PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 143648, 16 November 1911, Page 3

PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY.

SOME WARM DISCUSSIONS. Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, Nov. 15. , The Rev. Sir. Erwin (Otago Peninsula) raised a storm of indignation in the assembly this morning with an indictment of the Church. He said the Presbyterian Church was suffering from the curse of respectability, and could never hope to bring Labour into the Church while it cost so much to be a member. He instanced St. John’s, Wellington, St. Andrew’s, Christchurch, and Knox Church, Dunedin, as churches to which a poor man could not afford to belong. Dr. Gibb indignantly repudiated the statement, supported by Elder J. G. W. Aitken (ex-Mayor of Wellington). He said they h'ad bricklayers, bootmakers, and "compositors in their-ses-sion as well as in the congregation. The Rev. Sir. Davies (Knox Church) also repudiated the potion. Mr. Eraser Barton, 8.A., was appointed Bible class agent at £3OO a year. The Assembly considered the financial regulations of the home mission department submitted by Dr. Gibb. The Rev. P. B. Fraser, in supporting a clause making the minimum salary of £125 for home missionaries, spoke very strongly about the under payment of some agents of the Church. The regulations were adopted with slight amendment. Dr. Gibb then moved that the regulations be sent to presbyteries for consideration, the latter to report to the northern home mission committee by June, 1912, and until the matter was finally disposed of by the next Assembly the committee operate a scheme as far as possible in accordance with the regulations. The Rev. Mr. Finlayson challenged the competency of the niotion, because it introduced fresh legislation without reference to presbyteries. . . The Moderator ruled the motion not competent. Dr. Gibb moved that the Moderator s ruling be disagrebd with. A show of bauds proved inconclusive, and the roll was called, the result being that Dr. Gibb’s motion was lost by 70 votes to 69. ± Dr. Gibb then warmly declared that he could do no more about it. He asserted that most of the seventy had not a ghost of a notion of what- they were doing. In his opinion the whole business had been stultified. Dr. Gibb’s remarks caused a great deal of interruption and dissent, and the Moderator remarked: “When you withdraw the reference you have made to the house, I think the house will be willing to listen to you.” Dr. Gibb; What reference did I The Moderator: You made a reference that was, anything but parliamentary. It is not necessary that I should repeat it. • Dr. Gibb then withdrew the remark. The discussion was carried on till 1.40 p.ni., and an adjournment was then made. , ~ At 2.30 Dr. Gibb took the platform, and it was then ascertained that it was only the proposal, i. 0., that the home missions committee should operate the scheme that was declared incempetent. The motion, with, this proposal deleted, was carried.