THE PACIFIC ISLANDS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 639, 16 October 1909, Page 15

THE PACIFIC ISLANDS.

;': •. PBOORESS OF MISSIONS, e-;: [■'.':. INTBBVIBW■ WITH;DIt. MOBLEY.'/.' ''; y (By Telegraph.-Bpeclal OorrMßondent.V ■;■ ; Christchurch, October 15. Tho Rev. Dr. Morley, of Mclhourrio, managing treasurer of the Methodist Supernumerary Fund, is at presont in Christchurch after' : making a trip through tho Pacific Islands. In Ari ihtervie* with a "Press" reporter Dr. Morley stated that missions were being conducted in Fiji, Samoa, New Britain, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. In the 'Fiji Group, but of 88,000 Fijians, about nine-tenths belonged to the Methodist Church, and in every one of the 1200 towns and villages in the group ft church. Wd. been erected and a day school established, the wholo of- the. education 6f the Fijians_ having, for many'years past, beoh practically' conducted by tho Church. At the present, time;an effort was being made to train the young nien of the various tribles to a somewhat higher Btandard,'and at tho same time give theni instruction in practical carpentry, and in'-'agriculture, and-on the mission property at Davuilevu thero Wore 120 youths from 14 to 20 years.of age, receiving that educaHdii. There ,wer6:alio 90 students'in training as teachers of day schools,-and some 10 men, who were students 'for' the "Native .Ministry.. '.'A largo concrete schoolroom was abont to be.erected as a'"memorial to the Rev.. Thomas Baker, who was.murdered by tho Fijians in 1867. -In Samoa, .out of a total population of 30,00(1 'people, .'about 25,000 were under the caVe of the agents and ministers of tbo London Missionary, j Society, .the-remaining 6000 being Methodists;'• •:The :larger-part of Samoa was, of-,- cOurfe, - now ':■ a German, possession,: and '.- he was glad to learn froiii the resident missionary of the London Missionary Society at Apia that the .German Ciovernnient treated the mission with;;the utmost'fairness and gave every facility for the-carrying on of the work. Ho learned, : not,-from the missionaries, but from other's,. that-while the German Government i\ 'Samoa .naturally desired the Samoans to learn .that language, -the natives did not de-, sire to :do'so, but. wore' all. anxious to learn .English." v.},.. ':■''■-■'.■■' ■'■:. .■■.-..'.■':■■■• 'The mission, to: New Britain was started in lS7s,.nnd. there were now something like 20,000 adherents in the: Islands.. \ ~..-• ' ■ :■''■■ The-;' New.'.. Guinea■-, mission .was. started by Br.".Brown : in. 1891,., the S; B. Fellows', of New "Zealand, being one of,.the .first missionaries)'..while - the" Rev.' M. Gilmour,. also a' Now 'Zealandcr, :was..now chairman., of the di»trict.-'i^-. : '\:;.-' j ;'"; ■'.■.;.'•;?-''. v ■;",'-.: ~'rhs /latest mission was. in tho Solomon IsUn'ds. ,That -was started in 1902, and very considerable opposition was shown by...the na.t(ves"at:firstj..but now; the'people were eager to .receive, both Europelri and native min-. 'IsleM. 1 ':;."'/;-?.: 1 .'.-.-■'''-'■ : ;.::.:- ; '.■'.-''V : -:vV '■"' 'V:-! : - ',':'""'■.■• . " 'Tho'.Friendly,;',lslands, "formerly ' a-, '.missiondistrict, .was. .how. 'self-supporting, '• and" the Methodist, portion"..'of, ftv was under the charge of, the Now South Wales Cohfercndd:: "Dr. Morley said he had. noted, that, in Fiji especially, there-were great opportunities for commercial developments.: From what he saw •he v could not\ but regret that, tho - plan ■ pro. 'posed : ; . by the. late Sir '.George Grey many years, oso'that New Zealand'.shouldibecome the head of a.federation pf, the Islands of the Pacific, was not carried out. The time,for that h'ad;now passed. There was little doubt tlint the: opening of ;the- Panama' Canal would: tend to a much' larger European",settlement:in some of'the islands 'and to.'a. very. large "increase in thevdlume of'trade,: and New Zealand should be on, tho 'alort to- secure her share of such trade:-:-..v-.'-'.'.''..'--'.v'..-.'-'r'-;'. .-.'.■-. •.•.•■..■:,■■■.; ■' .;.■■,- ■: : - -