The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-11-14
TALKS ON MISSIONS
FILIPIN0S DISCUSSED AT
EVENING SESSION.
Close of Annual Meeting of Newark Dis
trict, W. F. M. s.-Miss Wells Tells
Of Work Among the Lepers.

Mrs. Homer G. Stuntz, from the Philip
pines, and Miss Madeline Day were the
principal speakers at the evening session
Of the annual meeting of the Newark Dis
trict Of the Woman's Foreign Missionary
Society Of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
held in the Union Street M. e.. Church
yesterday, and which was devoted to
young peoples work.
Mrs. Stuntz gave an interesting account
of the people among which she works, tell
ing of their manners, customs and of their
willingness to learn from the missionaries.
Mrs. Stuntz regretted that there are not
more missionaries in the islands, saying
that they are badly needed and telling OF
their unlimited opportunities for evangells-
tic and educational work.
Miss Day rave a resume o the meetings
she attended at the Northfeld conference,
and told a number of anecdotes concern
ing the speakers she had heard.
Miss Day gave a resume of the meetings
dent, presided. in the Absence of the young
peoples work superintendent, Miss Jane
L. Robinson, who was unable to appear,
on account of Illness. Devotion and greet
ings were offered by the Rev. Hedding
Bishop Leech, pastor of the church. Miss
Pauline Knecht rendered a vocal solo.
During the afternoon session Mrs.
j. H.. Knowles, the conference secre-
cary, talked of the work of the general
executive committee of the society, which
is composed OF officers of the general So
ciety and secretaries of all the branches.
The last meeting was held In Springfield.
Ill. in October. and representatives were
present from nearly every State. The
general society now has 316 missionaries In
active service. 26 were sent out last year
and 10 candidates for the field are ready
to go. Mrs. Knowles spoke of the great
need of both men and women physicians in
all OF the fields.
I'VE raised $692, 400 last year." she said.
IAN increase of s76,0 600 over the previous
year. or this amount $615, SS7 was appro-
priated for mission work, an advance of
$26.0 900 over last year
An Invitation TO hold the next branch
annual meeting in the Centenary Metho-
dist Episcopal. Church. this city. was read.
Miss Phebe c. Wells, one OF the mis-
sionaries to Foo Chow, China, who is
home on a fur1ough, told of the work in
that country, dwelling chiefly on her work
among the lepers. She said that this was
not her speciality; that most of her time
was devoted to hospital evangelical work,
but that much of. the last year was spent
In the leper colonies.
Miss Wells said thousands of lepers were
spread throughout the Chinese empire,
and that up to the last year little Chris
q WI "a pSNl dOhC hAhDh6
She declared the spread of the disease
was caused chiefly by the ways of living
of the poor, who had limited ideas as to
cleanliness. Their diet, too, induces i'm
poverished blood. Miss Wells added that
there was little for a leper to do but com
nit suicide after becoming afflicted; that
no door was open to them. and that they
were desplsed and were considered in some
way accountable for their misfortunes,
and that the one desire of the people was
to get rid of them. In consequence of
this. she said, they became more degraded
every day.
Miss Wells said a certain amount of
money was given BY the government for
the lepers in the colonies, but that 1t
amounted to nothing by the time 1t reached
them. She then cited a number of indi-
vldual cases to Illustrate her methods of
helping them and teaching them the Bible.
THE women lepers,' she said, ARE
given a choice of committing suicide or
begging for the rest of their lives.
Resolutions were adopted that the dis
trlct society pay the expenses of repre-
sentatives 10 the branch annual meetings.
and that the district should also help pay
for the circular letters sent out by the
conference secretary among the confer
ence members.