PROPOSED DIOCESE OF TARANAKI.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 730, 1 February 1910, Page 6

PROPOSED DIOCESE OF TARANAKI.

;:9UESTION:OP/BISHqp;S;STIPEND;. : >'Mr.:.c;-j;;Tunks v(Auckland) -'moved, •in. committee,-the. resolutions; drawn up by:the.;Select Committee on .-the boun-daries-of ."the North Island.dioceses.,- The principal feature, of the -resolutions -was an ' : affirmation-of the necessity for'the erection of,a new, diocese "■■ of: Toranaki. ...The: mover 'stated rthat the , : area' of the proposed:, new diocese ': would "'-be, 3700 sqnare miles, and the over •T/,000, including between 19,000 and 20,000 , church .people. ; There';were. 17. clergy -in -the district,, 26 churches, and five -parish halls, , while seryices,, were, also/'held in' 60 other buildings;' The ordinary income was' £t&iy It was difficult for the.Bishop of Auckland to: visit '.the' Archdeaconry of laranala with ' sufficient ■■ frequency, and the creation of a new.diocese would be' ofjgreat benefit to the.work of:the Church in, the district. .-The': proposed step waa one ,for which the ■ time was/ ripe, and >vhich was .desired by, those, directly concerned.. U;. ■■.' ■■'. '.'-w :■•■■'■' ."..---v, .■: ; : -

Inadequate Stipends for Bishops.

■ ■ Archdeacon -Ruddock: urged, the necessity of.'.; making- •■•■ adequate'. . '.provision -for the, .stipend:.. of*'- , the ■ Bishop. . '■: JHe reviewed "the •financial position of the .'different bishoprics, stating ■ that three; years, .ago :the -Bishop. of Auckland had to appeal to'his people for more adequate .provision, and nad obtained it. Up to/;a,; certain', time, the ; stipond of-the Bishop, of :Waiapu averaged only .£270 a year,, and he had.to'pay :his'own'houserent. ; Nelson diocese gave its Bishop i£soo a year, but they all knew that that was quite', insufficient ■ for carrying, on the vWork :of the diocese, -and-it was doubtless augmented ..from: some' other: source. Should the Bishop be suddenly, called to his rest, the diocese would have to either find at, once a .way /of augmenting the stipend,, or else, choose a wealthy man as Bishop. " The position* at Dunedin was similar. . .The stipend-attached to 'that see also was:' utterly inadequate.-. - The Bishopric of Christen urch was the: only .one "in. New'' Zealand 'that was sufficiently 'endowed. ' .Wellington was inadequately provided for. "-...•:'-. '.."'w .: .; . \ • ..Bishop ; Wallisiil have quite, as, much 'as .1 want.- ' ■■■"■ "■:''. ■ .■..'■■:. . ■■■■..-■ ' . ■Archdeacon . Ruddock • said that, . although'the Bishop of Wellington' felt he had as; much as'he wantea, the people of the diocese would like him to have a great deal 'more.:, It was' the scandal of the Church in New Zealand—this forming of now dioceses -without making ade-quate-provision. He moved -an -amendment to affirm the. necessity of providing a stipend of at-least'XSOO for the Bishop and • a suitable v episcopal residence before the hew "diocese was constituted. • .;. ■ Mt. Tunks. and several otber'speakera opposed., the .amendment.-* f. ... ■ - .-'.;.

To -Encourage Taranakl..,'..-'; ' . « Canon'MacMurray said that if such a resolution- , had. been passed in the yeans gone by there would be no ■ episcopal government in Ney Zealand,'; It would -set.

up :a stone wall in the path; of the people of Taraoaki. They were people .who were fond.of their distriot, loyal to the Church, and proud of the structure idS New Plymouth which would be the eathedral;oi the diocese, but they needed, encouragement instead ■ of' haying ' hard conditions, imposed upon them; •■'.. The amendment was rejected, and the clauses," with minor amendments, '. were passed in the following form: — •.'"■:' "That an urgent necessity .'eziete.,. ;for the erection of a new Diocese of, Taranaki to comprise generally theProvincial District of Taranaki. "That this Synod "while recognising " > tie financial .efforts: already made in the .Archdeaconry of Taranaki towards this purpose, strongly urges upon the ; church , people of. that archdeaconry. and of the whole of the proposed dio- ■ cese the necessity, for makm§ provi-sion-in accordance-.: mi th Title 'B, ..Canon IV, Clause 1, ; and; at the same time assures them of its warmest sym- ■ pithy "andencouragement, a.nd further commends theT scheme' for the erection of. the new diocese ;to ■.the.: practical ■ . sympathy and support of church' peo■pie of this province.";, ;...:; ■• . .

'The committee, did not recommend anr other'.- alterations uJ-' the boundaries of dioceses; ;. ■ ':■',.■:;:/. ;■; -.' -.. ■■~ BISHOPSCOURT, V/ELLINGTON. Mr.: J. W. -Henderson (Wellington) moved the following resolution, forwarded by the Committee on Trusts:—' /'''That,."the.- Wellington; Diocesan: ■ Trusteesv are. hereby ~■empowered' to '■ .-.;' lease. the 'Bishop's ■ late residence in '•■ Mulgi'ave;Street for a:;,period.not ex- : '■■ ceeding! seven years, and to devote the rent thereof to paying, the rent of a ■'■ suitable."temporary residence for the ' ~'; -, ~. \ . ; ■'-.., .The: Bishop' i of "'■ Wellington said that, though he was very- glad to'-see ..the General Synod here,, he. protested against the attempt Ito take out of the hands of the' Diocesan Synod such questions, as to where the bishop should live .-or where the 'should' be' built. 'He : be-lieyed-the dibcese ; alreadyhad power to lease the Mulgrave. :Street property, and he.'bbje'ptd'to the proposed limitation of the, leasing:'power' to . seven years. All these matters should be : loft ■ to ',-the Diocesan ;Synod. ;■' : r .~' '•':■-.■■ ■'■• ■■'•''•'.. ..Archdeacon C.~C. Harper said that the. committoe, in its report.(which has been published in.'The'• Dominion), : had., 'dealt ■with matters—such as;.the site;.of the proposed :new episcopal, residence and which, neither, it nor the General Synod had anything to do. ■ They could; build: on-the top! of Mount Victoria without! the/General Synod having any right' to.interfere..;" • .: '. i- ;-. '

■■; Mr. R. Wilberfoss' (Wellington) strongly opposed : a.. suggestion that • power should be given to. sell .the Mulgrave Streetsite, which, :he saidi would be an admirable feite for a.c'athedral. ;■..' ;!: :'.; : . .■

i ■ The . Eevi-IT.-. H." Sprott(Wellington) said the-General Synod had no right'to destroy any'possible site;for a cathedral. But'ifc would , be-within its rights to say that power should 'not bo given to sell any -possible ■ site.;,', There'..would,- be.- ro cathedral in. Wellington," , inside a generation, and: they must not .tie 'the -hands of bhu'Tohmen-.of a generation: hence. A site 1 adjoining: St. Peter'sHor' St. Mark's might './seem'-better. 15 .or 20 : yeais hence than the -St.-.Paul's sjte. ; .Personally, looking;; to'", the;:tramway.. and ; ;.railway systems and improved ..railway, cc-nneo-;honvwith.the Hutt Valley,- he regarded Miilgraye Street-as in. the. .centre ,of population, : 'and '■ the : ideal- site ' for , ' the future;.ioathedral.\' ■'■>■' "-.- '■•'- ;: ■ .'. -"■-'.• The Bishop of ,'.Wellington ; said . the trustees' should have .'power to sell;, a lease, but'he would '. not 'consent to the land-.being'sold; so ~long as .he was'. Bishop. : He-mentioned that the land in Mulgrave Street : was given": by. Mr;; Tolhu'rst,: in'.'trust,for the ~■purpose- of . a bishop's residence... .' ,-":-.': ' ■'■';-':'" . On the suggestion. of Sir.. J; . H. TTptoni Mr. Henderson offered -to : :.withdraw ' his motion. . He agreid that this would/leave the Diocesan Trustees:, with power- to lease,.but;.not;to,sell;the land.-■. '-' •

' A motion to report; progress was carried. This .has ,the effect of killing'the\motibn.

VOTHER PROPERTYvMATTERS v; - The .Nelson: Diocesani Board of Trustees was '.authorised -to, v sell, or. exchange a church ■ site' at Eiwatai -" and .to ■' sell■' or ■exchange land in v the Motueka.Valley,,.in terms;of recommendations of .the : Committee' on.Trusts'as. already reported; Another resolution submitted-'by :the same-committee'was amended: to read 'as follows, -and passed:—"That;the Diocesan Board. of .Trustees. f or. Wellington Diocese are hereby authorised to sell Section' No. IC, Creswick, at the first favourable, opportunity, and to) hand: the net proceeds .thereof'to the' . Trustees of St.:-Anne's Church, Northland, towards the;liquidation :of the mortgage '■ at:present:,on St. Anne's Church;. Northland; but the money shall not be''paid.until; the mortgage is so reduced, that the. amount owing does: ;nbt :esceed. the amount.,-'realised'-, by .the sale of the land, that the interest accruing from any purchase mbney~be paid: to the Northland' Church Trustees." ;.: ■" " ••. The i . Synod ■ adopted : ' frbm'."thq:-. Commitree ' bn.*-.Trusts : (as:'. already: jrepb'rt&d) authorising the sale., of a section at Blackliead, and the sale of a -'section at .Waihenga,,the , proceeds of the latter ;to'be. devoted to; the purchase of ; land, suitable, for a'.glebe Martinborough.' . .v ■■;: ~ ," ;:, ;, : / ;' :-.u •■'.'.'- .