PROPOSED NEW DIOCESE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9543, 15 July 1909, Page 7

PROPOSED NEW DIOCESE.

At the Wellington Diocesan Synod, on Monday afternoon, in accordance with notice of motion, the Rev. C. C. Harper, ot Palmerston, moved:— 1. That the slight alteration suggested by the General Synod commission between boundaries of the dioceses of Auckland and Wellington be agreed to—2. That the Synod respectfully submit that it cannot agree to the Bishop's suggestion that a portion of the endowment of this diocese be handed over to the proposed new diocese if it be formed. 3. That this synod considers the question of forming a fourth diocese should be held over for a few years to see what effect the North Island Trunk railway will have on the distribution of population. In explaining the position the Rev. Harper said that under the proposed rearrangement of boundaries the population in the Auckland diocese would be 196,600 instead of 214,870 as at present, the number in the diocese of Waianu would be 65,200 as now, that in Wellington diocese would , be 182,800 as compared with 196,700 while the new diocese (which would probably be known as that of Taranaki) would include about 31,900 people. The Rev. A. H. Compton, vicar of Hadfield Hostel, seconded the motion. The first and third were carried without dissent, but to the second the Rev. G. W. Dent, of Eltham, lock strong exception. He urged that if carried it would do more harm to the Taranaki scheme than anything that had happened during the last ten years. He also asked that the motion be withdrawn altogether. On the suggestion of the Bishop the motion was altered tj read "that the synod reserves for future consideration," etc., and in this form was agreed to.