lONA GIRLS' COLLEGE

Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1934, Page 7

lONA GIRLS' COLLEGE

PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY HELP. WORK IN MAORI MISSION FIELD. By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, Last Night. The Presbyterian General Assembly today agreed to allow the church property trustees to take over the ownership of the lona College property in Hawkes Bay on the distinct understanding that the present debt on the property is not to be transferred to the General Assembly. It was resolved that the assembly pay the architects’ fees, £286, for reconstruction of the college after the earthquake, this grant being a loan without interest for 12 months.

The fire insurance fund holds insurances to the amount of over £1,000,000. Mr. A. D. Thomson commented on the fact that fire levies unpaid amounted to £7OO. He urged that this was a careless and unfair action for which the church managers deserved censure. The tendency of toe assembly to make grants to needy funds from fire insurance capital was deprecated. Over £9OOO was recently drawn from tire profits. This Was more than the fund had earned.. It was agreed to amend the regulations to prevent invoice inroads upon the profits by motions in assembly before careful consideration.

Speaking on the Maori mission report, the Rev. D. D. Scott pointed out that the church was ministering to over 4000 Maoris and nearly 2000 Europeans. The missionaries to the Maoris give Scripture lessons to 1500 children and almost 1000 children attend the Maori Sunday schools. The sacrament of baptism was administered to over 1000 persons last year and nearly 500 members are on the Maori communion roll. A motion to' direct the home mission and theological hall committees to consider which of the home missionaries should be given full ministerial status was keenly debated. It was finally rejected by a decisive majority. The question of the purchaseSf a block of land suitable for a training farm for Maori boys was discussed. The suggestion came from Maori leaders and not from the church.

The Rev. J. G. Laughton laid the facts before the assembly. It was suggested that a block of land offered to the church be purchased. He pointed out that there was money in hand for the purpose and if authority was obtainable from the responsible board there was a good opportunity to help the Maori people. The assembly authorised the purchase. The Rev. D. M. Hercus questioned the validity of the action of the committee in gazetting deaconesses working-in the Maori field as officiating ministers under the Marriage Act and moved that the matter should have come before the assembly before being decided.

The Rev. J. H. McKenzie gave reasons for what had been done and the action of the clerk of assembly was confirmed. A later motion was carried stating that women missionaries working under the Maori mission committee are ministers of religion for the purposes of the Marriage Act.

A New. Zealand Alliance deputation was assured of the assembly’s support in the struggle to overcome the evils of the liquor traffic. Similar support for the principles and activities of the League of Nations Union was assured a deputation from that body.