TARANAKI BISHOPRIC.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 November 1921, Page 6

TARANAKI BISHOPRIC.

TIME CONSIDERED INOPPORTUNE. PROPOSAL SHELVED MEANWHILE. The resumption of the discussion on the proposal to form an Anglican Bishopric in Taranaki was again before' the Taranaki Archdeaconry Board when the conference met yesterday morning. The Bishop of Auckland (Dr. A. W. Averill) presided. The bishop said the motion before the conference was: “That it is advisable to petition the General Synod to take steps to consolidate all moneys subscribed or to be subscribed towards the endowment of the Taranaki bishopric, by ordering them to be held by the Taranaki Church Trustees.”

It was explained that this motion and the proposal to form a Taranaki bishopric were bound together, even if the latter scheme should not be gone on with at the present time. Archdeacon Evans eulogised the Rev. F. G. Harvie for the great interest he had taken in connection with the bishopric seueme. The rather pitiful state to which affairs had come to pass were due to several reasons. Firstly, there was no closing the eyee to the fact that the clergy were not united in their views on the scheme. Then again the Wellington diocese was opposed to it, as they had other plans on hard, as, for example, church schools and the Wellington Cathedral scheme. Further, the time was inopportune, to carry out the proposal at present. It was the middle class o£ people who were generally found to support the church. These people were willing to give, but were unable to do so at the present. Lastly, there was indifference of the laity to combat. Theirs was a very extraordinary attitude of mind, for they readily gave to outside appeals by other institutions, but would scarcely give a copper to their own church. He did not mean to convey that he was opposed to these outside appeals, but he thought that the church should come first. The greatest hindrance to the scheme, however was the bishop himself. Dr. Averill had won his way to the hearts of the people in this district. And the reason? It was because the bishop was a man, always ready to lend a ready ear in times of sorrow, trouble, difficulty or doubt. He said quite plainly that when the bishop retired, it would be the buglecall for him to retire also, if he had not done so before. In concluding, he asked the clergy to do their level best to conserve the strength of the bishop, who had just spent a most strenuous three weeks, having in that time given 30 addresses and conducted nearly 40 services. The speaker agreed with the scheme for consolidating the funds, but thought it would be best to let the bishopric scheme float along for a while and then, without effort, they could give effect to the scheme when the opportune time Presented itself. The bishop said, jocularly, that it seemed that the best way to promote the interests of the bishopric scheme was for him to retire. He thought, though, that it was advisable to bring the question to an end for* the present. The movement, he thought, was premature, and was not the wisest thing in the circumstances. Quite enough vision had not been exercised, for it was quite possible that the Wellington diocese would be considerably reduced some day and then the proposed diocese would reach almost to Palmerston North. The present scheme was not quite what was needed for real progress and welfare He congratulated Mr. Harvie on his effort on behalf of the scheme, but nevertheless he personally considered the General Synod was quite right in the attitude it had taken up regarding the Taranaki bishopric. It was th? duty of the General Synod, firstly, to ascertain if there was a real desire for a bishopric here, and secondly, if there was that desire, would the people sup port it? H e thought the scheme was rather being brought into contempt ii they tried to force it at an inopportune time, though there was nothing to debar people subscribing to the fund if they wanted to in order to build up the fund for when it was required. Taranaki could lend it help in other ways, the bishop particularly stressing the Home Mission fields. These cost the diocese at least £3OO per annum and there was a fairly large overdraft to reduce.

He did not think that Taranaki suffered much from the fact that the bishop lived in Auckland. Both Wanganui and Kaitaia were further away from Auckland. whilst some parts of the diocese were only visited once in two years. No part got quite so much time from the bishop as Taranaki. He did not wart to give the impression that he begrudged this; he only wished he could give more He was perfectly content -to go on as he had been doing and give his host to Taranaki. (Applause). The Rev. F. G. Harvie, who had been taking a leading part in promoting the bishopric scheme, said that now a definite .lead had been given one way or the other the position was clearer, though he could not help thinking that the General attitude was rather unsympathetic. It was then agreed that the Taranaki bishopric scheme be shelved meanwhile, and, on <Te motion of the Rev. Harvie, seconded by the Rev. C. W. Howard (Stratford) j the motion before the meeting was carried.