ST. MARK'S CHURCH CARTERTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1309, 21 February 1883, Page 2

ST. MARK'S CHURCH CARTERTON.

A public meeting was held at thaSdnday School on Tuesday evening, which was attended by between forty and,fifiy of.the parishioners. ; . The Rev. W. .T. Western, who oooupied the chair, expressed his satisfaction, at aeeinz so many present. The meeting had been called fur a most important • subject—to decide whether they would ; have the ministration of a olergyman '' among them, for it really came to that, or not, as be had seen the Bishop and haying ascertained, did not think another olergyman would be found if he left., He bad been offered another oura in Queensland, to which he bad at once'to reply, and hehad therefore called them together to lay the matter before them, and,would ask Mr Wilson, the lay-warden, .to' apeak raoro fully on it, as he was himself placed in a somewhat peculiar position. -*■-• Mr Wilson said they would all understand that feelings of delicacy entertained ' by Mr Western in' bringing this matter j before (hem. As he [W Western) had stated he had received the offer of a cure in a.nd it rested" with then) in justice to Mr and Mrs Weptfp tq say whether he should accept it or not; and he should'be advised to give up the church in alt fairness unless they could see their way to pay his stipend. Tho position of affairs was this:—At Christmas last the stipend due was £125, since which subscriptions had been, got in I amounting to £75 7s fid, bringing' the amount down to £49'l2a Gd. They had against thjs £§ §a ip/the. banjc, which i would letye the baiapo due at £4| 7s (id. At the efld pf March ios\%v. inatalment of £(ii) 10s would heoome due whioh would leave #O3 17a 6d then tq be provided for, and the question they ' had to consider was bow oould.it be met, The subscriptions due to the end of March would be £BO 19s, leaving £64;18s Qd, There was about ISO back subscriptions ■' in arrear, only £lO of which they could' calculate on getting in. The hitting of the pnivs had returned about £lO- addi* • tional income, which would bring the . ; deßoienoy down to '£'44lßs (Id, and that was the, utmost he could see they onuld *.' rely on. They would like to see him remain, but in justioe to him he did not see how they could .say that they could j tell him the stipend would be paid. Mr fiud Mrs Western had of late been plaoed ' in a most unpleasant position, he bad gone round canvassing, and she had followed up collecting for the stipend, and he asked any of them to put themselves in bis place, and say if this was the stale of affairs they would have liked. As ha said, it rested with them to decide whether they could arrange among themselves la provide the stipend, or whether they should tel him they would not, and that he had better leave. A discussion then ensued, listing over an hour, in which, M(»srslj. Fairbrother, Francis, Bowles, Price, and 0. Qoodjn we?f. the principal speakers, in the oourse of whioh ' Mr Wilson in reply to a question stated so tar as he could see there would always be a deßoienoy of about £SO a year, and ultimately Mr Fairbrother said he would as|{ them to refer back to the very start when it"waß mooted they should have a resident clergyman, among them. It was then only' providing £2OO. He would throw put the hint that perhaps Mr Western rnjght' bjj, P/gpared to take £2OO for the preaent/'and ag times jre\v betier or the 'population increased, they might'go back to thr£2&}, The RevW. T. the £2OO will you make an ordMWon , so fhaf I may be' sure to get if*r, r will retire while you consider the ttfJPP.Mr R. was. th,en. voted to the Ohafr, and said he thought it appeared that Mr Western wbb willing to accept the £2OO if they could get it, and the question was how to collect it, It might be a troublesome job, but from the number, present there was an evident desire to keep him here, and-tlwy ought, after the efforts: they had made for the churoh and providing a residence, endeavour to do to, It was, after some disoussion, resolved, on the motion of Mr Wilson, seconded by Mr Price-That the loeal-treasurer be requested to employ a oanvasser to collect the stipend ataremineration not exceeding 10 per cent, on the money collected ' and paid over by him. Mr Western, on returning, said that he understood that all backinohies Were- to be paid up to the 31st March next, and from then he was to take the £2OO per annum. -He should be aorry to leave, as he liked Carterton and the people. But he. knew jf he did the Bishop, wqujfl no{ be able to replace him, and aa a clergyman he thought it would be deplorable that 1 the district;should be.left.without■■'.»" I minister,'. He hoped they would put their • shoulders to the wheel, that Carterton Bnd the neighborhood wuuld come to the J/ fore, and the difficulty be got over.