METHODIST MISSIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2902, 27 October 1909, Page 61

METHODIST MISSIONS.

THE PACIFIC ISLANDS. (Faosi Our Ows Oobbsspoxdxkt.'l CHRISTCHURCH, October 15. The Rev. Dr Morley, of Melbourne, managing treasurer of the Methodist Supernumerary Fund, is at present in Christchurch. 'after mafting a trip throujgh th« Pacific Islands. In an interview with a Press reporter, Dr Morley stated that missions were being conducted in Fiji, Samoa, 2few Britain, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. Out of 85,000 Fijians about nine-tenths belong-ed to the Methodist Church, and in every one of the 1200 towns and villages in the group a church had been erected and a day school established, the whole of the education of the Fijians having foi many yeairs past been practically conducted by the Church. At the present time an effort was being made to train the young men of the various tribes to a somewhat higher standard, and at the same time give them instruction in practical carpentry and in agriculture, and on the mission property at Davuilevu there are 120 youths from 14 to 20 years receiving that education. There were also 90 etudemts in ti-aining as teachers of dayschools and some 10 men twho were students for the native ministry. A large concrete schooh-oom was about +o Be erected as a- memorial to the Rev. Thomas Baker, who was murdered by the Fijians' in 1867. \ . In Samoa, out of a total population of 30,000 people, about 25,000 were under thecane of the ajjents and- ministers of the London Missionary Society, the remaining 5000 being Methodist*. The larger part of Samoa was, of course, now a German possession, and he was glad to learn from the resident missionary of the London Missionary Society at Apia that the Georman Government treated the mission with the utmost fairness, and gave every facility for the carrying on of the work. • He learned — not" from the missionaries, but from others — that while the German .Government in Samoa naturally desired the Samoans to learn that language, the natives did not diesire to do so, but were ail anxious to learn English. The mission to New Britain was started in 1875, and there were now something like 20,000 adherents in the Islands. The New Guinea Mission was started by Dr Brown in 1891, the Rev. S. B. Fellows (of New Zealand) being on© of the first missionaries, while the Rev. M. Gilmour (aiso a New Zealand*! 1 ) was now chairman of the district. The latest mission was in the Solomon Islands. That was started in 1902, and very considerable opposition was shown, by the natives at first, but now the people were eager to receive both European and native ministers. The Friendly Islands, formerly a mission district, was now self-supporting, and the Methodist portion of it was under the cii.a.rge of the New South Wales Conference. Dr Morley said he had noted that in Fiji especially there were great opportunities foT commercial development. From what h© saw he could not but regret that the plan proposed by the late. Sir George Grey many years ago, that Now Zealand should become the head of a federation of the islands of the Pacific, was not carried out. The time for that had now passed. There was little doubt that the opening of the Panama Canal would tend to a much larger European settlement in some of the islands, and to a very large increase in the volume of trade,* and New Zealand should be on the alert to secure her share of such trad«.

Xo less than 2500 aeroplanes, each capable of carrying two men, can now be constructed for the cost of one Dreadnought.