Largely through A. B. Maston's exertions, the church at Ascot Vale, with which he had been labouring with good results, resolved to purchase land and erect a chapel in St. Leonard's Road. Bro. Maston was appointed treasurer for the building fund, and the Ascot Vale brethren worked very earnestly towards the end in view. At one point, having undertaken to raise £50 himself, and not having succeeded, Bro. Maston wrote home to a brother of his in America, and borrowed the required amount, gave it to the church, and paid his brother back as he was able. A very nice chapel was erected--land and building costing about £800--and opening services were held on March 12, 1893. Bro. Maston continued to preach there till Jan., 1894. At that date be began to preach for the church at North Fitzroy, remaining there till May, after which he took up the work at Stanton Street Tabernacle, Collingwood.

      On December 7, 1894, the committee of the Standard Company decided to issue the "Australian Christian Standard," which was printed by the company, fortnightly, instead of monthly as hitherto. The first number appeared on January 3, 1895.

      In the early months of the following year, 1896, Bro. Maston paid another visit to New Zealand, [60] and in December of the same year went to West Australia on a lecturing and preaching tour.

      In spite of much trouble with his face, and operations (one in May, 1895, one in June, 1896, and one in June, 1897), he paid much attention at this time to a scheme which had been for a long while quite a hobby of his, and had been much in the thoughts of other prominent brethren, viz.: the amalgamation of the two papers, "The Australian Christian Standard," and the "Christian Pioneer," so as to form one weekly paper. At length, on January 6, 1898, the first number of the "Australian Christian" saw the light.

      In the new paper, F. G. Dunn, the editor of the "Standard," continued to write the leading article, and did so until the death of Bro. Maston, when he became Editor of the "Christian." D. A. Ewers, the editor of the "Pioneer," wrote the Editorial Notes, for which he is still responsible; while A. B. Maston acted as Managing Editor.

      The paper was an unqualified success from the beginning. It fulfilled a great want in appearing every week instead of once a fortnight, and it combined the strength of the "Standard" with the vivacity of the "Pioneer," plus the energy and personality of the Manager of the Austral Publishing Company. The triple team worked magnificently together till the partnership was broken by the death of Bro. Maston.

      The previous publications had always found it a very difficult thing to keep held above water, but the combination of a weekly paper with the sale [61] of tracts, books and pamphlets, has so far proved a financial success. The Austral Company and the "Christian" are mutually dependent upon one another, and neither could stand without the other.

      "Perhaps the best work done by the Austral Company was the placing of our periodical literature on a satisfactory financial basis. The chequered histories of the "Standard" and "Pioneer," with their constant appeals for monetary assistance, were anything but pleasant reading. The combination of these two journals under the "Christian" was certainly a move in the right direction, and to a large extent was the salvation of our periodical literature. Besides being a really good object-lesson in unity, the result has been satisfactory in the production of a weekly journal of such a character as would not have been possible under other circumstances."--("Aust. Christian," Dec. 19, 1901.) [62]

[LABM 60-62]