ST. MARY'S PARISH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8098, 1 May 1906, Page 3

ST. MARY'S PARISH.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of Parishioners of St. Mary's Church, Now Plymouth, was held on Monday evening. There was a large attendance, and the Vicar presided. vicar's addbess. In the course of his address, the Vicar (the Rev. F G. Evans) stated: " Large as our income has been during the year, it has not been large enough to meet the increased expenditure of the parish, owing mainly to the up. pointment of a third clergyman, viz., the one in charge of the MoturoaOmata district. While it may seem hard to some that we should have to bear such heavy buidcns in giving the ministrations of the church to the outlying portions of the parish, we nivst remember that our people there are just as much parishioners of St. Mary's as any in town, and that we must help them to pay their clergyman until such time as they may be able to meet all their own liabilities. Many of the congregation of St. Mary's are giving nobly to the funds, but many have yet to learn ihe ' grace of giving.' There are some, indeed, who would never dream of giving to the cause of God what they would willingly give for an evening's entertainment. lam introducing to the congregation a scheme by which it is to be hoped our people may be induced to subscribe more largely to the funds, because they will know more definitely to what purpose these offerings are devoted. " The principle of dividing the parish into three parts for convenience of work has been affirmed several times, and is too obvious to need explaining. It is absolutely impossible for two clergymen to do the work ot the parish, now it has grown to its present dimensions. home idea of the growth of the work may be gathered from the fact that when I came here, nearly ten years ago, there were only six or seven services held each Sunday ; now there are frequently eighteen or twenty When Mr Bradbury retired from the charge of the Moturoji-Omata district, md it was left without a clergyman, owing to lack of funds, I appealed to the congregation on behalf of that district, and declared my determination to retire from the charge of the parish if those parishioners were deprived of a minister; and I am fully determined to adhere to my resolution. " From the Churchwarden's report you will see that it is suggested that I should receive £SO towards the stipend of an assistant curate, and provide the remainder of his salary. On principle I absolutely decline to entertain the proposal. "At the beginning of February, in order to save that district from tstal collapse, entirely upon my own responsibility, and at my own charge I employed Mr E. Robinson, late of Trinity College, Dublin, ic. the Moturoa district, and ho had done excellent work in visiting the people and conducting services. There is wonderful idvance in chnrch life .throughout the whole of that district." balance-sheet. The statement of accounts from all sources showed:— Receipts—OfEertories and donations: St. Mary's £557 16s 9d, Omata, Te tfenui, Bell Block, Hurford Road,. Koru, Barrett Road, Westown and' lloturoa Churches £173 18s 3d, tonal £731155; special offertories and donations, £155 18s 7d ; missions, £24 15s Bd.; church sittings—Bents collected, £lßl 7s 6d; St: Mary's Parish Fund—£l3B 4s 6d; choristers' bonuses, (C. W. Govett), £5; organ fees, £1 His; rent of schoolroom,-£l3 ltis; new Organ Fund—Parochial Trustees £2OO, choir £100; Church Extension Fund, 7s (id •, genera], 3s; gross receipts bazajr, £321 I6s'"2d; balance duo Bank New Zealand, £o4 4s 8d; total— £1931 19b 7d

Expenditure—The principal items were: Offertories and donations paid over, £2Ol 9s lid; balance due Bank of New Zealand, £172 5-; expenses of Divine Worship, £lB9 its 8d; St. Mary's Earisk; Fund, itip.'nds, £6-1-3' 10s; general expenses £BL 14s 3d; church gronnds, £ll Is 9d; interest on loans, debentures and overdraft £OO 7s 9d; St. Mary's Sunday School, rates, etc., £2114s Od; St. Mary's Church — insurance and repairs, £l2 3s 44; Vicarage, rates and insurance, £IU 19s 7d; Te Henui Parsonage—Rates, taxes, etc., £33 lis 2d; bazaar expenses, £79 Is 2d; insuraice Bell Block Church, £1 Is 6d; insurance and rent Motnroa Church, £4 18s 4d ; insurance Okato, 19s 7d; new Organ Fund, £ll4 2s 2d; Oniata Church insurance, 7s lOd: Barrett Road Church insurance, ss; Te Henui School insurance, 9s 7d; St. Mary's Vicarage Debenture Account, repaid, £240: new Vestry Debenture Account—Debentures repaid, £40,; total, £1931 19s 7d. The balance-sheet was adopted.

WARDESs' AMD VESTBY 8 EEPOET AND BECOStSIENDATIONS. The report o£ the Wardens and Vestry was read. The most important feature in it was the suggestions of a sab-committee tint had been set up to go thoroughly into the matter' of finance. The most important were:— " That an increase in the pew rents be made as from Ist July, and on the following rates: One to two seats, fifteen shillings each per annum; three lo four seats, twelve shillings and sixpence each per annum; over four seats, ten shillings each per annum. "That printed envelopes be suit out with the notices, and that the Vicar request seat holders to hand their pew rents to.the Churchwardens during the months of January and July. When pew rents are in arrears, three months after date, seats become vacant, and may be re-let without giving notice to the bolder.

That an extension of the envelope system and the ladies' collections for St. Mary's Parish Fund is desirable, and that a small sub-committee be set up each year to superintend the general organisation of same. That all Country Churches have a Committee who will correspond with the Vestry in respect of their needs and obligations, and who will motify the annual amount, without any deductions, that they will guarantee. In order that the Vestry may be kept better in touch with these districts, the Assistant Clergyman should attend Vestry meetings if he can make it convenient to do so That the Assistant Curate in charge of Western portion of Parish having resigned, the Vicar be voteil the sum of LSO per annum towards the stipend of an assistant for working that portion of St. Mary's Parish, namely Omata cum Moturoa. The recommendations wore discussed seriatim, each one, except the last, being affirmed by the meeting. The last recommendation evoked a somewhat warm and lengthy discus-

sion. Mr Govelt proponed an amendment to the effect that the incoming Vestry should at once make every endeavor to increase the number of subscribers to the general fund, and to report to a general meeting of parishoners in about slit weeks' time. Speaking to his motion, M> Govett said tint he had no doubt that If the parishioners pill their shoulders to the wheel, a sum of —which, he estimated, would be sufficient, pith other revenue that would be forthcoming, to maintain a Curate for the Moturoa-Omata charge—could easily be secured. He thought the Vestry's proposal was wrong in principle. The carrying of it meant that the Parish would lose its present Vicar, who had told them that he would, on principle, absolutely decline to entertain a proposal which meant receiving £SO and paying out £m ■ • , , , •Several speakers having been beard, and explanations made, the Vicar said the proposal appeared to him to imply that he was not worth the stipend he was receiving. With due regard to the delicacy of the matter, he thought he was worth his salary, if not a good deal more. (Hear, hear!. But it was not upon the personal aspect of the matter he took the stand lie had ; it was upon its bearing to his successors. It was no doubt possible fur him to live upon the salary, though, vritijout a desire to

obtrude liis private affairs, it had not been possible to do so in the past. With regard to Moturoa, it was absolutely essential, if they wanted to keep the ehurch going, to place a man in charge. The unfortunate thing was that just when the district was advancing the break-down should have taken pliico, as was the case. He wished to explain that an assistant for Moturoa was not an assistant for St. Mary's; the work of the latter depended absolutely upon himself. The amendment was then put and carried. The Vicar said he would call a meeting of the Vestry shortly to deal with the matter in question. ELECTION of OITICEBS. The election of office-bearers resulted as follows: —Clergyman's Warden, Mr Henry Bedford j Parishioners' Warden, Mr E. B. Kingdon; Auditor, Mr P. C. Morton; Vestry, Messrs R. C. Hughes, Stanley Smith, C. E. Baker, Hall, Bannister, T. Woodard, H. Fookes, S. Lust, H F. Russell, Mallett. CHCBCH ENLARGEMENT, A letter from Mr C. J. Mountfort, Ohristchurch, relative to churoh enlargement, was read, and, on the suggestion of the vicar, it was decided to convene a special meeting, after the Vestrj had made its report on the financial question and the appointment of an additional curate, to deal with and go into the proposal. The meeting then adjourned.