MELANESIAN MISSION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 118, 12 February 1919, Page 2

MELANESIAN MISSION

.. •. ——t——7RESiG'JfATIdN "OP THE : -"BISHOP; : The. Bishop of Eoehester (President of tlio English Committee) presided at tlid annual meeting of the Mclanesiai! Mission, held at tlis Church House, London!' He spoke oi* the cubic message received by the English Committee on. October 21; announcing Bishop Wood's resignation 61 his see.- • They were;iiot yet. 111 possesion of tho causes which liticl led to that step, bit they;'knew that. liq, would not have taken'it'unless lie had-felt it to be for tho good of tho diocese.. . They fully realised . that' he was -a' 'man who; tvould act from the highest 'and most unselfish motives, and that his decision'was the ' onerv.'hiolr lie ;had felt'it< Ills duty ;tfl niulK. '.The' Mission, during the past year, had been the- happy recipient-' of: 11 'legacy; froiiV; tho' loite""3ljss 'Bickersteth, v.-lio had been a staunch supporter of its funds.while. slip was .living,, which.wouli} not", fall 'short '01 .£15,000. : ''i'here was one matter in connection with wliicll .their, Mission, had been.able .to qontrjbufj valuable, information—the- decrease of the native races in the islands of Melanesia. ... ... ... ... . The following "resolul ion tr'aj -proposed by the Bishop of' St. Albans, and carried unanimously for cable-to the. Bishop : of Melanesia -■- , "This annual meeting of the Melanesia 11 Mission has heard,-with .regret ,the announcement by cable of your resignation, and, wliiio awaiting furiher de- . tails.-....desires to. .express its Sympathy •with you 011 the necessity fortius decision." •. ■ • • • S'ir E. ;-Ri«kham- ; %M"-Eseotfc (luie-'Gov.. ernor of Fiji., and High ComniissionM' for the Western .Paeifio) said, that-he wjis very familiar with the. work'of-'the Mission. .and could pay . tlie, Jiignoit. t r.ibulf? fn the efforts of the Bishop 'and his 1 ''lergy, whether white or coloured. He believed--the' Mission 10 -be -oiiVfho-'"ri!»■] 11 il'aok in trying (0 build up a native ChiircJi by.'triuiiuig .'iip : a. native, minis'-, try," The area of; the Solomon islands was ..not less .than .12,000 .square mileslarger tban'tliiit of the whole'of tlio British \V"est_lndie.-;. But wliiln the British .West, . Indies "was'''.'divided • iahtjSverid dioceses, there was only 'one Bishop for tho Solomons,.-. As ; against tli'p- sneer's thai wero sometimes levelled at native . Christians,. hi<ro\vii : experience was that to get a' good : \vorkiiian' lie' had 'only to 1 get a New Hebridenn-who was in enni- [ mn'riion V.'i.ih tlfe'Cluirch i that it was Christianity that helped to ; mako a-man a real worker. The 11101l talityamong tho native roues was pariljr : lv due to the .introduction of 'European .vices. .. .That ,wa«i-„qt|e jo«spn„why. ! ho had ' always urged tha,l the administration 01 . the country -should'be'carried bn'by .melt 1 of the' - highest .possible character. Ex1. (iniple 'foiii more than anything,- and 116 t. one .'was .(juiuker .at. ri':cogii.:sing.,!i..gentle- . man rind a real Christian thaa'a native of those islands.'' 'Sir' Erne'fif concluded his speed -with a 'I'enmrkable- testimony to the attachment of the'Solonion-island; ers to Gi l ,eiil. Bi'itoiii. ' ';' ■' Other speakers were- the-Hov.- -1?. ,T. A. > Simmons, missionary in Main,. Solomon [. ..Islandsi.-and- t:lie-«.|!ev. -GV- Coleridge-Hair per, Hector of Nowingtoii, formerly Arcli- ' deacon of Kangitlkei, New Zealand.