ST. MARY'S PARISH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 103, 29 April 1903, Page 2

ST. MARY'S PARISH.

ANNUAL VK-TitY MEETING. The annutl vestry meeting of St. Mary's parishioners was held on Tu <ehy avenii)(j, the Yicar, R<jv. P. Q. HjV.ms, presiding. In co jneciou with the minutes, an im 'ndracn; was mad * striking out the #orJ '• jq the questio i tf church responses. fh, uriQu i! rep ris and Dalanee -sheets, which had bean circulate ', were tnk 'u as ieid. Mi' A. B. R. Fookes mavtd, and Mr Pa'on sGcoaiied, the adaption of the reports aud balance-sheets. Afc r somoqu's ions hid bean asksd aoii answered, tho wo'.ion was carried. The Vicar announced that he had ohosan Mr Stanl-iy Soii'.h as his wardeD. Mr Oorkill move I that Mr Todd be the parishioners warden, Seconded by Mr Skinner and carried. It was decided that the number of Vestrymen be nint». The following were e'eoted : Messrs S. \V. Shaw, Paton, Hates, Bjnn : ste'', English, H. K. Pj)k"s, A. B. K. F.iokes, Kyngdon, Dr. Fookes,

Air Moiton was r-3-appoin'ed auditor, o vo.u of thanks being accorded to him for past gratuit us s rvices.

Mr To ld proposed a vote of thanks to Mr T. K. Skinner for his hindsome donations of a cro->tj in front of thu ■:hurch, and also for thj church site in tho Oirt ingtßD-road. The Vicir joined in the eulogy of Mr Skinner for his gifts, and th* motion was carried wish hearty ap panse.

Mr W. Skinner returned thanks ou | behalf of his brother, whoai he was J sure would appreciate the vote. I la connection with tho Sunday school report, Mr Skinuor regretted the at tendance had not kept pice with the growth of population. Mr H, E. Fookes propostd a hearty v.i' e of thanks to Messrs Skinner, Shaw, inil teachers of the Sunday school, for their eorvicw on behalf of ! he buildings comprising the schools. (Jairied. Mr Hooker oiovi d, That a hearty vote of thanks be tendered to Arch-

deacjn Gove't for his p isfc labours in the parish. He raferied 'o the fact that ho had known the Archd 'acot. in his earlj* days. Hs hoped th:t ths Archdeacon would be sparred for some time longer.

Mr Detnpsay, in supporting th« motion, fUsited to add, "That thmeating was thankful to Almighty Gi9 for restoring the Aichdeacon from his lite illness."

Mr Skinner alsi spoke to the motion. Mr Oooke desired to add, That the Archdeacon be thanked fjr his munificent g'f-a to the church. The motion, as amended, was carried. Archdeacon CUe, who was loudly applauded, expressed the thanks of Mm Cole and himself for the rtc ptioo exended to them, not only by the parishioneis cf St. Mary's, but through >u: tho whole diaii i :t, so that though they came here as s rangers they had baeo made to feel quite at home. When •skel to accept the appointm'nt of

Archdeacon he hesitated' to underiak che duties, for he realised the difficulties to be encountered in following S3 venerable and noble a min as Arch* deuoon Govett, who had been pirt and pircnl cf this part of New Zealand almost from the formation of the settlement, and it might well be said that around that grand figure were gathered the traditions of the district. He had fully made up his mind to the bast of his ability to follow in the Archdeacon's foo'steps—a long way he knewhut still he would take Archdeacon Govett as his ideal. He would not have to encounter the same pioneering difficulties, nor to pass through the otormy days of the past, which his pre-fk'ce-sor had so nobly met and weathered when laying the foundations of ihj church in Taraniki. Throughout the whole district there were evi deuces of the good wotk done, and everywhere he was spoken of with the greatest kindness aud leverence. Touching on the seeing difficulty a fit. Mary's, Aichdeacon Colt? said h was plotsed t) t-;ei th.t this had arise >, as i~ was evidence of the gojd work carried on. To his mind there was only one way of salving the problem, an<l that \yas by enlarging the chureb. He was convinced that an eulirg-id building would be followed by a s ill further increa.se in the attendance, and h strongly urged that no tine should be lost in forming a fund for that pu- p->se. No more fitting and enduring memorial of their appreciation of Archdeacon Govefct's noble work could be ruined. He hoped the time was not far distant when St. Mary's wculd bscjme th* 'i.-'thedral church of Taranaki; therefore in any scheme of onhrgemeut this nhonld lie bornn in mind. Tj i.ccomfdish 'his it w.ts thit an en 1 dowment fund shoal 1 be i-et on foot, and this also c.mld firm pa« t, of the memo ial to Archdeacon Govett He was gkd to see the progress the c.:-urch was m iking, and he congratulated the vicar on the evidence < f h s hard worn and the approbation of his s-ivic sb) the congregation. The increase in the work wai s) great that it was impossible fi.r two men to caver the ground, a third cleigyman b'ing urgently needed on the western side of the town. He did not believe in having the assistant clergy sepir.ited from the ! mother chuich, ss there were advantages in central sing a* Now Plymouth, the clergy being attach d to St. Miry's. 1 tie was euro the large an! vvjul hy e-mgreg-ttio-i at S . Mary's, liberally us they contributed at pi- sja% could spare a little more for such an urgmt need, and he asked them t > make the sacri tie,-. Thete twee steps In su.-g steJ because he found bis nam* on thu lht of officers of the church, and he h>p d his remarks would bear fruit, (Loud .ipplau-e.) Mr 0. W. Govo't would like to se" t,be choir i-pi red some of their libour, and ,he congregation 'akn a «r.n:er ;• «rt in th« service. He t.hou.ht pnces'donal hymui wjre a mi-i-.ak., t-xcb > ->u fes ival o cisioui>, when there S:ioul; !>.i oannerpi, etc. He a'so advocated i asing out. soma of the anth ms, or if t.ey wi re continued th*t a pause should ne made to enable people who wished !o l< ave the church. Mr ITookf-s took the opposite view, tnd pointed out that the large at esidn.iCe denoted tint the services tiS 'it present were'acjep'.ab!e to iha c .-ngreg&'jon. The Vicar stjttd tha'i no alto .. bn would bj nude. Mr W. Skinner moved, Tint the patishionera of St. Mary's de-sire i>> [)l :ce on record the high osteem in I vhioh the late Frederick L. Webster>v.is held throughout this parish, and ■ •iiie Archdeaconry cf Taranaki. 4s a ' (i!cm':er of the c ioir, ves'ryrcun a>.d churchwarden, parish nominator, and mem-iOL' of the Taranaki Tru«t, he liiojiet long and faithfully for his I Muster, and over wied to do Lis duty to church aud Stat'j. * 1 1 The motion was seconded by Mr

D.'mp-ey and carried,all presentstand* itg. A lo« rpirt on the organ, by Mr Oroft, of Auckland, was read, of which w»8 that a' new orgin be acquired and to incorporate therein the present p pes, tho tone of mo«t of which was I <'xeo 1 nt. Tho (wo f> outs and wiud m>o inery co;il<l also bB utilised. He es'imatei the cost of this tcbemeat £6OO er. ct d in the church. Mr (Jook pro estei ag-,iii-t the parish being wtddlt d <vi h any further debt for a now or#*r>, a> hn considered the p os m ins'turnout would do well for several years to c>>me, A njw organ was a luxury, not a necessity, Mr Fletchsr was afraid the present orga.i would not last mtny years. Mr Skiiiner inqoirel why Mr Hob* Jay, who ha i tuned the organ for some ycatv, hid been igoo.<:d. He odvocated dif rri-g f.ny movement for a new organ for soue time. Mr G >veu ooosider«J th*t whatever was done with the org in there should be no wore tiuke; ing. His experience was diciJtdly in favour of a new instrument.

Jn reply fo Mr Webster, Mr Fle'oher said a new oigan altogether would cost from £7OO t.o £IOOO. Mi 8. W. Shaw said that the reason why Messrs Hob Jay were not asked to report now wai thit thay would bare to report on their owo unsatisfactory work, heoee it was deemed expedient to ask advice of another expert. He agreed thtt before taking further action o her advioe should be t>keo. At the same t> mo he hop «1 cold witer would nit ne thrown on lbs scheme and he wou'd iike some encouragement to be given to those who hid alreidy raised £2OO. lie movod thit condition ally on tho choir raising another £IOO, a&d a similar t.mount being contributed bj the ojngregatiou that the vestry be -.u'horitseJ to raise £2OO on debentures.

Mr Ryan seoonded the/motion which was supported by M ;ssra Fookei aud Uoi ahead, the 1 it'er saying ha hid a warm c jtner in bis heart for tbe present i-strumenton which he m the first to play. If other thiugi were more urgently needed then a new organ must be deferred.

Mr Flati her enlarged on tbe difflculties be had to contend wi'h nt every seivice as some part or another wtl continually going wrong, Messr* Skinner, Dempsey and P*ton supported the moti >n, Mr Skinner oakihg that the ladies might vote. The Vicar said he oould not alio* the l idies to vote. The motion was carried. A vote of thanks was accorded to all the workers in the parUb. The meeting closed with the Bern* diction given by Archdeacon dole.