MR 1. WELLS ON TAMAHERE'S MEANNESS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2897, 7 February 1891, Page 2

MR 1. WELLS ON TAMAHERE'S MEANNESS.

TO THE EDITOR. Stir, —if Ml' Thus. Wells is Dot more correct in discussing financial matters in connection with S. Andrew's Church, Camhrid<ie, ill an ho is in dealing with those of S. .Stephen's, Tamahore, 1 can well understand the remark tif the Archdeacon, "T!i:it In; always went carefully throu<*h the chinch accounts and checked every item," anil the necessity therefor. 1 cannot however work myself up tn a pulticient point of imagination to comprehend how the Archdeacon could c''ifimie to preside at the C •inisridspi 'Uinu''l iii'rti'.g s>id 'illoiv s ic'i a tissue of mis-»ttteii! -nts to i;o luithto the public, if. contained in Mr Wells' remarks on the Tamahere people, as reported in your Inst issue, without directly contradiction them, or at least protesting. The facts of the ca<e are as follows :—The church was opened in May 1883. when the committee guaranteed a stipend of £45 a-year. but as the Incumbent of Hamilton took half the duties, the Cambridge stipend fund could not certainly benefit to the extent that Mr Wells states. —this arrangement was continued during ISS-t to ISlSo.—ln ISSIi the stipend was reduced to r.'lj a-year with a divided ministration as brfnr.\ and continued so up to the end of ISS!i, when ovviupr to financial pressure, no stipend at all was guaiaiiteed for iSSO the parishioners leaving the matter of stipend in the hands of the committee who were enabled to p.iy during the year £20 to 11,* lucuinb.Mil. O.i'T 4 the p.»«t three years T.nn-.liere his raised €103 to pay oil She debt. 011 the Church, and t!io t > ii.piidato an overdraft, so besides lneeilinr ordinary expenses, lepairs and minister's stipend, a sum of 0 ,- (*f £200 his Iv-ti l.ii-eil for Church purposes, and yet Mi iW-l's deliberately siys (hat Mm Chilici: people of Ta 111:1 Icre were n't o-.iiij tii -,r duty, and a great more to the same ■ ;! ct, bi j cau:.e ■vo were i;< I prepii-'i at the ...oi' ! 'rieeLiu.r to incur habi i'i.s vvireb v,o uu 'iicui- 1■! m-ieting ".v ILIj■ ■w- ■ - v uniiiriE* into debt—a state of alians that shall never exist ipiin while I h.ive , nv connection with Church matters in ill.- ituricf, determination tils > shared by the whoic distvict. We had, at the beguiling of tlie year, a credit b.ilance of £'0 ■ ;tl (nut I'J.u, a.-, stated by Mr Wells), bat a sum of a;, least Ell 3 has to be spent ill nrepirinit the grave-yard lor consecration oy the Uishop in -\pi-it nes f . l'n conclusion. L will u dd iliat. i, as Mr Wells says, T:! inhere bo the rie'ie-t 1 rt. of the (_. ooitidge pooclii iI district, all 1 tin s.y i, 1 ,- im son v for »ii 3 ro«t of i f . —Y 1 11's troiv, .\srOK Tuns. |". WIIKIiIKH. Feb. -l-h. j