ANGLICAN STIPENDS

Grey River Argus, 5 June 1943, Page 6

ANGLICAN STIPENDS

EXEMPTION FROM TAX

* LONDON. June 3. An arrangement between the Ecclesiastical commissioners and the Archbishop of Yoi’k. for avoidance of surtax on the Archbishop’s income, was mentioned by Sir Herbert Williams, in the Commons. He was speaking during a discussion on the Finance Bill. An amendment to the Bill had been moved to exempt from income tax the first. £5O of the Easter offering to clergy. The House rejected the amendment A number of speakers maintained that a more sensible method of improving a clergyman’s position was to increase the stipends which the church authorities are trying to do. Sir H. Williams said, there were a dozen methods of getting round the difficulty. It was possible for a piece of jewellery to be given to a vicar s wife, and brought back with Easter offerings, or for payment to be made to the vicar in groceries, or he can do as the Archbishop of York, who has a stipend of £9OOO, has done. The Archbishop entered into a perfectly splendid arrangement with the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for them to pay the whole maintenance of his office and repair his castle. The Archbishop, in future, is to receive a stipend of £4250 a year, subject to taxation. The Archbishop and Commissioners entered into a delightful procedure for the avoidance of surtax. “I do not blame them. I think it perfectly honourable, but it infringes the moral principles of the Finance Act. I hope it will temper some speeches which the Archbishop makes on the behaviour of other people on economic and financial matters.”