' / '}0 '0$ /l i'AV- resolution : ' was :- also \ passed /-; calling upon the Government to legislate so .that "shouting" should \be made .illegal and all . hotel Bars closed at 6 p.m. , • •. i :?;< The conference passed ; a motion urging upon ministers and: Sunday-school workers the,necessity' of reviving the interest of the ■ young people ur the '•'. BalnS fof j Hopo movement. ■ '•'''", '