CHRISTCHURCH PRESBYTERY.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1919, Page 4

CHRISTCHURCH PRESBYTERY.

STIPENDS OF CLERGY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. • Christclmrch, Last Night. 1 "I consider it is a reproach to the Church to ask ministers to live on £2llO per annum." This remark was made by the Rev. Dr. Erwin at the meeting of the Christchurch Presbytery to-day, Dr. Erwin was speaking to a motion by the Rev. J. J. Paterson that the interim Moderator of Malvern, a charge which will be rendered vacant soon, should be aßked to see that the salary offered for the charge in future be not less than £250 per annum. Dr. Erwin said it was just a question whether the Church was not the greatest sweating institution In Christendom. Indeed, if the Church gave a little over laborers wages, with a house "thrown in" to men who had to do six years' study to qualify, was it not the greatest sweating institution! He considered clergymen should be given a salary sufficient to enable them to bring up their children decently, and educate them as a professional man's children ought to be. Rev. J J. Paterson's motion was carried unanimously. The Christchurch Presbytery to-day declared in favor of Church union by 27 votes to one. The results of the voting on the union proposal'amongst the congregation of the Christchurch Presbytery was: Church members 1)17 for. ISR against; adherents, 224 for, and 51 against.