A CLERICAL STRIKE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2007, 4 June 1885, Page 2

A CLERICAL STRIKE.

A peculiar, if not indeed an unprecedented strike, is reported from Bulgaria (says the Vienna correspondent of the London " Daily Chronicle,") the clergy of the Orthodox Church having closed the places of worship throughout the principality, and not only refused to a celebrate divine service, but having declined to conduct baptismal and funeral services, or any other clerical offices. The cause of this extraordinary strike is as follows:—In 1883 the Sobranje, or National Parliament, passed a Bill enacting that the salaries of the clergy should be paid by the State, subject to a Church rate, which should be levied upon everybody, and which would have about covered the expenditure. The people, however, resented the levying of the rate so energetically that it has never been collected. Last year, when M. Zankoff was Premier, he endeavored to gain the suffrages of the clergy for his p«t/;by ordering the Treasury to advanefPb sum of 850,000f for the purpose of paying the clergy their stipends, hoping, probably, that the people might eventually be induced to pay the tax. This, however, they have still declined to do, and furthermore, the Sobranje, taking into consideration the increased expenditure necessitated by the new railway, schemes of the present military requirements, have declined to let the item stand in the Budget, at the same time requesting the Cabinet to take measures to enforce the payment of the rate. This was too good an opportunity for the Opposition to and they at once began to turn it to political account by urging the clergy to strike, a scheme which has proved completely successful, Between two stools, however, the clergy are likely to come to the ground, as the people will certainly not pay the tax save under' pressure, which it would be dangerous for ; the ■ Government to attempt to enforce. Fortunately for themselves, the bulk of the clergy have private means.