OFFER BY ARCHBISHOP

Taranaki Daily News, 8 June 1932, Page 4

OFFER BY ARCHBISHOP

SURRENDER PART STIPEND GIVE UP USE OF BISHOPSCOURT. DESIRE TO ASSIST THE CHURCH. NEEDS OF THE MAORI MISSIONS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. A striking oiler to give up the use of Bishopscourt and a very large pro portion of his stipend has been by Archbishop Averill to the standing committee of the Auckland Diocese. The offer is made in view pf _ the P re6e . n economic distress and with the special object of assisting the weaker palfehes and preventing the financial collapse of the Anglican Church’s Maori Mission. “In view of the unprecedented financial difficulties affecting the work ot the church at the present time and the possibility of a continuance ot those difficulties,” wrote the archbishop, 1 am most anxious to help the church in this time of distress, even more than I have been able to help it in the past. I therefore suggest to the diocese or Auckland: (1) That I should give up Bishopscourt and live in a small house; (2) that I should surrender one-third of my stipend when I leave Bishopseourt and one-half as soon as I can see my way to do so in view of. my. pieseut commitments—probably in six or nine months’ time. “My chief desire is to help the clergy at this very difficult time, and to ijcip to save several of the parishes and the Maori mission from financial collapse. I fully realise that the institutional side of Bishopscourt would disappear for a time and the entertaining of visitors and others would have to ce:ise. I should make more use of my office at the diocese office and attend there three morna week in addition to other times, by arrangement. There is no reason why the work of the bishop should be curtailed. . “It would, I think, be only fair that I should retain the right to allocate the surrendered stipend, supposing, of course, that the existing stipend could be maintained. I make this offer to the diocese without thought or suggestion of the clergy surrendering any part of their already too small stipends.” . The committee, while expressing its appreciation of the archbishop-a offer, has set up a special committee to consider it and report to a special meeting of the standing committee.