Sir Hubert Murray on Value of Missions

Missions.

SIR Hubert Murray, Lieutenant- Governor of Papua, speaking at a garden party at the Australian Board of Missions’ training hostel at Epping on August 13, said that missions were essential among native races.

They had a great administrative value. He was speaking as a Christian, but if he became an athiest he would not change his opinion.

The garden party was held to com memorate the beginning of mission work in British New Guinea in 1891, and the third anniversary of the opening of the hostel, which is used for training- women for the mission fields.

Dealing with the criticism of mis sions and missionaries, Sir Hubert said he considered the missionaries themselves were largely to blame for it. When a stranger visited a mission station in Papua, he was given the best that the mission could provide.

In fact, he would probably consume in a day or two rations that normally would last a month. (Laughter.) This same stranger, when he returned to Australia, told the people what an easy life the missionaries led. (Laughter.) Sir Hubert added that the missions were essential, because the natives had to have religion, and they could not keep their own, in view of the ad vance of civilisation.

Bishop Gilbert White and the Rek M. A. Warren, secretary to the Aus tralian Board of Missions, also spoke.

Among those present was Lady Murray, wife of Sir Hubert. —“Sydney Morning Herald”.