The Wairarapa Daily MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 1890. The Support of Religious Institutions.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3402, 6 January 1890, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily MONDAY, JANUARY 6, 1890. The Support of Religious Institutions.

In the Wairarapa we not (infrequently hear of ministers of religion preaching to their Books not on spiritual matters, but on pounds shillings and pence. Weconsider JB.e.d. sermons are somewhat derogatory to the pulpit, and that they never ought to be delivered, But in saying that they never ought to be delivered we may add that there novor should be any occasion for their delivery, Tho financial aspect of religious institutions can perhaps be even better discussed by the press which recognises that apart from higher considerations wiricu journalists are not supposed to handle, ministers of religion exercise a moral and educational influence on the community, and ought to be supported. Now there are.certain.dis* tinct obligations, both on the part of a Minister, and on the part of his flock whichought to be fulfilled. It is the duty/of the minister to provide for the spiritual needs of his people, and. it is equally tho duty of the people to prbvido for the temporal wauts of their pastor. These temporal; wants in the Wairarapa are usually assessed at amounts varyiug from £l5O to £BOO per annum, and average an income which would be despised by educated men in other walks of life, such as medicine, law. or even journalism. ■ But whatever the assessments may be, it is specially incumbent that they should be paid in full and to the day. It is nonsense to expect a minister to givo'due thought and care to the spiritual duties of his office if his mind is distraoted by debt and difficulties; if his salary is in arrear, and he is expeoted by all sorts of spurts and contrivances to finance his church afong. Wo do not hesitate to say that a -congregation makes a bad bargain when it tLrows the burden of, supporting religious, institutions on tho clergyman, oblivious of tho consideration that if he is to do his, proper work efficiently ho ought to be relieved of all responsibilities of this character. Only yesterday we heard of an apt illustration of the remarks we have made. The Presbyterian Church in Masterton has been wont to bear an exceptionally good name in making an adequate provision for rpligious purposes. While other pburohps have.been plunged in debt, it hsß pppareptly pursued a tranquil career of solvency. Yet we are informed that ycsterJiy the minister of that church found it necessary to deliver a pounds, shillings, and pence sermon, reminding his congregation that during the past year their contributions. had fallen short by some fifty pounds of the amount required to meet their engagements. Now it is notorious that this particular minister does fulfll his side of the contract, for his congregation geno rally speak of him as supplying their spiritual needs abundantly and persistently, end it is a 'distinct failure of duty oil their part if they do not in ritgrn-pay Jijm hjs full stipend punofcuajiy at the dajojj wljen it beomies due. Wo dp not bplieyp that tlie Presbyterians aro : worse • "in this respect than other religions bgdjea.; oil the contrary, they have: usually set a good example, and if during the past year they have made a lapse, the offence with them is not likely to assume the phronioform which it has taken in other quarters. Speaking generally, we fear that the manner in which religious institutions in the Wairarapa are supported, is discreditable, and that, the onua.gf such support rests, clearly, not upon the ministers' themselves, but on the lay members of the ohurches. The latter do not' to recognise their obligations tomake a decent provision fur ; their! religions, services, .or to understand the moral obligation involved 1 in {ho contract between minister and congregation. There seenia lb : be a vaguo sort of impression ihjrtjbjpß raonoy is tbe uijnisterls primary funpfipji, loug-as field tij do this

tjiey.act"fairly towards him. Bis time ■ thati;. church, members were plainly reraindcri ? tliat a minister of religion'should riot bo expected to concern himself with money matters by the raising ;bf a single sixpence,' aud that jußt the ."nine- an the merchant or "banker pays bia clerk his, .monthly or quarterly stipend in full measure andnn due date, so any self respecting: congregation should pay their pastor.

The record of the Gear Meat Company for the past year has been very gratifying. New Zealand Company enterprises, taken for some time past, have been disastrous failures in very many instances, and public confidence has justly been shaken in joint stock undertakings, We may take it as a good augury that a company like the one referred to comes to the front willi a substantial andwell-earnod dividend. Town and country settlers pulling together have made it a splendid success, and wo trust that other local undeitakings.will be tibia to achieve a like result, and the old bad reputation of joint stook, enterprise becomo a thing of the past. That the Wellington province has in the past floated many a bad and utterly unsound venture is a matter of notoriety, but we hope for the futuro to see sound and legitimate enterprises like the Gear Meat Company retaining public confidence, and the cripples that now and again are fostered on an unwilling public by pertinacious brokers or needy adventurers sternly suppressed.

The Mastorton Rifle Volunteers parade to-night. Business of importance has afterwards to be transacted,

Mr 0. G;Beokettj.lato''propriotor of the Wnirar'apa Obsorver, has purchased the Marlborough Daily Times newspaper. Messrs Lowes and lorns announoe their next sale for Wednesday, January 15th, entries for which comprise 550 fat sheep, and 240 head of oiUtlo. Tenders aro invited by tho Alfrodton Road Board lor. twonty-six-. chains of metalling on the District Road. Specifications cau be seen nt Mr TiappV Storo and- Mr S, M. Georgo'a Accomodation Bouse, Alfredton. Mr S, Mawley favors us with tho following record taken at Ditto, Kanntumau. Itiiinfall for 1889 3(im u'6, being no loss than 15iu OH, below the avorage of the preceding eight years,

, A fire broko out on board tlica.s: Arawa lying alongside the Quean's Wharf, Wellington i yesterday. It originated in tho storeroom adjoining the engine room, but very little dam ige was done. J! cars aro entertained for tiio safety of MrS, J, Deck (dentist) and wile who with a boy left Stewart's Island for tho B'ull on Npw Years' Day in an opeii boat and have not since been hoard of, It ij quite possible they may havo beat back to Paterson's inlet.

Tenders are invited by tho Chief Surveyor, Mr J,:W. A, Merchant for two miles of bushworh. and .formation of horsoroad Makuri. Plans and specifications can be seen'at Mr Dirnio's store, jPahiatua, and tenders, close on Friday, 31s*. January,

We are glad to notice that Mr Mansfield, monumental mason, of Wellington, who recently sustained a severo fracture, of tho leg, and has for six weeks been an inmate of tfia hoapi'al of that city,- has so far recovered as to bo able to oxeouto orders with his ordinary despatch and promptitude. This intimation will no douotbe of interest to numerous patrons in this district. ' - ■ ,

The Wellington Pastoral Society has adopted a novel plan of deuling with Judgos expenses, It has boon intimated to settlers at a distance who acted In that capacity that if tliey require their expenses thoy must sond in a claim for them. This is a graceful way of acknowledging services rendered and it would no doubt bo appreciated by thoso who desiied to be reimbursed for their travelling outlay. An authentic; case of a young man having been buiied alive oomoi from the Commune d Roussillion, in tho departmont of the Vauulnso. Tho apparently deceased person was only twenty years of age, aud had luccumbed -according to tho doctor who had delivered the buriii certificate—ifter a short illness. The parisii grate-digger who also, acted as uudortakor told his wife confidentially that aitor lie had nailed down the coffin lid he heard tho supposod .dead man moan, and then knock violently against, tho buards -, of his narrow . prisons Instead of opening tho coffin at once, the gravedigger went on with his lugubrious work, beiup afraid, as he said, to see the supposed dead man rise up out of lm shroud, This terriblo affair is now being investigated by the Juge d'liißtruction of Apt. " ilapier" contributes tho following to the Illustrated Sporting'and Dramatic News;— Few people havo any idea of the sums of money that aro dkibutod by means of tho theatres, I behove. I am tolerably close to the mark in saying that to raise the curtain at tho Lyceum costs as nesrlyas possible £230 a nisrht at the present time when "The Dead Heart" is beinpr played, for amongst pthor items Mr Irving's rent is £5,000 a year, and the bare rent is only about half a manager's expenditure on his proparty. Happily for Mr Irving, ■. tho Lyceum holds about £420 a night, and there is vory rarely, inuoh room to spare, so that an agreeable margin for profit exists.. 1 supposo, by the way, that nu actor in tho history of the theatre has over drawn, nearly as much money within, say ton years as has boenattractcd by Mr Irving, and there can bo no doubt that he has played to tho richest. houses ever brought together, At Boston ono evening' whan, "Faust" was given the receipts wore £5 short of £2,ooo,but what, the expenses added up to with .a huge company and nwny tpns of scenery to drag across tho Atlantic I cannot say. During Mr J. L. Toole's recent' visit to Belfast a must amusing thing happened. Thosuit of clothes in whioh he plays the Artful Dodger, isonelieprizos Ki'ootly. It is cprnpored of rags and patches, held together by old buttons and pieces of string, Mr Warden for purposes of advertisement, made arrangements with a fashionable tailoi in tho tjigh-atroct to exhibit this suit in his window asa "new suit for the Artful Dodger,"' On the suit arriving at Mr M'Gee'B (the tailor's), he happoning to bo in the country, it was opened by bis manager and found to contain a bundle of rags; with the following command, "To bo returned to the theatre on Saturday afternoon." He* thinking it had been sent for repairs, at once set four tailors at work, Judgo of Mr Toblo's wonder and rage '■ at finding his favourite character suit converted into a partially, newope.: Six journeymen had fo'bo laid on to reduce, it to Its.' former 6tate, tho precious suit arriving i only just in time to allow Toole to Bcrarablo into it. ~'."; . .

Oor sale of dress fabrics oi every description during the present season' has very largely exceeded any previous ijumnior's irailo. Thishas doubtless been the rcsultof tlio excellent clioipo wo liavo been able to show, c? wcll'as the slevling. value of the materials - Our dress department, and also the dressmaking rooms, havo been kept bua'ly employed from the commencement of the season up th the present date at Te Aro House, Wellington, Notwithstanding the largo sales we have Sub nude; we have never allowed our stock .. riinlow, but IjW constantly reploaislied it from time to time with thelatest fashions and newest goods, at To'Aro.House, Welljnßtor,,:.: ,",:•';; ■;'•: y-r'. Nbuuw among those new dress 'fabrics, are some very preltyand serviceable bordered robes. In the new'colors, and esaotly suited to the season, and at prices to meet all requirements, at To Aro House Wellington, Oor thin black dress fabrics aro inuoh appreciated for ; cool wear-during the hot summer months, and during the past week we havo opened out a large parcel of those in Waok bureges, babzsrines, Ac, and at priceiinuoh below tha ordinary ratos, at Te Aro Hsuse, Wellington. •'' ' . Wfbavoalsoreosiveda:f«ll assortment of Oliiria silks, surajis,-and pongees, in all coloro.so that otiv stock is amply replenished and capable of mooting all demands at Tb. Artfl#,W©Bl^.^W''; :: ;' ; ; ' :

( -"A four ronmcd cottage in Que'eirStreet is advdrtlsett fir Balo by/Messrs': Seilar and Choilnele'i"

; ; MrF/H.Wood publishea a catalogue <•( sheep, cattle and horse's for sale at his Tarawhi yardson ; Thursday lOihsf. Fu-ther entries are invited. -■'.""■'.' Ayoung man named John. Randall aged 23 was drowned while bathing m the Hutt rivet yesterday. The body has notyet boen recovered, /The Treasurer of the Mnsterton Hospital acknowledges the reoeipt of £1 from Mr E, 0. Smith, ■

We are requested to draw the'attentlon of our readers tu.thu'sherifPasale of land, being.sections Masterton and ■Dreyerlon. The .sale takes place at Mossrs Lowes and lows' auotion rooms on Wednesday noxt. '■ Owing to the non arrival of the music the Philarmouio Society have furthor postponed their praotices of the "Cloches do [Oornevilla until further notice. It la tho iutatioii of the society to eclipse even their ' Pirates' performance and stops have already been takon to secure ut most'powerful orchestra and chorus, whilo the scenery will be of the moat elaborate character »e the management is well aware that the public always encourage' a good local show. .

A moating convened by clrouhr was held on Saturday to consider the question otforming aside'walk for pedestrians on tho road between the two Waipoua Bridges, at tho north end of Masterton, and planting rows of tiecb on each side oi the road. A committee was appointed, consisting of Messrs F. 0. Moore, R, U. Meredith, and A. J, Rawson, to interview''the', various- local budics, and'report. At the Wesleyan Church) yesterday,' a Covenant Service was held at the end of the ordinary evening service, and a great number of the large audience stopped to attend it. The articles of Covenant were impressively read by thoHov, W, Howse, and appropriate hymns were sung. The Covenant Sorvico has been in practice with the Congregationalists for upwards of |fifty years, and has recently boon adopted by the Wesleyan Commuulty. It Is bold on the fir«t Sabbath in each year, ■•,':'■' During Mr Michael Davitt's speech before the Times-Parnell Commission, he mentioned tho following affecting incident in connection with the Phoenix Park murders:-" When the Invincib'cs who had been sentenced for the Park crime were awaiting execution, a Sistor of Mercy, with a face of unusual sadness, administered spiritual comfort to the condemned men, She appeared to nay. most attention to Joe Brady, and made the few short hours of his life as bright withlmpo as Christian words could make them, On the mnrning of the execution she was with the mother of Brady, to whom sho broupht siwe message from her ill-fated son. Brady never knew who she was, She was the sister of the man ISra-ly had killed with his own hand in Phoenix I'arK—Mr Burke."

Good news Irom Wellington, and quite true, youcan get a splenlid harmonium from L 5, piano or organ from Lls. organ with divided octavo couplars all in solid black walnut cases frjm Ll7. This beats all the cheapest homes in town. Pianos tuned for 7s, or by the year four visits LI| travelling expenses added.' All kinds of musical instruments tuned, cleaned, and repaired, new reeds I put in accordeans, Concertinas, harmoniums, And organs; also liberal exchanges mado, Any instrument may bo purchased on tho time payment sjMem from 2s 6d per week.- Call and exchange your old piano for a new one at F.J Pinny's Musical Instrument Depot, Manners-street, Wellington, (Sole agent of the 'eelobrated Worcester organs.J-AnvT