"WORK-SHY" CLERGYMAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20218, 1 April 1929, Page 7

"WORK-SHY" CLERGYMAN.

THE PATRONAGE QUEST!ON. [from orn own correspondent. 3 LONDON, Feb. 19. When the Patronage Measure was further considered on tin) revision stage by the Church Assembly, the Rev. C. E. Douglas, who liad 65 amendments on tho paper, was accused by a lay member of trying to defeat the measure by obstructionist tactics.

Mr. Douglas retorted that his amendments were intended to enlarge the scope of the measure, and to make the Patronage Board a thoroughly efficient body. One was directed to what he called the "wrangles" which are carried on behind the scenes in the exchange of livings, lie proposed the insertion of a new clause requiring that, subject to the consent, or the bishop, the patron's right to presentation should be limited to clerks whose ministerial experience included five years work in the diocese as priests holding a benefice therein or a licence under seal from tho bishop. There were livings, he said, which were continually being bandied about as a bit of property from man to man.

The Rev. H. C. Bell, who moved a minor verbal amendment, said they were all familiar with the gross scandal of English Church life which was flaunted before them every week in the Church newspapers. "There," h>3 said, "wo find clergvmen seeking a new sphere of work telling us they want 'good sandy soil, sea (south or. wess)j and it is not without significance that this long list of requirements is usually with another requirement—that is 'mod.' ( Laughter.) "Everyone is aware of this tremendous reluctance on the part of a certain number of work-shy clergy to go and put in work in the places where it is needed most. People sunning themselves in Bournemouth are sometimes to be tempted to the industrial North, not to take a curacy, but. to take a living, provided always that the income is sufficiently good. There jis a feeling among people in the North that such arrangements are not very desirable." Mr. Douglas' amendment was rejected.