MORALLY CLEANER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 692, 18 June 1929, Page 16

MORALLY CLEANER

SYDNEY PRAISED BY SIR GEORGE FOWLDS IMPRESSIONS OF TOUR Morally Sydney is immensely cleaner than It was seven years ago. That is one of the impressions gained by Sir George Fowlds, who returned to Auckland this morning by the Marama after an extended visit to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra. Sir George’s object in visiting AusAustralia, his first trip there for seven years, was to attend meetings of the Congregational Union of Australia and New Zealand, which were held in Brisbane, and the annual meeting of the Australasian section of the London Missionary Society in Sydney. Speaking of the Brisbane meetings, he said that they were very successful in every way. Churchmen and laymen were gathered together from all parts of the Commonwealth and New Zealand. Sir George said that the Rev. Lionel Fletcher was missed from the meetings, as many of those present had looked forward to his addresses. MISSIONERS’ FUNDS

Sir George’s principal object in visiting Brisbane was to second the amalgamation of the missioners’ retiring funds of the different States of the Commonwealth and of New Zealand. This has been under consideration for many years.

Although the meeting did not reach an absolute finality, it came to a unanimous agreement on some general principles which the scheme had to embody, and these, with a statement of the various funds available, have been handed to an actury in Melbourne, who will produce a scheme which, it is hoped, will be satisfactory to all States. The difference at present is that some of the Commonwealth States and New Zealand have strong funds, while other States have very little. Commenting on other incidents of his tour, Sir George said that during the past seven years the development and progress of Sydney has been marvellous. He was amazed to find the city immensely cleaner morally. Canberra, he says, will become one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Although there has been a good deal of criticism, it has wonderful assets. AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES During his stay in Australia Sir George addressed several Rotary Club gatherings and also made an investigation of agricultural education and research work at the various colleges. He visited Hawkesbury Agricultural College, where some very fine work is being done. “In the next year or two, when our Massey College is thoroughly equipped, New Zealand will not be one bit behind Australia in this respect,” said Sir George.