To the S.P.G., 15, Tufton Street, Westminster, London,

REPORT of the Rev. G. E. Hubbard, Missionary at Nazareth,

Diocese of Tinnevelly.

Full Postal Address, S.P.G. Nazareth, S.I.R. S. India

Dated 15th June 1939.

There hardly further report just yet, but as it is six months since I sent in my last one I am making a start on this. For simplicity I am dividing this report into three parts:

(1) GENERAL.

(2) THE SCHOOL.

(3) PERSONAL.

(1) GENERAL.

The last six months have been chiefly remarkable for the number of important visitors which we have had. Some of them were delegates to Tambaram who were anxious to see all they could of mission work in India. Since the beginning of the year it has been my privilege to entertain the following (as well as various Government officials and local people)…

The Rev. H. P. Thompson of London,

Prof. Kraemer of Leiden University, Holland,

The Rev. R. Woods of S C. M., London,

The Rev. E. W. Smith of the B.F.B.S., London,

Prof. Westmann, Uppsala University, Sweden,

The Bishop of Vibourg, Denmark,

Mr. Prip Moller, Architect, Copenhagen, Denmark,

The Bishop of Dornakal.

Some of these had heard of the experiments in Indian-Christian Architecture at Tirumaraiyur and Oyangudi and had come to Nazareth specially to see these two churches. Entertaining people is one of the pleasant duties which is the lot of heads of most institutions out here, and I have a little to say on the subject under section 3, Personal.

(2) THE SCHOOL.

I have very considerably reduced the number of admissions to the school. The school year began a week ago (June 7th). A year ago we were 122 strong, now we number 105. From this it will be seen that I am putting into practice what I said in my last Report - page 3, para. 4. Last year we were extremely busy and needed our 122 boys. This year the low level of furniture orders is being maintained, and the prospects are that we shall have fewer building (woodwork) contracts on our hands during the coming months. For me personally, this is an advantage as it will enable me to get away for much-needed language study. For our present strength of 105, I have good reason to think that there will be ample work for all during the coming year. There is little to report (except steady progress) either about Oyangudi or Tirumaraiyur. Both are sources of much interest, not only to visitors to Nazareth but also to the villagers themselves - and, incidentally, to the architect.

RURAL RECONSTRUCTION. I have felt for some time that it would be a good thing to bring to the notice of my boys this useful and important subject, especially as most of the boys are from villages and will probably return to their villages. Nine years ago, when I was working in Lahore, I built one of the buildings at the Moga training school for teachers, Ferozepore, [Ferozepur][Firozpur] Panjab, and so came into touch with rural reconstruction work. Since coming to Nazareth, I have twice visited the American Y.M.C.A. Rural Reconstruction Centre at Martandam [Marthandam], Travancore, not very far from Nazareth. Arrangements still have to be worked out, but the authorities at Martandam would be glad to receive boys from my school for a month's course, for a very nominal fee.

In the meantime, I have started beekeeping and am experimenting in growing special sorts of fodder-grasses. I am also trying out various types of pineapple in specially prepared soils. All the above can be worked at a profit in any Indian village and would supersede the ignorant methods in common use. All that is required is common sense plus a little preliminary training. If my own experiments are successful, I shall give the senior boys a short course myself and shall make selections for sending to Martandam.

(3) PERSONAL.

With regard to language study, the Bishop has approved of my taking off three months. I shall therefore take time off from the A.I.S. averaging thus - two weeks per month till the end of 1939. This will give me (I hope) a fair reading and speaking knowledge, but will not raise me to the standard of examinations.

How I wish it were possible for me to live on my salary out here. As I am fairly senior in age but not in missionary service, my salary is a compromise between full salary and that of a probationer. For practical purposes the full salary can only be regarded as a minimum one and mine is less than this. On this quite inadequate salary I have many things to keep going:

Allowance to my widowed mother,

Life Assurance,

a good house and staff,

heading subscription lists,

many calls on my purse for charity,

the entertainment of visitors and all the hundred-and-one things the head of a big institution is called upon to do by virtue of his position.

I am trying not to complain, but as a curate in the home church I was infinitely better off financially than I am out here and only on very rare occasions did I ever draw on capital - a practice which I have frequently been obliged to resort to since joining the S.P.G. N.B. I only gave myself half my hill-holiday this year so as to avoid overdraft on my local account. After the busy year that I had had, I could well have done with the whole six weeks.

May I earnestly request the Committee not to add to my task (for this is what it comes to) by continuing to insist that I emerge from the probationary stage by passing language examinations. Three months at the language is not enough for examination standard and again, Tirumaraiyur, Oyangudi and the supervision of the A.I.S. allow no time for proper regular language study. If Committee still insist, then my position will be on permanent probation...

S.P.G. Nazareth, S.I.R, S. India.

15th June 1939.