MISSIONARY LEADER

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25053, 17 November 1944, Page 4

MISSIONARY LEADER

DR DECKER ARRIVES ASSISTANCE OF NATIVES "A great deal of evidence has reached the United States of the assistance fiven the forces in the Solomons and ew Guinea by natives who had been Christianised by missionary influence,' said Dr J. W. Decker, of New York, eo-secretary of the International Missionary Council, on his arrival in Auekland yesterday from Sydney on the Tasman fiving-boat. Dr Decker paid a tribute to' the work of New Zealand and Australian missionaries 111 the Pacific. In Australia Dr Decker attended the Pacific missionary conference called by the National Missionary Councils of Australia and New Zealand. He said that post-war plans and policies were discussed. Dr Decker is paying his first visit to New Zealand, where he will confer with the National Missionary Council. He said that the conferences were part of a series being held elsewhere in the world.

Ten days will be spent in New Zealand by Dr Decker, who will leave Auckland today to visit Wellington and Christchurch. He expects to spend two days in Auckland before returning to Australia and hopes to preach in an Auckland church. He will later make an eight months' tour of India and China. A graduate of the Richmond University, where he was later professor of mathematics and the Bible, _Dr Decker was a chaplain in the United States Navy in 1919. From 1921 to 1934 he was a Northern Baptist missionary in China, and held the position of Foreign Missions Secretary for China. Japan, and the Philippines. Dr Decker was in England for three months during last year when he was engaged on the co-ordination of the United State® and British effort toward rebuilding church life in Europe and Asia. Dr Decker was met on arrival by the Rev. A. H. Scrivin, general secretary of the Methodist Missionary Society of New Zealand. NEED FOR HOSPITAL CLAIM OF PUKEKOHE (0.C.) PUKEKOHE, Thursday Support of the Pukekohe Borough Council's representations to the Auckland Hospital Board iSc the establishment of a general hospital at Pukekohe has been accorded by the Tuakau Town Board. Members expressed the opinion that such an institution, to serve the central and eastern districts of the Franklin County, largely for accident and maternity cases, was most desirable. The western part of the county is served by a hospital at Waiuku. Disappointment was expressed that (the Hospital Board had not recommended the appointment of a district nurse for the area centred on Tuakau. It was stated that a nurse had been recommended for Pukekohe, where | there were three doctors, but Tuakau did not have a resident medical practitioner. The Town Board decided to ask the Hospital Board to reconsider its decision. ANCILLARY LICENCES NUMBER CAUSES CONCERN Grave concern had been caused by the large number of applications for ancillary licences, said the No. 1 Transport Licensing Authority, Mr E. J. Phelau, when dealing with applications yesterday. In normal times it might L>e claimed that they were essential, but we were now passing through a period requiring very careful nursing of oil, rubber and benzine. Every ancillary licence granted meant less work for the licensed operators, who were prepared to continue to do the work. The opinion that there were already more than sufficient licences in the Auckland area was expressed by Air E. J. Price on behalf of the Master Carriers' Association and the Auckland Owner-Driver Carriers' Association. They had also to consider the number of ex-servicemen seeking entry into the industry to rehabilitate themselves and the number of licences suspended while their holders were in the forces. Mr Pbelan said he intended to reserve his decisions and consider the matter further. LARGER HOTELS PLANNED "PJans are out for some big hotel additions in Auckland," said a member at a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday during a discussion upon the potential value of the tourist trade to the Dominion, and Auckland in particular. The remark was prompted by an interjection from a member that there would have to bo somewhere for tourists to stay, because the extent of the hotel accommodation in Auckland was not a credit to the city. Auckland was far behind Wellington in that respect. DESTRUCTION OF GORSE The Waitemata County Council is determined that property owners in the county should keep their land clear of gorse. Notices have been displayed in prominent places throughout the county drawing the attention of ratepayers to their responsibility in the destruction of gorse and other noxious weeds. A small consignment of gorse seed weevil which has been obtained From the Cawthlon Institute. Nelson, has been liberated in the Swanson district. The weevil, which destroys only the gorse seed, breeds very quickly and should soon spread over, ih©-territory..,,i