Printed by Melanesians

For Melanesians Products of the Mission Presses

WE have received a copy of a book of 84 pages, very well printed and neatly bound, which is a product of the small press set up by the Papuan Mis sion of the Seventh Day Adventists at Mirigeda, near Port Moresby, in Papua.

The book is a hymnal, and it contains the text of 166 hymns printed in Eng lish and in Motuan. Interest lies in the fact that practically the whole of this work of typesetting and printing was done by Papuans under European instruction.

The missionary, Mr. E. A. Boehm, in sending the book, says his two native assistants, as a result of the training they have had, are now capable of run ning the press by themselves and that their work provides an example of how effectively the Papuan will absorb tech nical education and training.

Another parcel of seven books is to hand from Mr. F. R. Isom, who is in charge of the Melanesian Mission Press at Guadalcanal, in the British Solomon Islands. This is now a printing estab lishment of some importance—from this station there goes out a constant stream of well-printed books and pamphlets in English and in the native languages, to assist the Mission in its work of edu cating and training the natives of the Solomon Islands. Judging by the samples of work to hand—’the last of several —the Solomon Islands native printers, under Mr. Isom, are getting better and better.

And now we have a third batch of a similar character—this time fom Rev.

Harold Short, who has charge of the London Missionary Society’s station at Raukele, near Port Moresby, Papua. Mr.

Short has the same report to make.

These samples of excellent printing, he says—and they comprise a variety of booklets and pamphlets—are the work of native Papuans who have Become typesetters and printers as a result of the instruction which they have re ceived at the Mission station.

These three little presses all provide examples of interest to anyone who studies the present conditions and prob able future of the native races. Apart from the remarkably high quality of the printing done in the three Mission presses, it is noteworthy that by means of this activity an increasing number of native people are learning to read (and, consequently, to think) both in the English language and in their own native language. It is a slow business, but the missionaries concerned can at least feel thaf they are not labouring in vain.

Rt. Rev. Dr. L. Kempthorne, Bishop in Polynesia, reached Auckland, New Zealand, from Fiji by the April “Niag ara” to spend six weeks in the Dominion.