“ TONGA AND SOLOMONS ARE BRISTLING WITH CHURCHES.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19236, 25 November 1930, Page 11

“ TONGA AND SOLOMONS ARE BRISTLING WITH CHURCHES.”

Auckland Man Says “Missionaries

Are Living In Lap Of Luxury.”

(Special to the “ Star/’)

AUCKLAND, November 24. t< T WAS greatly impressed with the number of churches in JL the Tongan group,” said Mr G. W. Ailsop, a retired Auckland architect, who returned by the Tofua this morning after a seven-months’ visit to the Tongan and Samoan Islands. “ The place is simply bristling with churches. In villages where there are only a few huts each denomination has its church, and I found instances where three and four churches were established when the total population would not fill one. Some of these churches are most pretentious and quite as large as would be met with in the suburbs of Auckland. The altars in many cases have cost from £2oo' to £4OO each.

There is great competition among the missionaries, and they appear to the only people prospering,'* he continued. “They certainly are living in the lap of luxury. They are paid considerably higher salaries than they would receive in the Dominion or elsewhere. I know of one missioner drawing £450 per annum. lie conducts one or two services a week and the rest of the time he lolls about his house, which, by the way, is provided free, as is aiso his motor-car. The natives will steal anything from a cow to a chicken to give the church donations in kind or money,” he added. “A Scathing Indictment.” “You are delivering a scathing indictment,'* suggested the reporter. ' That is so, but it is trike.’* said Mr A’lsop. “I am speaking from my own experiences in the islands and also from the experiences of residents re-[ counted to me.” “Nearly all the churches in the islands are in disrepair,” said Mr Alls Op. “The wood is rotting, and they have a general appearance of dilapidation NO INVITATION TO THE MAYOR AND TOWN CLERK Indignation was expressed at Lyttelton yesterday owing to the Harbour Hoard not extending an invitation to the Mayor and the town clerk to the | luncheon tendered to the Governor-. General and Lady Bledisloe on the tug I Lyttelton. It was stated yesterday that it was originally intended that their Excellencies be entertained at morning tea at Lyttelton as the guests of the municipality, but arrangements made by the Harbour Board after the announcement of the council’s proposals took preced-

l. and require painting. Once they are > j built it appears that nothing is done in the way of maintenance.” I Miss D. E. Ferguson, who up to June 1 j last was attached to the Free Wesleyan ' | Church Mission in Tonga, stated this '; morning that 75 per cent of the people . in Tonga belonged to the Free Church. -1 They were a law-abiding people and it : ! was unlawful to take even a coconut : from a plantation without permission. She knew of no missions in the group in which New Zealand was directly > interested, although several New Zealand women had taken up mission ; work there. She spoke of the problems caused by the multiplicity of missions, saying that in addition to the Free Church there were missions conducted by the Roman Catholics, Seventh Day Adventists, Mormons and others. Speaking of the state of the churches, Miss Ferguson said that times were hard and the low price of | copra had had an effect on finances. No doubt that accounted for the disrepair of some of the churches. She said that it was “terrible” that rash criticism of the missions should be made. ence and the entertainment by the Lyttelton municipality had to be abandoned. Expressing strong feelings in the matter, borough councillors stated that they regarded the Harbour Board’s action as a snub on Lyttelton and on the Mayor • and the town clerk. . When the matter was referred to the ! chairman of the Harbour Board, Mr 11. T. Armstrong, M.P., last night, he stated that no invitations were sent to anyone but members. and officers of the board. It was intended at first that officials of other bodies be invited, but it was found that limited accommodation on • the tug made that impossible.

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