The Victoria Disaster

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 16, 19 July 1893, Page 2

The Victoria Disaster

"IT IS ALL MY FAULT." (PKK PHESB ASSOCIATION.) London, July 18. Captain Bourke, yielding to pressure from Rear-Admiral Seymour, admitted that he twice advised Admiral Tryon, bul without success, to increase the distanct between the two lines of ships, also thai afterwards when the turning signals were hauled down, and the Victoria had swung two points with an extreme helm, he repeatedly told the Admiral that they were too close, and begged him to do some thing. Thrice he asked leave of the Admiral to reverse the port screw, and bofore consent was given the Victoria had turned eight points. Captain Bourke added that, without further orders he reversed both screws, but the collision took place before the speed of the warship was materially checked. Only foui minutes, ho states, intervened between the hauling down of the turning signal and the collision, and when the collision was impending, Admiral Tryou hailed the Campordown to go astern. In concluding Ins evidence Captain Bourke justified the reticence he had observed out of loyalty to his dead chief. At the Court-martial Admiral Tryon's Flag-Lieut., Lord Guilford, stated that after the collision occurred tho Admiral exclaimed " It is nil my fault.

St- John's Church, Feilding. . The annual general meeting©, members of the above congregation Was held in St. John's Schoolroom last night. The Rev A. Hermon presided, and called upon his Churchwarden, Mr Sherwili, to read the appended report for the past year's working, after which criticism was invited from those present. Mr Fry said that though the balance sheet was more favourable, still they must bo careful in their finances. He pointed out that a sum of about £100 this year was received which would not again appear on their balance sheet ; against this must be set nn extra outlay of £80 which would not be inourred in future yearn. Mr Sherwili stated that the method of collecting subscriptions was not at all satisfactory, and had it not been for Miss Goodbohere's efforts their position would have been far less favorable. Something should be done to obtain more subscribers, as at present the onus fell on a few individuals. Proposed by Mr E. Goodbehere, seconded by Mr Allen, That the report and balance sheet as read be adopted. — Carried. The Rev A. Hermon said that it was a source of great congratulation to him that the last yeur of his residence in Feilding showed the most , favorable balance sheet. A feeling i of deep gratitude came upon him for ' the care displayed by Mr Goodbehere in looking after the finances. It ; behoved them to seek out new comers ' and to get them to support their , Church. He could not speak too r highly of the efforts of Mrs Nicholas : and the ladies connected with the [ sawing bee, as during the past three years they had handed over Ll2O to the funds of the church. The congre--1 gations showed a great improvement, | still there was room for better attendance at tbe morning services. The 1 general offertory had increased by } over Lll, and there were 91 more i communicants than the previous year. The Sunday School was also in a 3 satisfactory position. 3 The following officers were then 3 elected: Churchwardens, Messrs Bray and Sherwili ; vestrymen, Messrs Fry, » Nicholas, S. Goodbehere, Haybittle, ! Aileu, Pope, and Saxon ; auditor, Mr Dyer, vice Mr E. Goodbehere,' resigned. 3 Cordial votes of thanks were passed 3 to Mr Goodbehere for his care of the finances, to Mr Nicholas for his serf vices as choirmaster, to the Misses Goodbehere for presiding at the organ, to the lay readers, Sunday School teachers, and all church workers. Mr Kermon then briefly alluded to the position of the country districts in his charge, all of which were in a satisfactory condition, both as regards , attendance and financially. The Ongoa Apiti district, from Birmingham . northwards, had been separated from , the Feilding district. Major Catnp- » bell and Mr F. de J. Clere had been 5 duly elected as lay representatives to 7 tho Diocesan Synod. A cordial vote of thanks to the \ chairman concluded the proceedings.

; Report of the Vestry to be submitted to the Church Members at the Annual Meeting, to be held on the » 18th July, 1893 :— The Accounts now | submitted, for the past Financial "Xear, exhibit the very unusual phenomenon of a surplus (though a i very small one) of assets over liabili- > ties. This, so far, satisfactory state . of affairs has been brought about by additional subscriptions, amounting . to £40, collected by Mr Hermon, beyond the £110 collected by him, as stated in the last annual report, by a further contribution of £5 from the ladies of the sewing bee, and by the f sale (for the sum of £165) of the 3 Church section, in Manchester-street, ' which have altogether realised a surplus of _2102 12s 6d, after paying 1 the balance of £112 10s due on the j 30th June, 1892, in respect of the old standing mortgage of £400. 3 The resignation of our Curate, the 1 Rev. Arthur Hermon, who is going 1 to England, and the appointment, as a his successor, of the Rev. Innes- Jones, 1 who, it will bo remembered, was appointed locum towns during Mr Hermon's temporary absence in 1889-* 90, seem to render desirable a short historical sketch of the church finances during the past eight yeras, commencing with a deficit of £134 12s on the 30th June, 1889, exclusive of the mortgage for £400 which was secured on the Parsonage and church section, 8 in Manchester-street (the securities ' being considered about equal to the amount secured). 1 The Curate's stipend, which was I* originally, £300 per annum, was, on 3 the retirement of the Rev. Joshua • Jones, in November 1886, or rather on the appointment of his successor, t the Rev. Arthur Hermon, in June, . 1887, reduced to £250 per annum, and the amount of our assessment to t the general church fund, which had 1 been £250, was then fixed at £225. 8 This was, at the meeting of Synod in 1892, increased to £237 10s, and it is ) anticipated that at the next meeting * of Synod it will be still further in--1 creased to £250 and that therefore we c cannot rely upon any future assistance 0 from tho General Church Fund. ' The above-mentioned deficit of J £134 12s on 30th June, 1885 was by means of a bazaar, concerts and special contributions amounting to £182 4s 2d reduced to a deficit of £29 13s 8d on the 30th June, 1886. On the 30th June, 1887, owing to the absence of a Curate and the consequent saving of his stipend, and also to extraneous b receipts from social gatherings, con--1 certs, «.tc, amounting to £38 13s 3d 1 there was a surplus of £44 0s lid. 9 The deficiency on the 30ih June, 1888, was £33 19s 6d ; ou the 30th June, , 1889, £74 0s 6d ; on the 30th June, 3 1890, £64 4s 3d ; on the 30th June, 3 1891, it was £72 4s 4d, and on 30th - June, 1892, £76 17s5d. | The amounts received, over and . above the ordinary receipts, froni 3 bazaar, social gatherings, gift auctions, ) concerts, tfcc, during tho eight years, i 1885 to 1893 were as follows : — To ) 30th June, 1885, nil ; to 30th June, f 1886, £182 4s 2d; to 30th June, [ 1887, £38 13s 3d ; to 30th June, | 1888, £52 6s lid; to 30th June, , 1889, £37 14s sd; to 30th June, r 1890, £22 6s 9d ; to 30th Juno, 1891, ) £15 0s0d; to 30th June, 1892, £23 ' 9s 2. Total, £271 14s Bd. To this should be added the sum of . £150 raised and paid last year in re- [ duction of tho mortgage, and also the sum of £111 7fci the amount saved '

from stipend during the absence of a Curate from November, 1886, to Jung, 1887, and from September, 1889, to January 1890, as well as the further sum of £102 12s 6d, the balance of the extra collections and purchase money for the section, after discharging the mortgage, as is shown by the present accounts, making altogether an excess of receipts over ordinary income during the past nine years, amounting to £765 14s 2d of which £510 Os 6d was absorbed in payment of principal and interest in respect -of t^'Wbn^^^STef^&nd above that portion of the sum realized by the sale of the Manchester-street section which was applied towards paying thevingr&gu^i'"-^ observed with respect to this mortgage which was payable on Ist October, 1886, that the time for its payment was extended for three years on the condition that in the ni^antifiie it should be reduced at the rate' of £25 per annum by quarterly payments which have been regularly made since that date. With respect to our future financial prospect it is hoped that as we shall be free from further payments in respect to the mortgage, now so happily discharged, we shall be* able to keep our expenditure within our income, notwithstanding the fact that' we shall be burdened with an increased payment of £12 10s per annum to the General Church Fund. For the information of Church members who have lately settled m Feilding and the district, especially those who have not contributed to the Church funds, it may be as well to state that our ordinary income is derived from subscriptions, offertories and pew rents, the latter being very small in amount (the subscriptions including annual contributions from Halcombe of £40, from Kiwitea of £25, ' and from Awahuri of £10); The payments consist of the assessment to the General Church Fund, insurance, verger, rates, lighting, and other sundry expenses. It is to be regretted that although tbe accounts for the present year show a considerable increase in offertories frpm those of last year therre is a corresponding decrease of subscriptions. The efforts, therefore, of Church members to provide the requisite funds in order to meet our engagements, and to make provision for substantial repairs to the Church and parsonage, when requisite, should not be relaxed. Before concluding this report, the vestry desire to draw attention to the fact that the ladies of the sewing-bee, in addition to the £45 contributed by them towards the payment of tbe mortgage, have expended £78 lis 6d in painting tbe Church, re-roofing the parsonage with corrugated iron, and in other substantial improvements to the Church and parsonage, and that the Rev. Mr Hermon, in addition to £150 collected by him in reduction of the mortgage, has, duriug his curacy, expended out of his own private resources a sum of about £60 in enlarging |wo bedrooms, erecting a chimney in each room and making other permanent improvements at the parsonage. The institution of the ladies' sewing-bee, under the management of Mrs Nicholas, which has contributed bo largely to the Church funds (no less than £123 lis 6d during the past three years), deserves a word of praise, and it is hoped that its members will continue their labours so as to create a fund to be applied for any special object which may arise. It is desirable, in conclusion, to report the fact that during the past year a piece of land containing about three acres, adjoining the* Parsonage, and fronting Camden-street. was (at the instance of the Curate) purchased by the trustees of pension fund on condition that the vestry should accept a lease of it at a rental equal to £6 per cent on the purchase tuonqy, A lease therefore of this land was granted, to Mr John Saxon and Mr S. Goodbehere (as nominees for tbe vestry) for the term of five years at a rental of £5 8a per. an. num, and the Curate took possessiOrJi of the land on the understanding that the should pay the rent which he has hitherto done. The vestry therefore proposes that Mr Hermon 's successor shall ; haye the option of taking the land on the 'same terms until the expiration of the lease. Dated the first day of July, 1893. Hugh L. Shehwiii., ) __ Charles Br_y, {Churchwardens The receipts during the year were as follows : Subscription to General Church Fund, £157 9s lid; offetories, £100 2s 7d; miscellaneous receipts, £9 18s 3, balance received from sale of section, £57 12s 6d i balance of collections by Mr Hernaoh £40 \ contribution by ladies sewing-bee, £5 ; refund, £1 la.— Total receipts £371 4b 3d.* Expenditure— Overdraft at Bank, £61 la> lid : General Church Fund, £234 7s 6d ; payment on account, of mortgage, £9 2s ; verger's salary, £17 ; . various . sundry accounts, £44 12s 3d; balance in hand, £5 7s.— Total £371 4s 3d, ''„,'