THE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1277, 4 November 1911, Page 9

THE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

PROGRESS OF 'HIE Y7ORTC. The With report of the London Missionary Society has been, issued. An interestin,? feature in this most readable report is' the record again given of every missionary, on (he lin-cs similar to (ho record of ministers in t'ho Congregational Tear Pock. The nuniher of missionaries in t'ho field at the clcso of the financial yew was 201, as compared with 235 last year—mi increase of 21 on the number at work in 1001. The report: states that the growth has been mainly in tho ranks of the women workers in Tndia and China. In this connection ('here are now S" lady missionaries on (he staff, compared with 67 a decade ago. It is through the Arfhinglon Trust that this inoronso is ixis?:ble. as the Society's ordinary funds are actually providing for no more missionaries than were on tho staff (en years ago.

Turning to the evidence of slatistics. the officials state in the report that they are happy in reviewing the work of the past decade to report a. steady risa in almost every part of the field during the pn-t decade. Tho church membership has increased from 58,05!) i'o Ct.155. whilst the native adherents now number o<)o.Gst. Tho only mis-ion which shows no increase in South India, but the membership in Travancor*; has increased from 70(11 to 11,24:1. China reports a membership which las more than doubled during the period, and now stands at 15,'-'3. Again (he A'

sir !i bus also more than doubled ils membership; whilst the Church in Madagascar, wit'll all its trials, reports a memIxwship of 20,-!!0, compared with 21,061 in 1901, TUo Polynesian churched havo in-

creased from H,M! to 10,402, tho growth be:n.i- mainly m IVpua. On (he educational side of tho Socielv's work, we find (hat marvellous strides have been made during the period under review. At present fhero are 70,70!) scholars in the Sunday Schools, as compared with 4S,7(j'B Un\ years ago. Thisiiumber Mauds to-day, in spile of (ho reduction of 14,500 scholars in Madagascar in eonscquonco of Iho educational isolioy of the French Government, and in addition to tho transference of work of important districts to other societies, and represented to the extent of 2000 scholars. METHODIST CHURCH HOUSE. MAGNIFICENT BUILDING IN LONDUN. Londoners have watolwd with interest the approach towards completion of tiio magnificent building which the vV'eslcyan Methodists, at an outlay, npart ,'ruin 'liie site (which cost .jM.UuO), of JJJCO.OM), are erecting on tho si to 'of tho old Aquarium. Tins building is to bo the iilec-ca of Wesleyau Methodists throughout tho world, and the centre of Wc»leyan Methodist activity. Without a doubt it is the most splendid Cliurch House in existence, and a great addition to London's buildings. A portion of tho site has been sold to Messrs. Hollowny tiros., who have crccicS ' the Caxtou buildings ou it, and another portion, whereon Mrs. Langtrv's theatre used to stand, is still in the hands of tho trustees. A section of Clio Church llouso ba : , | been lot to tho City and Midland Hank, and the second and fourth doors aro let, or being let, as oliices. Tho third door is wholly <!•-titan to various departments of the Weslevan Ikthoiliit Church, such as Home 'vicious, the Joint Committee of the Metropolitan Chapel Buildings Fund, ; nd (ho London Mission, tho Connoxbual Fund, tho Common Council Office, Army and Navy Board, Tempernnca Committee, Local Preachers' Mutual Aid, etc. Two noble rooms en the first floor have boon taken at a suhs.tauti.il u-iit by Wosleyan Methodist ladies, for use as a ladies' club. Lady l'erks will bo president, and hero tho members will gather for social and other meetings. On the same floor aro two hugo and palatial committee rooms, in tho larger of which the conference committees will meet. The glory of the building is to he tho Great Halt, not yet finished, c-prioachcd by a gorgeous marble-columned enliunco hall, itself eapablo of conveniently lidding 33G0 peopio at a reception. The hall, whose dome is, according to oik of tho officers of the Church, to l.c "the finest in liondon," is to scat 2»0 persons. At the rear of the platform is provision for a great orchestra, as well as for a costly organ, still to bo built. Tho deep gailery at the rear and the wide side galleries have been so • reeled that the acoustic properties of the place rill, it is claimed, bo perfect. Tho hall will ho available for letting for concerts, conleronces, etc. Services will bo hold in I it on Sundays, morning and evening, under tho superintendence of tho Rev. J. E. wakerlcy, tho minister of tho Westminster Buildings, as well as a Brotherhood meeting in the afternoon. All the activities of a modern Methodist mission will bo carried on here. The enormous hall under the Ureal _u.aU is to be divided into two p rtions by screens, so that, if necessary, tho two halls may be made one—one to bo usod as a conference hall—it will scat 1000 people—and the other as a magnificent library and lounge. A still lower hall is to no set anart for tea rooms. It is not expected' that the Great Hall will be ready until next sprin;;. and possibly it will not be opened until the following autumn.—"Daily News." SOCIAL PROBLEMS. UNITED FREE CHURCH CONGRESS. Tho Assembly of 3911 of tho United Free Church authorised the holding of a ChirVch Congress in the Assembly' Hall, Edinburgh, from Tuesday, October 31, ta Edinburgh, from Tuesday, October 31, to is tho discussion of moral and social questions affecting the religious life of the people, and for the discus-don of which tho ordinary meetinj-s cf Church Courts afford no adequate..opportunity. Tho programme of proceedings has mow been- issued, and shows that tho gatherings aro likely to bo of exceptional interest. Dr. Wells, Moderator of General Assembly, will pre.ride at a public meeting in tl'ie Assembly Hall on the evening, cf tho opening day, when the list of speakers in-cludes-.-Mr. Robert V. Harcourt, M.P., Mr. John W. Gulland, M.P., Mr. Charles ;... Lyell, M.l'., Colonel Joh..i Denny (Dumbarton), and Rev. It. J. Drummond. D.D. (Edinburgh) On Wednesday, November 1, tho first meeting of Congress will- bo concerned v;ith ' Unemployment." J!j\ David Wil-i-on (Edinburgh Trades Council), Mr. William Adamsou, M.I 1 ., and Mr. John Cowan, D.L. (Edinburgh), aro expected to give addresses. In tho afternoon the second meeting of Congress will deal with "Moral and Religious Bearings of Housing" and "Industrial Legislation—A Factor in Social Reform." Sir Samuel Chinholm, Bart., is the chairman announced for tho public meeting in the evening, and he will be supported by Mr. F. Herbert Stead, M.A., London; Professor J. E. M'Fadyen, D.D.. Glasgow; and the Rev. David Watson, Glasgow. On Thursday morning "Tho Care of tho Poor," "The Poor Law Report in Relation to tho Churches," and "Rural Depopulation" will have such able exponents as tlic Rev. A. Herbert Gray, J.I .A., Glasgow; and Mr. Hamilton Maxwell, W.S., Edinburgh. Professor Lodge (Edinburgh) will speak on -'Charity Organisation" in the afternoon; and llr. Fred Hamilton (j.dinbm'gli Trades Council) and Eailio Thomson (Montrose) on "The Moralisation of Trade and.Commerce." Tho Lord Provost of Edinburgh is expected to preside at tho public meeting in the oveninr, with Mr. John Hodge, M.P., Dr. John Young (ex-Moderator of Assembly), the Lion. Master of Fohvarth, and Canon Eawnslcy (Keswick) as the other speakers. CHRISTIANITY IN JAPAN, A RECENT SVNOD, • The "Churchman" (U.S.) mentions that at the tcith synod oi tho Japaikso Church it was significant, not only that iTTonry-thrc-o out ol the thirty-six clerical delegates and all of tho thirty-six lay delegates wore Japanese, but also that tho chief part in the debates was taken by the Japanese representatives. A recoisnieadaiion was brought in by tho Bishop of South Toido, a ciistrict hitherto largely worked by mikvionarirs from Canada, to form out of it a new jurisdiction under a bishop to Ire appointed and supported by the Canadian Church. When the question was asked whether tho new bishop could be a Japancc, ; !:<, answer was returned that while there was no constitutional hindrance to prevent it, tho Synod did not wish it to bo understood that it desired such an appointment. A motion also for tho appointment of a suffragan or assistant bishop was reported back from the committee to which it was referred, which advised against tho admission of such a provision into tho canons. The Upper House of Bishops asked the Synod to accept the conditions relating to the future consecrating of Japanese bishops that had been proposed I bv the Archbishop of Canterbury and by tfw House of Bishops in America. Tho Lower House declined to commit tho Church to any restrictions that implied necessary reference to the churches in England and America. Tho bishops accordingly withdrew their request. NEW DEAN OF NORWICH. DR. BEECHING APPOINTED. The Rev. Henry Charles Beeching, D. Litt., Canon of Westminster, has'been appointed Dean of Norwich in succession of the Very Rev. H. ltusscll Wakefield, D.D., who lias succeeded Dr. Gore as Birhop of Birmingham. Poet, preacher, and professor, Dr. Beecliing is a City of London schoolboy. Ho was appointed Canon of Westminster in 1902 at the ago of forty-three. Ho is equally well known for his "Pages from a Private Diary," his anthology, "A Paradise of Englißh Poetry," and his own poems, of which his "Boy's Prayer" is characteristic: God Who created mo Nimble and light of limb In three elements free, I To run, to ride, to swim; Not when the sense is dim, But now from tho heart of joy, I would rcmemlxr Him, Tako the thanks of a boy.

A large bowl of cold water, placed in a room overnight, will modify the disagreeaUo Binell of stale tobaccOj