HE WAS MADE TREASURER.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 249, 19 February 1898, Page 1 (Supplement)

HE WAS MADE TREASURER.

Scotchmen are famous for being " up to snuff," and here is an old story which exhibits their native shrewdness, and shows how the collections were doubled. In a small town in the Midlands there is a rich congregation, which is not characterised by lavish liberality. Time after time the minister had vainly appealed to his people to contribute more generously to the funds of tbe church. The members, would, indeed, give something, but it was nearly always the smallest silver cdn of the realm that was placed on tbe plate. A shrewd Scotchman who had recently come to the place and joined tfao churcb, was not long in noticing the state of affairs, and a remedy soon suggested itself to his practical mind. " I'll tell you what," he said to one of the officials, " if you male' me treasurer, I'll engage double to the collections in three months."

His offer win promptly accepted, and, sure enough the collections began to increase, until by the time ho bad stated they were nearly twice as much as formerly. “ How have you managed it, Mr Sandy man ? said the pastor to him one day. “ It’s a great secret,” returned the canny Scot; “ but I’ll tell you in confidence. The folk, I saw, maistly gave threepenny bits. Weel, when I got the money every Sabbath evening, I carefully nicked oot the sma’ coin and put them by. Koo, as there’s only a limited number of threepenny pieces in a little place like this, and as I haec moist o’ them at present under lock and key, the folk noun give sixpences, at least, instead. See, that’s the way the collections are doubled; Great Britain controls 21 oat of every 100 square miles of the earth’s surface.