A CHURCH SOLD TO A PUBLICAN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12934, 29 March 1904, Page 5

A CHURCH SOLD TO A PUBLICAN.

(l?noii Odr Ora CoiiiiEsroNßEST.) WI&LtXCiTON, March 28. Tfc Bio of the Scots Oiidreh, Abel Smith street, to a pii'niican for usi; as a dancing hall contimie.i to. Iw a subject of comment Iccilly, iiiicl. ipine ii'uli|j:iiant lpttera on tlio subject havq aj)|ioar«d'ill I lie iiewfiiapera. At the f-ervipo- ut the ciiiircli iast night tlic Kov. -Mi 'J'lioNjsoii, in bklVlinij: farewell to tlm coilgregatHM, read a sttijeiiicnt drawn up by t'io trustees ol lli;o t-iujrcU shoniiii; the roi'josis .for iho sale. This showed that an iii.is!.ih:iil)ta fjiittHfiirl jiroWem was the compdlinif fnclpir in tho transaction. Mr 'liioniEpii fiiid thii.f all persons v?ho wero o'.voil -money by the. Church would k> paid ifts -in (do iiouiTil, und he (liouglit no one •tojilef eqicc? wore. JJft mentioned that the church had been heavily mortgaged, and that althoiigh friensU in l'almerßton North we.ro nio.vt, generous it was impossiblu to ivsi-rt 'iiioney from the public for the liquidation of the ilebl. When tin; affairs had Ix-eii sel-tled, any subscriber to tho fund for erecti|«r the (■■iiilrcli would get his money back if he ;:pj>!ii;d for it, hut the minister was phased lo say that altilqugh he liad made that i.ioiiliiiiiio!] to local subscribers tlioro had not so far been one application. Mr Thomson spoke of Ivis Uiree years' conncctiiiii rtilji llio <i|i.iirc!i as tlio best period of lrii ]ifo. The most boautiful harmony add goodwill had C-yer been cxpre.iiOtl to ■him, nml hn tlncnly regffftted ho had found it iiwS!i?.n-y to jurt itifh t!;e congregation, la r-OHcliiiiing Air 'flwm-on aiiiioimced: "Wo v.i.lMlo'y worship (lod by taking up tlio eqllcelion," After" the ordinary service •had b'.-eii eonclu.dcil ii privata meeting of iho cliilroii f,io.m.bers 'was held to consider tin , iitlvi.|ij)!wie.;s of seiniini; a "call" to nnulhtr iiiiiiister to talce u;i the ciinrjre of th« in aiiothcf biuldiiv,'. Mi- Thonifoil ;i;iys tiiat, (he (<jtn.l ;uiiount of tlio subtiMi.ptioii,; laid did v.nl roprescnt one-fourth of tin.' total cost o[ tlm church property, a-nd i)r;:c|.ic.a't.ly frOp.i tha begiiinins the clmrcli had been loaded with a debt of nearly JJiCOO, k-arifii; uiioroat at the rate of 6 ;>«• cent.,- hi-nce it ivas found imposfible to carry on. Jlr Thomson added that Hie lvo'-ilioii had bpcii Jiilly placed before eWerJi and managers of iho church «-{wb; s(co by fhe trustee.; nml that they approved of the steps which have been taken.