Messages from the Missions

836 IMPROVEMENT ERA able to do before for several years past. We read the Era with much inter- est. We are grateful for the success that we are having." Bookkeeping Class, Maori Agricultural College Arthur W. Wilkinson sends the Era the above portrait of one of the Church school classes in New Zealand. These bright young men are mak- ing excellent progress and are studying the same up-to-date bookkeeping eh£ sl - 4Bb jS--» ft LL

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L!L * 3 4 • <r ■ ' ^ # i l *tv j v « # f^ k ■ 1 L r „-. - methods as are taught in the Church schools of this state. Many of them contemplate finishing their education in the Church schools of Utah. The Maori Agricultural College is located at Hastings, New Zealand. Missionaries See the Great Buddha The missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints la- boring in Japan met about two months ago and held a very interesting and profitable conference. There were ten sessions held, besides the regular Sunday meetings and priesthood meetings. At four of these sessions Elder Talmage's valuable work, Jesus the Christ, was considered. Each missionary gave a 30-minute talk covering about 55 pages of the work. It was neces- sarily a brief consideration of the work, but served as an introduction to a more thorough study to be taken up individually. The remaining sessions were devoted to the discussion of the conditions and necessities of the mis- sion. A slight departure from the usual was taken during the conference when the missionaries went for a one-day's trip to Kamakura and Enoshima, two scenic spots just about thirty-two miles from Tokyo. At the former is the Daibutsu or Great Buddha, the second largest in Japan. It represents Amida and stands on an elevated site sheltered by hills and overshadowed by lofty pines and cryptomerias. The height of the bronze image is about 50 feet. The length of the face is 8% feet and from knee to knee it meas- ures 36 feet. The features of the great image are very good considering the

EDITORS' TABLE 837 great size. In the picture the missionaries are standing in front of the tfuddha. They are, from left to right: Harold Kingsford, C. Ralph Amott, Sister Lillian L. Broadbent, George A. Turner, Val. W. Palmer, Bryan L. Wright. Middle row: Varsall L. Cowley, J. Vernon Adams, Sister Ei Nachie, President Joseph H. Stimpson and Sister Mary E. Stimpson, Sister Pearl M. Lee and child. Bottom row: Jos. Ray Stoddard, President Stimpson's child, and A. Ray Olpin. From Kamakura they went to the seashore and ate their lunch, and then went on to Enoshima, or Picture Island. This little island is separated from the mainland in high tide, and then it must be reached by a pile bridge about three hundred yards long. The island is only about 1.3 miles in cir- cumference, but is covered with little shops and scenic spots. In the shops all kinds of shells and things made of shells are sold. After going around the island all returned to Tokyo having had a very enjoyable outing. The conference as a whole has resulted in much good for the work here. The reports that have come in since conference all show that the mis- sionaries are doing all that they can to spread the truth. During the last month a good record has been made in the distribution of tracts, and pros- pects are that this good work will continue. The missionaries all enjoy reading the Era and await its arrival anx- iously. Nearly every number is read from cover to cover, and therefore we know that it contains good, uplifting material.