Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-31
Snecial Cahlsgram to The star.

Special Cahlegram to The star.
LONDON May 30-The May meetings
are almost ended 4 few Of them extend
over into June but the great major itN
Of the GATHERINGS of societies animated
with the various church bodies are out
of the way for another year, 50 that re-
suits NAV be counted A very moderate
estimate shows that .n.00 visitors came
to London for the meetings Special
trains brought 5000 persons from the
provinces for the Wesleyan Missionar!
Society meetings at Albert Hall, ana
some leo delegates attended the Congre-
rational Union convention. The Lon
don Missionary Society and the Society
for the Propa gator of the Gospel botn
attracted large crowds. and the two
score of smaller gatherings all had their
fervid supporters
In fact il was evident that the May
meetings are increasing in popularity
The railways make it more OF an lAuuce
ment for the churchmen 10 come 70 Lon
don. and the lodging houses take better
care of their patrons than they once dld
The ore great drawback Is the lack OF
suitable places for these huge assem-
blages Outside Of Albert Hall there IS
almost no one place that Will nold fedl
crowd The loss Of Exeter Hall has been
keenly felt The Evangelical Alliance
took up this matter in particular. ana IL
officers urged the construction or CEN
trail meeting place. as its house on Addm
street is old and quite inadequate. Gias-
gov and Dublin have halls that can ac-
conlmodate thousands. but London has
only the one now. since Exeter Han was
sacrificed to the rapacity of business
In spite of the bad times, most OF the
Church organizations made a good imam
cial showing. The Church Missionary
Society reported an income of about -
%a1 tn
ward working capital for the organize
ton. The Colonial and Continental
Church Society. which does great work
among the Englisn-speaking peoples IN
$4,000 for its needs. The Church Pas
toral Aid Society garnered S3o.nD TOR
the support of 76o curates. IT. lay agents
and 13a women workers in poor but popu-
lous parishes. The Waits and Ssrays 50.
ciety of the Church of England showed
receipts of about 100000 in year, which
the Bishop of London characterised as
the worst he ever knew.
TIE Wesleyan Missionary Society led
this year in point of numbers, ard ceie-
brated its ninety-fifth anniversary The
secretary's report showed that the mem
bership at the missions al the end or
1907 was 1924. an increase OF 1882 for
the wear. the expenses having been about
SIO15DOo or $1,000 more than the IN
come The greatest growth had been IN
the West Indies. where 2.c4 memoirs
were added during the year An appear
was made for ~ more missionaries and
500 e{D additional funds. of which sum
$4,000 would be used for new buildings
Several of the evangelists who work IN
the large cities declared II was becoming
harder each year TO reach the average
workingman as he fights shy of churches
and chapeis.
The second largest meetings were those
Of the Congregational Union. in connec-
ton with which We're the meetings OF hhe
London Missionary Society. Most of the
time Of the union was devoted TO consld-
Grafton of the education bill pending IN
parliament which will have little support
from the Congregatonalists. The Mis-
sionary Society had expenditures of near
" 81 OG1 0O1 for the year. or Sl"'G'
greater than its income, the accumulated
deficiency now standing against the so
cietv being upward of s's0c0o. The lack
Of male candidates for the missionary
field is one of the great regrets of the
society
One whole day of the union was given
over TO the subject of Sunday school re-
form especially with the proposed grad
ing system and the establishment OF paid
slIperintendents. whose duty ii should be
10 train the teachers for their work. An
ether suggestion was to the effect that no
school should have over 100 pupils. and no