“Hospital Week” Helps

L.M.S. In Papua

From Our Own Correspondent

Pt. Moresby, Oct. 8.

A NOVEL experiment was decided upon by the London Missionary Society for raising funds to continue medical work among the Papuans. An unusual amount of sickness among the Poreporena natives near Port Moresby had overtaxed the L.M.S.’s resources and rather than ask the Government for further aid, Rev.

T. Ure held a “Hospital Week.”

The idea appealed to the natives’ im agination and was an outstanding success.

Two objects were achieved; Sufficient funds were raised to cover the deficit, and the natives found an awakened interest in hygiene.

This latter interest was aroused to a great extent by largely-attended one-act plays, known as “Cautionary Tales”; by house-to-house propaganda and distribu tion of pamphlets printed by the Govern ment in the native language; and by a Baby Show in which 100 mothers took part. The “Hospital Week” ended with a festival attended by 400 adults and 500 school children, every native bringing a donation for the L.M.S, Hospital’s needs.

M iss P. Brokenshire returned to Fiji to take up missionary work again, after an absence of three years in Australia, by the Mariposa on October 14. Miss Broken shire has been appointed to take charge of the Methodist Mission’s school for Indian girls at Lautoka.

Mr. B. C. Meek, who for the past 12 years has been principal of the Methodist Mission’s agricultural farm at Navuso, Fiji, will retire shortly, and will return to Australia. He has rendered fine ser vice in the agricultural development of the Colony and many of his students are scattered in various parts of Fiji and other Pacific Islands carrying on the valu able work of agriculture. Mrs. Meek, who holds the degrees of M.A. and Dip. Ed., was the -first headmistress of the Davuilevu Practising School, the fore runner of the now well-known Davuilevu Teachers’ Training Institution.