Death of Rev. M.

Prater

MANY people in the Pacific Territories, and many more elsewhere, will learn with deep regret of the death of Rev. Maurice Frater, who retired recently from missionary work in the New Hebrides. It occurred in Melbourne on June 3.

Mr. Frater was born in Scotland in 1873. In 1900 he went to the New Hebrides

as a missionary, and remained there 40 years. In 1913 he conducted British surveyors through the vol canic danger zone, and was directly resp o n s ible for saving many lives.

He is author of a book, “Midst Vol canic Fire”. His work is being car ried on by his son, Dr. Alex. Frater, a medical missioner.

For the last two years Rev. Maurice Frater had been living in retirement at Kew, during which he completed a trans lation of the New Testament into the Paamese native dialect of the New Heb rides. He is survived by a widow, a daughter (Nettie), and two sons (Alex, and Alan).

The funeral was attended by Revs.

John Gillan (New Hebrides), Jones, and Collins, former missionary associates.

Mr. Frater might have been a success ful journalist—he wrote easily and effec tively, on a wide variety of topics, espe cially those relating to Pacific affairs.

Many of his articles were published in “PIM”. His death was unexpected— when last in Sydney he seemed well and alert, a bright 68.