MELANESIAN MISSION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21763, 31 March 1934, Page 15

MELANESIAN MISSION

REORGANISED FINANCES SUCCESS OF BOARD'S WORK A tribute to the services of the Finance Board in furthering; the work of the Melanesian Mission is paid in the April issue of the C'luirch Gazette. " Anyone at all familiar with the conditions of Melanesian Mission finance 10 or 12 years ago can remember the essential need there was for definite business control of the mission's finances and expenditure," says an editorial article. "We ourselves can -well remember asking a prominent Auckland merchant and churchman for a special donation toward Melanesian Mission funds for restoration work after a disastrous hurricane. The reply was somewhat of a knockout, namely, that the Melanesian Mission owed him at that moment about £IJOO. " Nor was this a unique case. The constant state of indebtedness necessitated a constant stream ot special appeals, which had the. effect of undermining the general public confidence in the administration of the ■ mission's finances, especially as this period roughly coincided with the openine-up of the mission property at Kohimarama, carried out at very great expense, yet in the public eye appearing as .a colossal source of immediate wealth, which it certainly was not. " Both the English Committee and our own Church authorities in New Zealand felt the necessity of a drastic reorganisation. The result was that in 1925 the Finance Board was set up to deal with the whole situation from the business standpoint. One of their first tasks therefore was to - ensure a general public confidence in this side of die Mission's work, and by the patient perseverance combined with the business acumen of the members of the board, this very desirable result has been achieved.'' Reference is also made in the article to the sympathetic co-operation of the Board of Missions under the leadership of the Bishop of Nelson. From the purely financial aspect, the Board of Missions had helped Melanesia to the extent of £13,000 .since the year 1920, which amount was over and above the large sums for Melanesia iucluded in the usual yearly budget.