Retires

Rev. J. W. Burton Retires After 20 Years' Work for Methodist Mission

AFTER 20 years’ continuous service as general secretary of the Methodist Overseas Mission, the Rev. J W Burton retired from, that position in March. On his own confession, Mr. Bur ton is 70 years of age; this, however is hard to believe—he is still a handsome, vigorous man whose knowledge of world affairs and interest in native welfare are known throughout the Pacific.

During his early ministry, he was a missionary in Fiji and during his nine

year term there took a particular inter est in the Indians—then employed as indentured labourers.

In 1914 he was transferred from New Zealand and was appointed State secre tary of the Victoria and Tasmania Con ference. He was appointed to the general secretaryship of the Mission in 1925. His period of service in this capacity covered the two abnormal periods of the depres sion and the first 5£ years of World War 11.

In a farewell address, at the recent annual meeting of the Missions Board, the president general, the Rev. H. M.

Wheller, stated, in moving a vote of appreciation later passed by the Board: “Mr. Burton’s broad world-outlook and competent knowledge of Christian Mis sions in our time, his gifted mind and administrative ability, his spiritual leader ship, literary gifts and untiring enthu siasm have all combined to make his term of office a period of distinguished and progressive service in our Church.”

Flight-Lieutenant James Ba Thomson, RAAF, who was on the staff of the Bank of NSW in Lautoka, Fiji, was killed in an aircraft accident in India on April 1.

He was the only son of the late Mr. R.

F. Thomson, who was Chief Labour Inspector in the Solomon Islands. His widowed mother now lives in Melbourne.

This young airman—he was aged 28—had a very fine scholastic and athletic record.