Frankton’s Vicar Springs a Surprise

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 703, 1 July 1929, Page 1

Frankton’s Vicar Springs a Surprise

CAN’T GET HIS PAY CHURCHWARDEN’S DENIAL (From Our Own Correspondent) HAMILTON, Today. Surprise was created by the an- j nouncement made by the Rev. H. j E. Jones, vicar of St. George’s, Frankton, in the oulpit last evening that he intended resigning his charge of St. George’s Parish. No reasons for his decision were given by Mr. Jones last evening, but in a statement to a reporter today he said he was resigning owing to the heavy debt of over £4,000 on the parish. Parishioners were unable to pay his stipend, he said, and work in the Frankton district —composed largely of working class homes —was enormous. The big debt on the parish was created chiefly when the diocese of I Waikato was formed. Prior to that ! Frankton obtained a certain amount i of money to liquidate the debt from | a church endowment. These grants ! had necessarily been discontinued i when the new diocese was constiituted. Mr. Jones, in reply to a question, ; gave his assurance that no dissension | had taken place in the parish causing j I him to hand in his resignation. Mr. Jones has been vicar of Frank-1 ton for about 12 months, succeeding the Rev. Frank Harty. STATEMENTS DENIED Asked to comment on the reasons given by Mr. Jones for his resignation, Mr. B. C. Lowry, people’s warden of St. George’s, stated that he desired to repudiate a portion of Mr. Jones's explanation. “As a matter of fact,” said Mr. Lowry, “we are quite able to pay his stipend, which is actually not due until today, and there are no arrears owing i to him.” Mr. Lowry added that the question was really one between Mr. Jones and the bishop. Questioned concerning Mi-. Jones's statement that no dissension had occurred in the parish, Mr. Lowry said he preferred not to comment in any ' way on this aspect of the question. It | was possible the position would be discussed by synod this week.