Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-10-04
CHURCH. WOMEN
BRING MISSIONARY
MEETINGS TO END
Philadelphia Branch of For
eign Society Adjourns to
Gather Next at Altoona

crowded the program of the Phila-
delphia branch of the Woman's
Foreign Missionary Society of the
Methodist Episcopal Church this
morning at the final session of their
forty-eighth annual meeting held
in the Fifth Street Church. The
meeting adjourned about 1 o'clock
to reconvene again in 1919 in AL
toona.
An illustrating and interesting
talk on. School Work in Japan"
by Miss Alberta Sprowles, a mis-
sionary on furlough from Toxic, was
the outstanding contribution to the
program. Japan" said this speak
er, does much more for it's men
up to twenty-seven years than 1t
does for its women up to twenty
years, and this disparity accounts
for the extra amount of work and
prayer which we have to give in
behalf of the young women of
Japan.
Must Study Conditions
Aside from the value of interces-
sion and work in accomplishing the
ends of the modern missionary,
Miss Sprowles stated that IN order
to contribute to the general effec-
tiveness of her labors. a mission
airy must study the social and in
dustrial conditions of Japan, the
results of which, when properly
applied, will help immensely in
gaining the spiritual object desired.
A rather pessimistic picture of the
spiritual condition of Japan's army
of young women workers was paint
ed by this speaker, who said that of
force of some 100000 female
workers, Toxic alone, under twenty
years of age, fully one half had
lost their virtue" Promiscuous liv-
ing, due to inadequate housing con-
ditions, were partly the cause, she
said. Though coming to it slowly
and with much hesitation and balk-
ings, the government of Japan, said
Miss Sprowles, recognized the mis-
sionary schools there. This accom-
plishment, averred the speaker, was
the direct result of prayer by the
missionaries themselves. The most
pressing need of her work in Toxic
was more buildings in which to
house pupils. she stated.
India Her Field of Work
Miss Emma E. Donohugh, a mis-
sionary candidate, read paper
postponed from yesterday afternoon
on Preparation of Missionaries.
India is the contemplated field of
this young woman and her talk was
confined to missionary training pc
culiarly affecting that vast country.
At the closing session demon
stration of what is possible of ac-
complishment by the society for its
year of jubilee which occurs next
year, was given. Each department
of foreign missionary activity was
taken up, month by month, by dele
gates representing these activities,
and it's sum total of possible
achievement put before the mem
bers in a happy way.
The last acts of the meeting con-
sisted of announcements of appro-
priations and a short service conse-
Grating the same. Taking vital part
in this last proceeding We're the
branch officers and the conference
and district officers. Miss Carrie j.
Carnahan was leader of this serv-
ice. Ninety-five thousand dollars
was appropriated for work in the
field.
Other features of the meeting
this morning were the reading OF
the conference report read by Mrs
j. H. Mccullough, report of the
Wilmington conference read by Mrs.
V. S. Collins and an informal talk
From the House Tops" by Mrs. c.
H. Newing, branch secretary of pub
licity.
Years Receipts $13s,617.03
The meeting here disclosed that
the total receipts for the year
amounted to S13S,617.93, an in
crease of $4,000 over the receipts
of last year. The thank offering to-
tailed S1S,547.50. an increase of ST.
600 over last year.
Before adjoining to-day the So
ciety presented its past president
Miss Susan c. Lodge, with a certin-
cate of membership in the jubilee
Legion.