THE PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1599, 16 November 1912, Page 6

THE PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY.

9 HOME -AND MAORI MISSIONS, WORK IN THE BACKBLOCES. ' „ sittings, of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealaad were "continued yesterday. Tlie Moderator (tiio JX6V. A. Cameron) presided. LICENSING REFORM. The convenor of the Temperance Cotnpitted, the Itew A. Miller, gavo nofcico to move:—"That the Temperance Committee be authorised to wait upon, tho Prime Minister, as a deputation, to put beforo him tho changes in the licensing law desired by the Assembly." ASSEMBLY EXPENSES. A number of proposals, the object of which was to. reduce the Assembly expenses were considered. It was suggested that the meeting bo held at Easter, in order that members might travel at cheap rates on the railways, but this suggestion did not find favour, will it was decided, by « large majority, that no change be made in the date -of the Assembly meeting. .' The following proposal was defeated:— "That steps be taken to reduce the number of members to whom travelling expenses are paid to one minister and one elder for every three sanctioned. charges in each presbytery." In support of the proposal it was Urged that the representation in the Presbyterian Church was the most generous in the world, and against it other members argued that a matter of or so ought not to be a sufficient obstacle for allowing /ill congregations to bo adequately represented. An honorarium of 20 guineas was voted to the Moderator. NOMINATION OF MODERATOR'. Threo candidates were submitted for nomination as Moderator for 1913—the Rev. W. M'Ara, Kaikoura; the Rev. A. Grant, Dannevirke; the Rev. J. K. v Elliott, Kent Terrace, Wellington. The Rev. W. M'Ara was finally nominated. MAORI MISSIONS. TRAINING THE NATIVES. The Rev. G. Budd (Taumaranui) moved the adoption of tho Tfiport of the Maori Missions Committee. It was stated in the Report" that the outstanding features of the year's work had besn the appointment of a-deaconess, and the opening of a training farm for Maori boys. The work, of the dcaomess had been so successful that the committee thought that,'in: the interests of both Maori and pakeha it should be extended. The training farm at Manunui was somewhat of an experiment, and temporary accommodation Was provided for from six to ten hoys. It was hoped by the expenditure of less than JGIOOO to have accommodation for twenty boys next year. The director, Mr. Monfries, was giving valuable instruction, .which was of much service to the boys. A promising. scheme was afoot for the establishment of a church at Taupo. The Turakina School was continuing its valuable work, but owing to the loss of some .£BO or £100 of revonae from the Government by the more ridd enforcement of regulations, the school, said Mr. Budd, must depend- mora upon general revenue. He specially tdmmended the steady plodding work of the Maori missi9naries, who laboured under great difficulties. He was hopeful for .the future of the Maori, and he believed more progress would be made in missionary work among theni than had been made in tho past. Tho Rev. A. Porter (Marton) seconded the motion. . Te Piki Kohiku, a Native member of the Taumarunui session, delivered through an interpreter (Mr. C. Parata, M.P.) a short address appreciative of the work of "tho Church of the Scotchmen" amongst his people at Taumarunui and elsewhere. - Sister Alison, deaconess, gave a brief account of her work among the-Maoris inthe back-blocks of New Zealand. She said that the work of women amosg the Maoris must be in the homesj' aifd she was very proud of the title by which she was called by- some of the Maoris—"the friend of our children/' , Mr. J. I. Monlries, director .of . tho Manunui school for boys, spoke of the work of the school. The object, of it was first of all to convert the young Maori -men to Christianity, and the second was to.te'aeh.them. practical farming. 'Many pakehas were now. clamouring that' tho Maori should be put on the same footing as tho white man, but the Maori was not yet fitted for that change, and' the_ Gov-' eminent was doing but little to equip the Maori to take his. part in an equal struggle with the European. The report was adopted. ■ Home, Missions. ■ The Rev. Dr. Gibb submitted'tho report of the Home Missions Committee. The report stated that there were still vacancies and new charges-for: which tie. supply was immediately available. The staff had beet increased by the addition of a number of effective men from the churches at Home and ;from Now Zealand, and there were indications thai before the end'of tho year the committeo would have a supply, adequate to tho demand'. The new year should see, the, committee adding considerably to the '-number of stations. Altogether the .financial. outlook was hopeful. Dr. Gibb said the ordinary man Was not deeply religious, nor even very keenly humanitarion. "I don't believe in humane terianism divorced from the Gospel of Jesus Christ," he snid,' "Huiuonitarianism without the Gosnel.-is like to deliquesce into mere ineffectual slujfli." Ho moved the adoption of the report. " The Rev. J. Kilpatrick (Green Island) seconded the motion, and urged the need for more liberal financial support of home missions. The Rev. P, B, homo missions superintendent, also snoko to the motion, giving some account of Ms journevings in. the back-blocks visiting tl"> .mission stations, in all parts of Now Zealand. Discussion of the business oortion of the Teport was held over until this morning. A LUNGHEON. The members of the Assembly and-of the P.W.M.TI. Conference Were entertained at luncheon in St. John's Hall yesterday by the minister and officer-bearers of St. John's Church.