Correspondence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 579, 22 May 1858, Page 4

Correspondence.

To tfelSdUor^f-the'Tjyffili-on'Tinies. ':> Sir,—l am glad to see that my last letter has induced Mr. Willock to publish the proposition ' which he brought forward at the last meeting of the Church Property Trustees, as the public at large will now have an opportunity of forming an opinion on the^subject and judging whether their representatives were right in declining to consider it. , I notice that the resolution does not specify how the interest which would accrue from the re-investment in debentures, etc., is to be'applied; but no doubt it is intended that it should be expended in supplying the present wants of the church i and if eg, the proposition-is- substantially what I represented it to-be, except that the actual value of--the property would not be in the least -diminished, but, instead of lying idle, it would-becouie at once a source of res-enue, and-1 am sure that any one at all acquainted with, the subject must see that it is absurd to expect the church will derive anything like an adequate income from, the letting of land on short leases, as long as so many facilities exist for purchasing, or renting it with a right of purchase. Surely, sir, it is the worst policy to let the church starve in what may becalled'its infancy, that it may at some future time become wealthy (not that the present course is the one best calculated even to attain the latter result). My own observation would lead me to consider such a policy perfectly suicidal, and calculated only to encourage every species of dissent. It is in the hope of averting such a result that I have ventured to call attention to the subject. I think Mr. Willock is mistaken in deprecating any discussion until the matter lias again been brought before the trustees, as it is but right that the body should become acquainted with the opinions of those they represent. I am, sir, Your obedient servant, . . JAMES WYLDE. Ivaiapoi, May 14, 1858.