THE CHURCH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10651, 11 May 1895, Page 3

THE CHURCH.

TO THKEDXTOB,

Sib,— Your correspondent P. C. Siiggias asks some questions, the answers to which he evidently knows, as he proceeds to draw a most extraordinary deduction. His remarks trend this way ; —-Because six families have been distrained for rant by thair landlords, the Church Property Trustees, and because the Bishop has had hia stipend raised to a little lees than hie predecessor received for doing decidedly less work, therefore the Church, whose financiers do these terrible things, is unworthy the services of such gentlemen as Mr Hoaro. This ia an argumentum dbsurdum. la Ms Sfciggina prepared to let people live in his houses rent free, oris he willing to have, disorderly or dirty people for tenants, or yet Chinese? If ho is, perhaps ha will kindly accommodate the evicted ones. Some or any of these reasons may have prompted the unfortunate action of the church officers —unfortunate, because in their case it was sure to call forth censure. With regard to Mr Hoars, I am sure even, he would not give such a flimsy reason for leaving the Church which, if he found so faulty, he might have applied his talents to improving. At tha same time Mr Stiggins’s remarks very justly provoke some inquiry into and criticism of the ways of the Church Property Trustees. Much aa s they may resent the impertinence of such ; inquiries, the public have a right to take a look round and see for themselves why this sordid hankering after rents and offertories exists. Is the Church poor ? If bo,, why ? Twenty-five years ago its property? was estimated at about half a million. Its. endowments were rich and its property included some of the best sections in Canterbury. In the height of its prosperity, and when as yet no shadow of a Liberal or Democratic Government had. risen upon the horizon, and when income and property taxes ware not, a vary large,, scheme was originated in the minds of some then local celebrities. Such a fat rent roll ought to have some outward sign to tell forth its inward splendours ana richness, and so was laid the foundation of that monument to ecclesiastical pride which adorns the centre of the town.' It was to be very beautiful outside, and its services were to ba the glory of the New Zealand Church. Unfortunately, the projectors had not counted the cost, and there it stands, unfinished, and likely to remain bo. No amount of economy can make both ends meet, and while the Dean and Chapter Estate on the one hand, and the generosity of the public on tha other, are squeezed to their utmost extent, the cloud of debt gathers thicker year by year. Since the time when the Church thought it was rich enough to build, endow and keep up the cathedral, many changes, disastrous to conservative monopolists, have come about. The value of property has declined and rants have come down and Baxes have gone , up; other denominations have taken their,, quota of public interest and funds; and, last, but not least, the public have had., more than one severe shock to its confi-, denes ia the representatives of the Church.. —I am, &c., *ONEBIMUS. *