PROBLEM OF FINANCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 707, 5 July 1929, Page 11

PROBLEM OF FINANCE

WAIKATO DIOCESE’S DEFICIT INCREASED APPEAL TO PARISHES (Special to THE SUN) HAMILTON, Today. In its report to the meeting of the Waikato Diocesan Synod yesterday, the Standing Committee stated that the problem of finance was the greatest that the committee had to face, and it made an appeal to the parishes to increase the income to enable the diocese to meet its obligations. The report stated that the deficit of the general diocesan fund had increased by £7BO during the past year, making a total of £ 2,895 since the inception of the diocese. It was pointed out that at first sight this might appear to be a very heavy deficit, but it must be remembered that the diocese started with a handicap of not having sufficient income from endowments to meet the outgoings paid by the Auckland Diocese to parishes in the Waikato Diocese, and on top of that there had been the salary of an independent archdeacon and the whole of the administration expenses to meet. It was hoped shortly to reinstate all the more urgent grants. VICARS COMPLIMENTED The committee complimented the vicar, the Rev. R. L. Connolly, and the parishioners of Te Aroha on their splendid efforts in liquidating their church debt. The Rev. S. W. Golding had been instrumental in reducing the debts on the Ohura and Matiere churches by £136 and £146 respectively, which was described as a wonderful performance. A new church hall had been built by voluntary labour at Maeroa, Frankton, on a site donated by Mr. F. Jolly. The grants for the financial year were still fairly high and the committee was forced to reduce them owing to the state of the finances. At

a special meeting of synod it was decided to discontinue all grants within the archdeaconry of Waikato until such time as the financial position of the diocese would allow the committee to make further grants.

The response to the appeal to subscribe £1,500 to the general diocesan fund fell very mu % > short of the sum asked, although the response was quite good. The sum of £7ll had been subscribed last year, as against £422 for the previous year.