BAPTIST UNION CONFERENCE. WANGANUI October 10.

Otago Witness, Issue 2744, 17 October 1906, Page 24

BAPTIST UNION CONFERENCE. WANGANUI October 10.

1 The sixth annual conference of> ifae- Bapi tist Union was opened thia. evening by a , devotional service. The Rev. W. Perry , (Waihi) p leaded, and the Her. A. North [ (Poosotrbs ) poke. At the roll-call- in the afternoon nearly 70 dele^tes responded. The R«. Keith Ewen and the Rev. J. , Spottiswoqde were received i -to ministerial , membership. The annual repe ' which was presented by the Rev. R £ Gray, recorded that last year was n.^ <-jf the most prosperous in the history of ti;c denorruna- , tion. The net increase was 225. and the present membership was 4258. Mr A. S. > Adams delivered his presidential address in the evening before a. large audience, ever •which the Rev. Alfred North presided. The address was on " The Relation of th« Church to Social and Economic Questions," and was received with great applause. WANGANUI, October 11. The t-wentv-first anniversary bfcheßaptia* Missionary Soeietv was celebrated to-day. Mr A. 8. Adams presiding The reoort detailed a splendid' amount of \voik done. The treasurer reported an income on the* general fund of £1480- and'on special funds £301. The general expenditure had been £1839. leavintr a. debit balance of £358. The Rev J. C. Martin was re-eleoted secretory, and Mr A. Hbby treasurer. Miss Carson was elected organising secretary. The missionary ''at home" in the afteruoocu .was. splendidly successful. The - •peakors mere Miss Inglesbv the R<?v W S. Strong and the Rev. J. C Martin. The collection amounted to £25. The evening meeting was Tarae- and -enthusiastic, the chairman beingr Mr H M. Smeaton. The aßoafajrs wero Mie* Beekingßale. Mr. A. F. j. Oarey. and the Rev. J. J. Norih. Thfl tofailed' £15. WAWGANUt" October 12. The Baptist. Union received^ to-day . the treasurer's -sfcatemettt. Th#f receipts"' for the " year were £686 and the expenditure £792. "Deducting" the credit balance of. £46. the - * present deficit was £61. The Rev. N. A.. Davis presented the home mission report, the Rev. A. North the students' report, and Mr H. M. Smeeton the Manse Fund report. All were fully discussed. A home mission meeting was held in the evening, and addressed by Revs. N. A. Davis. F. Hales, E. A. Kirwood, and W. L Salter The acendanoa was large and the interest keen. WANGANUI, October 15. At the Baptist Conference to-day a deputation from the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand conveyed fraternal greetings from that body. The annual report on the Baptist, the denominational newspaper, showed that since the price had been reduced the circulation had increased con&iderahly. There was a cicdit balance of £25 6» 6d. The l-oport of the Sunday School Committ<"f showed that there were 54 schools •n i)x> colony, with 5301 pupils and 678 teachers — an increase of 5 schools, 19 toachors, and 262 scholars as compared with tho previous year. The meeting in the evening took the form of a free parliament, when the subject, "Metlods of Church Work," was debated.

i — ===== Tho large war canoe which belongs to the N<ative3 of Waahi, the Hon. Mr Mahuta's settlement, has been taken, to pieces au<l carted to tlie Huntly Railway Station, whence it i* to be sent on to Chri&tehurch. It will form a feature of the Maori section of the Exhibition. A Native crew accompanies the canoe. Some idea can lx> formed o£ its size and of tho huge tree from which the main parts wero hewed, when it is stated that the low«t bo aids measure something over 7fltt

The recent court ca«e in regard to the stamping of duplicate receipts has ~ct bu-i-ness men thinking (says tho Napier Telegraph). It has been found on looking up the Stamp Act of 18S2 that the law requires that promissory notes for any sum exceeding 1 £2 need to bo stamped. Further, the word "copy"' on a receipt docs not do »VT»y witk the .necessity for stamping.