NEW MODERATOR.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19163, 21 November 1927, Page 6

NEW MODERATOR.

PROFESSOR HEWITSON ELECTED. CROWNING HONOUR AT END OF HIS CAREER. Professor the lie v. William Hewitson, principal of Knox Training College, v.-as elected on .Saturday Moderator ot the Presbyterian General Assembly to sit in Auckland next year. j„ nominating Prolessor Hewitson, the ltev. J. A. Asher o»P*r) *** that Professor Hewitson had come to New Zealand 33 or 31 years ago, ana M„ee then he had held three ujstinguished positions. I ' or , !s ? me ,- ve ih.p was minister of Knox Church, Dunedin, alter which he was convener o the foreign Missions Committee, ami lastly had been the principal ot Knox Training College, Duncdm, for 19 yeais. ft was the desire of his numerous exstudents that he should be called to the. chair of the Moderator. The Rev. J. L. Robertson. (Imveicari'ill) seconded the nomination and extolled Professor Hewitson's sterling qualities and great ability, at the same time expressing the hope that tue \ssemblv would honour hint on the eve of his retirement by calling him to the highest honour the Church could otter him. .. , There were no other nominations and that of Professor Hewitson was carried unanimously. Professor Hewitson was then called before the Assembly and was greeted with applause. The Moderator intimated to him the high honour conferred on him and congratulated him upon it. "1 was afraid it would come t> this." said Professor Hewitson in returning thanks for the honour done him. "When I saw the reporters here this morning it, just occurred to me fhat Tennvson avoided reporters all his life. He would strike across a paddock to keep out of their way. When he was about to die he said, 'These fellows will get me now.' I really tried to escape from the position in which you have placed me." Proceeding, the speaker -said that his own opinion was that such a high honour should go round to those men whose work deserved to be honoured by being appointed to his high position. Ho had already had all the honours he deserved. He thought that one who was Moderator should haive a fully qualified assistant in whose capable hands he could leave the charge of his own parish while he kept himself in touch with the churches -in the different parts of the Dominion. He himself, however, was not the man to fill the office as he conceived it should be filled, nor did he regard himself as a Church leader, besides which he did not think that he would be able to do as well as a younger man. Speaking of his office as master of Knox College, Dr. Hewitson said that lie had heard of a college whose principle was known as Brahma. The name-was-generally regarded as being that of a God, but* his own idea was that it referred to a barn door fowl, the hen being known as a had layer, while the male bird was mostly used to be carved at with a knife! He remembered a postcard which showed a fowl leaning up against a barn door, at the bottom of the card being the words: "To-morrow I shall be a feather duster." "And that is the man," said Professor Hewitson, "that you have appointed to be your Moderator." "I thank you, sir," said Professoi Hewitson to the Moderator, "for the very kind works you spoke, and 1 thank the Assembly for the honour they have done me."