DIOCESAN SYNOD.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 14201, 25 October 1906, Page 5

DIOCESAN SYNOD.

ANNUAL SESSION. Tho Synod of tin? Anglican diocese of Christchurch resumed its sessions at the Christ’s College library yesterday afternoon, Bishop Julius presiding, j The Select Committee appointed to report on the question of the payment of passage, money for clergy coming from other countries, presented its report. It recommended that of the sum of £l5O already expended on passages, £SO should be .paid from the Bishopric Estate and £IOO from the General Trust Estate, and future expenses should be charged to the General Trust Estate at the discretion of the Bishop and Standing Committee. Tim Rev C. H. Gosset, convener of tho Select Committee, gave notice to move that tho recommendations should be adopted. The report of a Commission on the I Clergy Widows’ • and Orphans’ Trust I Fund was laid on the table by the president. In reply to a question from the Rev T. J. Smyth, the president stated that the Bishop and Standing Committee had for some years past had the power of appointing the editor of the “ Church News,” but as the payment of the editor was to be drawn in future from the Bishopric Estate, the power of appointment would rest with the Bishop. On tho motion of Dean Harper, seconded by Canon Pascoe, the thanks of the Synod were given to tho president for his address to Synod, and he was requested to allow.it to bo printed. ' The president moved—" That a grant of £SO be made-to the Cathedral Chapter from the surplus revenue of tno Dean and Chapter Estate, to cover expenditure incurred in excess of their income for the year ending September 30, 1906, in repairs to the fabric and the maintenance of the services.” The mover said that the Cathedralhad suffered very considerably during the year from the bursting up of portions of the tiled floor, and as there was a surplus in the revenue of the Dean and Chapter Estate, the transfer of funds would be reasonable. The motion was carried. Mr H. D. Andrews was given leave to bring in a Bill, formulated by the Standing Committee, to enact regulations for the management and working of the - Church Mission Fund. The Bill, containing the proposals outlined by the Bishop in his presidential address, was. read a first time, and its second reading was made the first order of the day for the following day. The Rev H. Williams, sen., obtained leave to bring in a Bill to amend the regulations for the management of the Clergy Widows and , Orphans Trust Fund. The Bill was read a first time, and the second reading was made the first order of the day for Friday, October 26. Mr W. H. Hargreaves moved that a Select Committee should be appointed to consider the question of erecting a Chapter House and diocesan offices on the Cathedral site, the committee to report at the current session. He said that offices were very necessary indeed for the large amount of work that had to be done in connection with the diocese. . A donation of £IOOO from Sir John Hall had given them an’ excellent start for a building fund. Canon Pascoe seconded the motion. The Rev H. Williams, sen., said that he had understood when a proposal to build was -made - years before, that a suifablb building would cost about £IO,OOO. He thought that ouch a sum would be more readily obtained in four years’ time, when the diocese would be freed by tho falling in of certain loans. Canon Pascoe said that the previous estimate had been only £3500. The motion was carried, and the following were appointed the Select Committee: —Dean Harper, the Rev C. H. Gosset and Messrs W. H. Hargreaves, H. W. Bishop, H. D. Andrews, H. Slater and C. Bean. Mr Hargreaves moved—“ That the Synod directs that the proceeds, whether capital or income, of the North Belt reserve, the South Bolt. reserve, and the Montreal-Street (Sydenham) reserve bo placed at the disposal of the Standing Committee, to be from time to time applied at its discretion to any purposes connected with church extension within the city of Christchurch or its suburbs ; and more especially for the purpose of obtaining sites for Church purposes, or for assisting in’ the erection of churches, mission rooms and schoolrooms.” ’ The motion was seconded by Mr J. Hark ness and carried. The Rev F. Dunnage moved that a Select Committee should be appointed to inquire into the equity of the allocation to cures of the income derived from the Church Property Trust General Estate. The mover said that the list of stipends paid to clergy showed clearly the unfairness of the distribution of the general income. The country vicars were, in many cases, asked to pay more for the nefcessaries of life than the town clergy, and to undertake expenses, such as the maintenance of horses and vehicles, which were not part of the town life. Tire financial burden of church extension was felt by all vicars, and the more cures there were to provide for, the less each could obtain from the general fund. The Synod had the disposal of surplus revenue from the general estate, and if that was more equitably distributed, many of the poorer parishes would be, helped, arid the work of church extension would go on more smoothly. The Rev J. Holland seconded the motion. Canon Pasco©' said that' he had no desire to oppose the motion, for he had been a corrntry parson, and had every sympathy with the country vicars. He thought that the time was approaching when a different system of allocation must be adopted, but the matter was a very large one. It could scarcely be dealt with by a Select Committee sitting for two or three mornings, and he would suggest that the matter should bo referred to the serious consideration of the Standing Committee, or that the Bishop should be asked to appoint a commission of inquiry. The Rev R. F. Garbett said that the laity as -well as the clergy bad a claim on the funds of the church. He thought that the laity had the right to expect the establishment of schools for their children, and the church should rather do its duty to the children than endeavour to build up any vested interest for the clergy. The motion was carried and the following committee was appointed :—■ Archdeacon Harper, Canon Pascoe, tho Revs H. T. Purchas, H. Williams, sen., and F. Dunnage and Messrs J. Studholme, C. Hastings Bridge, W. G. Brittan and J. Harkness. Archdeacon Harper moved that a grant for tho stipend of the Bishop’s mission chaplain, not exceeding the sum of £320, should bo made from the sur-

plus revenue of tho Bishopric estate, after all statutory requirements had been met. Archdeacon Scott seconded the motion, which was carried. Archdeacon Harper moved that' a select committee should be appointed to consider the question of the establishment of one or more diocesan Girls’ High Schools and to report to the Synod. He said that tho motion was the outcome of the reference made by tho Bishop in his presidential address to the need for training girls in church schools. The proposal to _ appoint a. committee would not make it necessary for the Synod to discuss tho question of schools in detail, but ho wished to remind the members of what the Bishop had said. He believed that boarding-schools for girls could be established and maintained. As it was, parents often had to send their girls to the convent schools, which wore most excellent schools, but members of the church were entitled to have schools of their own. Boarding-schools wore needed and there was no reason why tho diocese of Christchurch should bo behind Dunedin, where girls could get remarkably good training in a church school. The Rev T. A- Hamilton seconded the motion. The Rev R. F. Garbett said that the motion was the most important lie had known in twent3'-five years’ experience of the Synod. The church must make an effort to retain its young people and if nothing w-as done, the church would die of inanition. Archdeacon Scott said that he had great hope that tho establishment of girls' high schools would be a means of strengthening the Deaconess Institution. The motion was carried and t-n© following committee was appointed:— Archdeacons Harper and Scott, the Revs H. E. Ensor and W. W. Sedgwick and Messrs H. W. Bishop, J. Studholme and Wilfred Hall. Archdeacon Scott moved that the Synod should request the General Synod to take into its favourable consideration the desirableness of inviting the mother church to send a mission of help to New Zealand. The Rev E. H. Shore seconded the motion, which was carried. The Synod adjourned until 4 p.m. on the following day.