PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19161, 18 November 1927, Page 15

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

C (NI!BAI^ SSEMBLy - OF REPORTSUrtcral Assembly of thr Pre 3 bj ne ? n hof >'ew Zen'-md continu'(fUß vesterdav. t i i« J*" 10 'jj Barton (Dunedin) report of the Kno* Col„ril The speaker referred to " ice ° f tlic WOfk d ° nL> 1 Zt" Knox Collegr ' ,p HewitßO.., and the influence V f.xerted bv him over the numwho had passed through waa seconded by Prof., r Dickie (Dunedin), *ho made "' -rcciative reference to Pro--8-1 ifwitson ami also to the late Sir most gcnprous I,cdi 1* 8 Adams (Dunedin) road the Council placing on re- • *>**' Lin appreciation of the 19 >*«rviee a« Master of Knox ColJ""JS«Sd by Professor Hcwitson. to endorse this minute was *S # Snin>oußly by the Assembly Hewitson returned th.inks of appreciation from and tho Assembly- Ihe ll * to outlined his work, and the enhe had made to make Knox centre of learning, not a ®"L. (hit the academic character of institution would be lost sight %«I*e»!ne an ecclesiastical asseuit'fSS Vul !•«» provided i-or ?' a the generosity ot Sir .Tohn {A had bequeathed £.'.00 for 12 fS to the coHcge for the purpose; the •Sralneof these was unquestionable. CCouncil reported with sorrow the Jtfcaf two'of its members—Sir John S«4Mr P. L. Clark. Minutes of fJUtion and condolence were pass7V.d forwarded by the Council to ttoZou and Mrs Clark. Tho vncan*£n the Council had been filled by TbJuU. Cameron and Dr. J. A. D. JjfiehMartor's Report. He Muter than presented iiis report, the activities of the college irfhletici, social, and educational life. Munioe the report stated: "In conji n with the educational life of the Seal must refer to the gift of nea"jrJOM volumes of general literature u| handsome oak book cases, which ImtoW g>« n to ~s a Bcnlleman iki ahrinka from publicity, but who hi allowed US to name the library iQerbia. Ho has also most generously ndertaktn to provide requisite lib"lwSon to adjourn the debate on the rnori was moved by tho Rev. J. I>. && (Maori Hill) «nd carried.

■ Theological College Beport. He committee paid tribute to the Tirkoithe past convener, the Hov. 11. u.»y, in the last year of whose du the jubilee of the college was wittily celebrated, and the .iubilee r U.r«liip successfully launched. ' Tin section relating to finance listed:—

HsiMt bis been one of our main pneesptioai durjpg tho year. The JiPet BskoJarship Fund mot with a fotrau wiponse from the Church, although only ft few Presbyteries were Tinted by Gibb, who, as intimated hit yeir to, Aaembly, undertook the work of wowcqtlng the .appeal. The, iuC UK ittldMt with prorniin to mat. fir. Gibb, in his report to ec*aittW) points out '' that the total of fror a little jftTffione - tenth of our conP*g»tiom, Utlßding home mission staj ioat Til wjority of the congregatiooi ri|iM were in the Presbyteries ef Dtnedis, AoeMand, and Wanganui." It is a wtt« for congratulation that tie jotilw appeal has been so successiul Till eoounittee recorded its appTe(iatiai of pr, Gibb'a efforts, and this ill/ CODTOyed to him. The fund is 80t ytt WQing full interest, but 'PPWmtchr £165 was received from tUa.lWroo, W which should be added jk* latent (jf the Inqis Fhu Arran, J. ff. Shannon, and Michael Watt *ew!riil Scholarships, which total £ 87. "tolarships came to hand as part •f the JobtlM Scholarship Fund appeal. tho year a gift of £IOO was ytivid from Mrs T. J. Thompson, of with the request that it be •JW w tha capital of the Avery «M«wliip. The thanks of the committee were conveyed to-Mrs Thompson «r her generous gift. •vmi-' 9 writing a bequest of tllSa has been received from the eswe of the late Miss M. L. Glendining. j °bjeet of the bequest was the EnFund of the Theological Col,*s®. Th# bequest was duly acknowriu ul thanks. Otter gifts received were £2u from °® £e -beftrers, Wanganui, and MS from Dr. w. P. Gordon, Stratford. Taylor and Sons renewed their ~ W for prizes. Class prizes given by Professors HewitD'avieg, and the PerJ"™ Trustees forwarded £5 14s for "•"oxßook Prize. aliul disposal of the com*M ® heavily drawn upon to J, itudanta during the year, a total « approximately £1740 being spent, provided most of disquieting feature of our is the very meagro supom congregations. The! /*™« tee asked for £9OO as tho minij . "Po® which it could do its work The response received from jW«g»tions was £302, with £IOO from the special Christmas £3O transferred" from the ' * total from congregations of *<lair d " CSS iai> '' a " w^ut wa3

Was presented by the Bev. it, • "P'w (Dunedin). His motion for 0 j f? n waa by tho Rev. Tocjter (luvercargill), and car-

Tetnperance Committee. report of the Temperance ConiJij p stated that during the past year res byteries had been approached AmU a cm P crai i c e Committee 4 be formed, and that congrcgaj*|J« luould also be asked to form , c ?® m 'ttees. Prom replies refctfj? " as apparent that most Presa comnl »'^ ,C! ) ard iu °' congregations temperance hj., *aa well carried on by a temperJJI, » r of Hope Committee. The Alliance altered its com Hj(n| n last annual meeting, ami »! Wos as ' sCt l ,0 nominate a tjj, j* ? **° the Executive Commitif 0* funds had quite preventWk eo ®niittee doiug much direct ' j? wough the Church. c °"Opcratc<l with tkt *• retaining tljo present law . l ! ntr -*- during the year tW ♦. ?'}" VlS '* e <l a number of rentres fttanr # CVC I°P the sentiment *«iiV J ' { ' a ' l| ' 11 8 l ' le Prohibition At tk i dlstrict - Assembly a general Teon was accepted that at the * » u mber of ministers jMNfef 8 rom their ordinary Mmß TCee ' !s to assist in the campaign. frp. "P° rt "I presented by the Hev. M'prpV 68 ' moved it# adoption. afe&> *

The motion was seconded by Mr J. S I Baxter, and carried. A Visitor from Australia. The Right Rev. Dr. Scott West minister of Burwood, South Australia' and Moderator-General of the Presbyterian General Assembly of Australia was introduced by the Rev. J. Paterson, and he delivered an interesting address to the Assembly. I n the course of his remarks, he said that there had been far too much talk of the so-called conflict between science and religion Personally, he had no fear of evolution; it was detailed in the New Testament—first, the blade, then the ear, then the corn in the ear. But he distinguished between evolution as a law of creation and evolution a3 a law of life. They had got into a way of apologising for Christianity; what was needed was tho creation of an atmosphere of confidence. A positive gospel was required. The Rev. J, Paterson moved a motion, which was carried by acclamation, welcoming Dr. Scott West, thanking him for fraternal greetings, and asking him to reciprocate these good wishes to the Australian Assembly. Maori Missions Committee. report of the Maori Missions Committee stated that the personnel of tho staff remained very much as it was twelve months ago. One result of the fine missionary campaign was that several young men had become interested in Afaori mission work, and ono of theni, Mr John Mann, divinity student, was going into Maungapohatu during the recess. In the capable hands of Miss Kinross and her loyal staff, the Turakina Maori Girls' School had had another good and successful year. Thirty-one girls had been in attendance, drawn, as usual, from all parts of the middle and the North Island. A new college was being built at Marton, at a cost of £14,000. The report continued: —Towards the cost of the erection of the college, tho general treasurer had received £3000; the sum of £SOOO lias been promised as a grant-in-aid by tho Maori Purposes Fund Control Board, so that tho committee is looking for another £6OOO. At a full meeting of the Finance Committee held in Wellington, permission was given to the committee to make an appeal to the Church for this amount. Addresses on Maori mission work were delivered by Sister Annie (Ruatahuna) and the Rev. J, G. Laughton. Votes of thanks were passed to the speakers for their addresses, and for the work they are doing. The following recommendations were attached to the Teport:— (1) Thank the McCarthy Trust for its grant of £l5O to Turakina Girls' College. (2) That £6OO be transferred, if necessary, from the General Fund to the Turakina Girls' School Fund. (3) That the action of the Finance Committee be confirmed in granting permission to the Maori Mission Committee to make an appeal to the Church for £6OOO in the intorcsts of the Building Fund of the new Marton Girls' College. The motion for the adoption of the report and all its recommendations was moved by the Rev. J. A. Asher, arid seconded by tho fiev. J. Patejrson. The Rev. R. D. McEwan moved that consideration of recommendations be postponed till after tho debate Qn the McCarthy Trust. The ' motion was seconded by the Rev. E. S. Hill. The Rev. J. A. Asher considered that the thanking of the McCarthy Trust would not prejudice either party in the future debate.

Tho motion was lost on the voices. The report was adopted.