BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

Wanganui Chronicle, 23 November 1901, Page 1

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

WANGANUI AUXILIARY

The annual meeting of the above was held in ' St. Paul's Halli on Wednesday evening last. The Rev. T. B. Maclean presided. After the opening devotions and 'an address by the Chairman, the report ot the Committee for the year was read, as follows!:— . Your Committee have to report that steady progress has been made during the Year The special effort made at last annual'meeting realised £20 11s. 6d., which enabled the Committee to send a free grant from Wanganui of £50 in December lust. To this was added £38 gathered from the districts north and south by the Society's agent. The contributions in Wanganui, although not by any means as great as is desired, have improved during the year. The sum ot £45 has been collected in Wanganui. The Committee thank most heartf' t y the collectors of the Auxiliary, viz., Mesdames F. H. Spencer, J. T. Stewart, and Brookfield, Misses Keen and Taylor, and Messrs. J. C. Brechin, A. MeN.eil, and W. J. York. The contributions from other districts have considerably increased this year, and now £150 is in the hands of the treasurer. This result is due to the untiring efforts of] the Rev. F. H. Spencer, the Society s a«ent. Your Committee received a letter from the Gisborne Auxiliary hist December suggesting that voluntary effort for the Society would be more helpful than the services of a paid agent. The reply sent from the Wanganui Auxiliary was as follows : "That this Auxiliary considers that a special paid agent is not only profitable, but necessary, for the maintenance of the work of the Society among the Auxiliaries, and more especially in the smaller towns and country districts, and further considers that the interest in the Society's work would not be maintained as well by an annual or triennial conference of honorary workers, as by a special agent, and therefore approve^ of the change that has been made in the appointment ol a, travelling paid agent." The years' work confirms the wisdom of the appointment. Since the establishment of the depot, 588 Bibles and 444 Testaments have been sold! by Mr. A. Ferguson, the depository. These include 12 Chinese, 15 French, and 3 German Testaments. The Committee hop© thafe the friends of the Bible Society will make known the fact that the depot is under lux. Ferguson's care, and that the Society's Bibles can be secured there at the cheapest prices. The Society is purely a Bible Society, and every effort should be made to distribute its Bibles.

During the year o> limelight lecture was given by the' Rev. F. H. Spencer in St. Paul's Hall. It proved most instructive. The Committee consider that greater efforts should be made to interes.it all the congregations of Wanganui in the work of the Society, and would gladly • welcome the setting apart of a special Sunday as Bible Society Sunday. • We are grateful for the blessings fr.om the Great Giver during the past year, and pray that greater success still may attend the' work of the Wanganui Auxiliary. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. It was resolved that Mr. G. Carson be President, and that the Committee be— Mesdames F. H. Spencer and J. F. Stewart, Messrs. Babbage, Bassett, Bell, Brechin, Bridge, Harvey, McNeil, J. and J. L. Stevenson.

It was resolved that the Committee be requested to correspond with the officebearers of the different Protestant churches, with a view to getting. the first Sunday of May recognised as Bible Socieiy Sunday. It was resolved that the regulations, report, and balance^'heet for the year, together with a list ofi contributions from the different centres, be printed, and circulated throughout the district. . The Committee met at" the close, the Rev. 111. B. Maclean being in the chair. The Rev. R. M. Rvburn was re-ele6ted secretary,- and Mr. J. L. Stevenson treasurer. The.-treasurer was authorised to remit the balance to the London Committee.