OTAGO BIBLE SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2309, 2 June 1898, Page 9

OTAGO BIBLE SOCIETY.

The annual meeting of the Obago Bible Society was held in the Y.W.C.A. Rooms on Monday, 23rd. The Rev. D. Borrie presided, and there was a small attendance. The annual report, which was submitted to the meeting, stated that while the contributions this year were much the same as for the two previous ye*re, yet, «11 things considered, there was room for thankfulness, and the hope that, with a more vigorous effort to secure collectors where there were none, or too few, at present, the funds would in the future considerably increase. The interest thad been maintained throughout the year in face of many distractions. Not . a few of the collectors had returned their cards empty, having been unable to collect, while from sickness, death, removal, and other causes the society was yearly losing others, whose places it was, owing to distance and want of knowledge of suitable persons in these districts, unable to fill up. It was now time that the country should be revisited, »o that information might be impacted, and intelligent interest awakened, and the collecting more thoroughly organised. If this were done, and the staff of collectors increased to what it was some years ago, there was no reason to doubt that the funds would also be materially increased. There are large and wealthy districts where . there are no collectors, or only one, and where . the work of tfie society was practically un- ;; known. It should be borne in x mind that the whole success of the society depended upon the number, efficiency, and devotion of the collectors. These formed the real strength aud backbone of the society, and without an efficient and devoted staff no success was possible. The board would again express its sense of the greatness of the work done by toe collectors, and thanked them for their continued labours and devotion. The returns for the year showed — Collection at annual meeting, £1 8s 6.1 ; donations, £5 15s ; and subscriptions, £218 13 j 9d ; or a tojal of £225 17s 3d. In Tuapeka West Mr John M'Caw, the missionary, did good service for the Bible Society by what might be called a new experiment. He took an interest in the work, borrowed the slides given to the society last year, and gave lectures and lantern exhibitions in various parts of his parish, made collections at the meetings, ; with the result that he sent in to the treasurer the sum of £5 2s 3d. The board continued to make a gift to every Protestant child leaving the Industrial School, and by last report 24 such Bibles had been given away. The board also made a grant of three dozen Bibles to the Salvation Army's Rescue Home at Caversham. ,

The board had bejen able again to vote the sum of £75 for the past year to the National Bible Society of Scotland and a similar sum to the British and Foreign Bible Society. They only wished that next year they could again get the donation increased to £100 for each of these noble societies to aid theai in their great missionary work of giving the Bible to the world. • Though the society do not contribute towards colportage in Otago and Southland as ia former years, and did no distributing work beyond the items mentioned, yet the board was pleased to v state that the New Zealand Bible, Traot, and Book Society, to whom the woik of distribution was handed over some years ago, continued the ' work with vigour and success. The manager reported that' at last stocktaking upwards of 7500 Bibles and Testaments hud been sold during the year then closed. . The natives eagerly weleomad the Gospel of ' John translated by the Rev. T. Smaill into the Taeiko language, aud printed in Dunedin by Messrs J. Wilkie and Co., as mentioned ia the report last year. Mr Smaill had also had printed a Hymn Book and Catechism in the Tasiko language ; and Mr Michelsen had in preparation a text book for the use of the natives on Tongoa, in Tongoan and English. The annual reports of the British sotieties spoke of continued success and expansion' Very interesting reports come from Manchuria and North China, from Siberia, from Uganda and South Africa, as well as from several European countries. The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the report, said that more than £14 had come in since the report had been prepared, and had the board known that it was coming forward they would -probably have voted more to the great Bible societies at Home than they had done . Mr P. Baub seconded the motion, which was carried. Mr Duncan Wkibhi moved — " That this meeting rejoices in the continued success of the Bible Society, expresses its gratitude to God for, his blessing in the work of another year, and cordially- thanks the collectors for their eelf- denying efforts in this good cause, and also to Mr John M'Caw for his successful efforts 'as indicated in the report." In speaking to the. motion, Mr Wright said that 500 Bibles had been given to him to put into the " schools of the city — 100 copies in each school. The motion was seconded by the Rev. A. Cameron and carried. The Rev. J. Gibb, and Messrs Wen. Brown and P. Barr were re-elected members of the board.