POVERTY AMONG CLERGY

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 291, 4 September 1931, Page 14

POVERTY AMONG CLERGY

'Appeal for Living Wage “IVe must never rest until we have given our clergy a living wage.” This was the appeal made by the Bishop of London, Dr. Winnington-Ing-i-am, at,the Church Assembly at Westminster U few weeks ago in the course of a debate on the report of a committee appointed to review the financial burdens of the clergy. Dr. Ingram asked why the Church had not taken to heart what be believed to be a A’ery great scandal. He thought that one reason was that the poverty of some of the clergy was bidden by the smiling self-control of the people who never complained about it. Tn one house in the East End of London, said the bishoji, he found that the clergyman's wife was housemaid, cook, and nurse to the whole ijstablishment. Many thinking clergy were puzzled and. distressed by the very early nnd improvident marriages of the young clergy. “I am bound to say,” said Dr. Ingram, “it is rather a shock to me when I spend £lOOO on the training of a young man to be informed, a few weeks after he has been ordained, that he is going to get married. I am one of those soft-heart-ed people who say, ‘God bless you and be happy.’” He was afraid, however, that happiness did not come in-some cases. Ha knew that people had come for help to the Poor Clergy Fund within fivi years of being ordained. The Rev. H. Gatborne Crabtree said that the poverty of some incumbents was distressing. Some years ago he. stayed with n country vicar and his wife, and their daughter danced joyfully into the room and announced that they were going to have steak pie for dinner. He learned afterward that that was the first time they had had meat that month.