BIBLE SOCIETY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13595, 15 May 1908, Page 2

BIBLE SOCIETY.

THE GERALDINE BRANCH.

The .annual meeting of the abpve was held in the Presbyterian Church on Wednesday evening, Colonel Moore presiding. The secretary, Rev. A. B. Todd, read the report and balance sheet, which showed that the branch began the year with a credit balance of 4s lid, and after contributing the sum of £4O to the South Canterbury Auxiliary finished with a credit balance of 5s lOd. The "total receipts amounted to £44 17s 2d, of which the folectors' books accounted for £4016s 9d. The report dealt on 'tlie enthusiastic work done by the collectors, who were the mainstay of the branch of this meat Catholic form of mission work. Dealing with the work of the Society, Mr Todd said that during the year the Bible had been translated into eight additional languages. The issue of bibles for the year, however, fell below .that of the previous year. The chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, said it must be considered highly satisfactory. Mr W. S. Maslin, in seconding the motion, expressed his opinion that the smallness of the depot sale? (6s 9d) was due in part to the fact that many people iii Geraldine were unaware of the existence of a local depot.

The election of office-bearers resulted in the following being re-elected. President, Colonel Moore; secretary and treasurer, Piev. A. B. Todd and a committee consisting of Messrs C. McKenzie, F. Wallack, R. Morrition, jun., and church ministers (ex officio). On the motion of Mr Todd, 'seconded by Mr Hamilton avote of thanks was passed to the collectors for the diligence shown in their work.

Colonel Moore then gave a short address on the work of the Society in India. The objects of the Society were not only to provide copies of the Bible for everybody but to place those copies in the homes. Some idea of the work thus entailed in a country like India, with its many notions, many tribes, languages, and religions, could be gathered from the fact that already the Bible had been translated into 42 different Hindoo languages, spoken by 220 millions of the 294 million inhabitants of the Indian Empire. Over 2,200,000 copies had been .distributed by the Indian colporters and Bible women. The Rev. S. 1 Hamilton spoke on the value of the work done in translating the Bible into languages which in some cases had no other literature. In the translation it was sometimes found necessary to give'a higher meaning to some of the baser words and so the people -with the language were being raised to a higher level.

Special hymns were sung during the evening and prayers offered and tße meeting terminated with the pronouncing 'of the benediction.