ANNUAL MEETING OF ST. PAUL’S PARISHIONERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5400, 18 July 1878, Page 2

ANNUAL MEETING OF ST. PAUL’S PARISHIONERS.

The annual meeting of the parishioners of St. Paul's took place in the schoolroom ’ of St. Paul’s Church on Tuesday evening. There were between forty and fifty parishioners present. The Kev. Mr. Harvey was in the chair,' and said that hitherto he had had to work the charge by himself, but now he had been provided with help in the person of Archdeacon Thorpe. He said the Church had been prograssing steadily during the past twelve mpnths. The attendance at the Sunday-schools was still increasing. The young men's Bible class, he was glad to say, had been better attended in the past year than in any previous year. During the past ••seven years the weekly average of communicants had increased from 31 to 46. He referred in feeling terms to the loss the Church had sustained by.the death of Mr. Lambert and Mr. George Moore. Mr. H. T. Ci-UtHE' then read the annual report as follows : “ In presenting the annual parish reports for the last four or five years it has been the pleasing duty of your vestry to 'congratulate the parishioners on the prosperous state of our church matters, and the steady increase in our parish income. The year that has just closed is no exception to this rule. Our ordinary offertories are £ll3 in excess of those of last year. • “ It mjiy bo interesting to the parishioners to have placed before them the gradual improvement of our phurch revenues as indicated by the general offertories. In the year 1873 the ordinary offertories amounted to £431 Bs. 5d.; in 18/4 to £465 Is. 3d.; in'lß7s to £6Ol 2s. Bd.; in 1876 to £642 ga. 84; in 1877 to £675 ss. 10?. j and . this year to £788 16t, od.

Encouraging as our progress has been during the past six years, your vestry tbiuk that the time has arrived when fresh exertions will have ‘ M to he made to meet the pressing exigencies of the parish, and the increased obligations undertaken by the parishioners during the past year. • “In accordance with the recommendation of the vestry last year, the church has been thoroughly painted, at a cost of £sl 10s. “The most important step that has been taken’during the past year has been the engagement of the Rev. Mr. Thorpe, to assist the Rev, Mr. Harvey in , the spiritual ca’re of this large and most Important parish. Your vestry are confident that no 6ne who is acquainted with our parish wants in that respect will question the urgent necessity there was for adopting the course that. has been followed. It is at the same time their duty to point out that fresh exertions will have to be made to meet the increased expenditure to which the parish stands pledged. “It must also be remembered that we, as parishioners, have entered into certain engagements which must be carried out, and must (after the payment of ordinary salaries, as they existed at the time those engagements were entered into) be made a first charge on k our income: Ist. To*the Hon, 0. J.Pharazyn, to the gradual reduction of his loan. 2nd. To the organ debenture holders, for the redemption of those debentures, as agreed upon at the time they were issued. “It is estimated that our ordinary income (exclusive of special offertories) for the ensuing year will amount to about £I4OO, from the following sources General offertories, £B2O ; seat rents, £430 ; rents not yet collected, £95; balance brought down, £ls. * Total, £I4OO. And the expenditure (not including Rev. Mr. Thorpe’s salary and allowance for house rent), at £lll7. Under, the following heads : Ordinary expenditure, £607 ; lighting, £45; printing, £l2 ; interest on loan and debentures, £80; charitable aid, £10; sundries, £3O; debt to be paid off, £2BO ; Melanesian fund, £2B ; outstanding liabilities, £25. Total, £lll7. This will leave an available sum of £283 for the Rev. Mr. Thorpe’s stipend, and the balance, £167, will have to be made up by subscriptions, &c. Your vestry have been enabled to pay off over £400.0f old liabilities, but they extremely regret to have to say that, owing to the shortcomings of many of the parishioners, they have not been able to meet the obligations imposed upon them. It has been with extreme reluctance that this has - been from time to time adverted to, with a * liope that it would H have at once been remedied. In this, however, your vestry have been disappointed. The seat rents outstanding at the end of the financial year amounted to no less a sum than £95 15s. 6d., a sum, together with the balance brought down, sufficient to cover the redemption of £BO worth of debentures that ought to have been paid off, and the Melanesian offertory, which remains a liability yet to be met. The vestry feel that it is high time that more stringent measures should be resorted Co, and that defaulting seatholders should either pay their seat dues forthwith, or submit to 'have their scats allotted to other anxious expectants, who have been waiting for years to be accommodated. “ The vestry desires to record its thanks to the members of the choir for their'gratuitous services during the past year. “The vestry also tender their thanks to Messrs.,Barraud and Anderson for their services in receiving seat rents. “ Henry T. Clarke, “F. W. Reiilenschneider, “ Churchwardens.” After a short discussion, the report was adopted. Mr. Bowles read the report of the Sunday school, which showed that the institution was in a very favorable condition. The report was accepted. As treasurer, the Rev. Mr. Harvey read the following balance-sheet: —Dr.—Balance from past year, 3s. 4d.; donation from afiiend,£2s; collected for treat, £l3 11s.; library subscription, 7s. Bd.; donation to library, £2; balance due to treasurer, £2 12s. Gr.—By books for library, £l3 lls. 6d.; repairs, £1 Bs. 4d,; prizes and reward tickets, £l2 95.; printing, &c., £2 17s. 9d.; expenses of treat, £l2 Is. 5d.; sundries, £1 6s. Total, £43 14s. The Rev. Mr. Harvey had much pleasure in stating that a gentleman who had visited the city recently had placed a cheque for £IOO in his hands. That sum he had distributed as following:—To Wellington Benevolent Institution, Hutfc Church Building Fund, and St. , Paul's Sunday-school, each £25; Karori Parsonage Fund, £10; Thorndoh Dorcas Society, £5; Charitable Aid Fund, £lO. Mr. Clarke was appointed clergyman’s churchwarden, and Mr. Reimenschneider parishioners* churchwarden. The following gentlemen'were elected vestrymen;—Messrs. Barraud, Anderson, Bowles, McKellar, Smith, Quick, Lowe, Fannin, Davies, and Wilson.