THE MELANESIAN MISSION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3862, 20 March 1928, Page 7

THE MELANESIAN MISSION.

EXPENSES STEADILY MOUNTING.

BISHOP MOLYNEUX’S VISIT.

AUCKLAND, March 12.

Looking very tired after months of unremitting labour in the heat of a tropical mission diocese, the Right Rev. F. 51. Molyneux, coadjutor Bishop of Melanesia, arrived at Auckland this morning on the Niagara. Bishop Molyneux has come to New Zealand to attend the General Synod of the Church of England, which is to be opened in'Wellington shortly. All connected with the Melanesian Mission are worried concerning the finances, which are not increasing at the same rate as the steadily-mounting expenses. Bishop Moly neux said the contributions were not falling off; indeed, they were bigger than ever, but the expenses were now utterly disproportionate to the amount received. The contributions from England were being increased, but extra money was to be spent on additional work at the new station which was being opened up in New Britain. The mission was still understaffed, both as to priests and laity. “As an instance of the manner in which the expenses are soaring,” said the bishop, “ I may mention that the whaleboat in which I make long voyages from island to island cost £l5O. Some years ago a similar boat could have been bought for £30.” As the Bishop of Melanesia (Bishop Stewart) has' been a sick man for a long time past, his assistant bishop has had his hands full. Bishop Molyneux has had "to do the-bulk of the travelling On one occasion he travelled over 200 miles in the whaleboat. Many of the islands in the Solomon Group are of considerable size, and Bishop Molyneux has often to make long and exhausting journeys into the interior, sometimes following tracks cut through the jungle overhung with dense growths, so that a man is bent nearly double in following them. Nearly all. these journeys must be made on foot since the few horses in the group are seldom available for visitors. Distant villages can be visited only at long intervals. There is always great rejoicing when the bishop comes to lay his hands on the heads of those baptised islanders who have been prepared for confirmation. It is a hard life for a man to b e bishop, priest., doctor, or layman, and one can readily understand why the coadjutor Bishop of Melanesia looks so wan and weary. Speaking of the murder of the tax collector at Malaita last year, Bishop Molyneux said the natives felt that they were being unjustly taxed. Apart from a number of natives .who lived on a fringe along the seashore, few of the islanders received benefits, and, rightly or wron<dv they resented having to' pay taxes. The bishop said that he personallv never feared for his life, though he visited some very out-of-the-way places. We are not yet within steht the day when the mission will be self-sup-porting/* said Bishop Molyneux. “ True, the natives. giv e more liberallv than the Europeans in proportion to their earnings but we have a long way to go yet. The islanders give in ordinary English money, in kind, and in shell money, red, black and white shells being used.’” ’ Bishop Molyneux will remain in New Zealand till May 1, when he will return to his diocese on the Southern Cross.