TRINITY CHURCH, LAWRENCE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1215, 20 January 1886, Page 5

TRINITY CHURCH, LAWRENCE.

The annual meeting of parishioners in the parish of Tuapeka and Waitahuna was held in Trinity Church schoolroom on Friday evening last. The Yen. Archdeaoon Beaumont presided, and opened the meeting with prayers. Mr Fraer (Hon. Treasurer) read the report and balance-sheet for the past year. The report, which was received, was as follows : — In submitting the balanoe-iheet for 1885, I am in a position to congratulate the parishioners on the fact that the receipts have exceeded the current expenditure by £90 5s 9d, aud this amount, has been devoted to paying portion of the £40 interest due on the ou' standing debt of £600, the whole of which interest would have been paid had some moneys since received been iv hand wben the books were closed. The total receipts, as shown by the statement, are £447 17s sd, and tha expenditure £417 11* Bd. The offertories •how an inorease of £20; the pewrmts, £30 , and the contributions to the stipend fund are somewhat larger. In 1884 we received a handsome donation from the Ladies' Guild of £70, but. during 1885 we hare not had any outside aiiistanoe, the rerenurs being derivable from ordinary sources. The total liability (with the money in hand) is £500, and the iMati, consisting of the church, Sunday school, parsonage, antf-grounds, may be fairly estimated to be worth £2,500. The balance-sheet Saving been received, the Archdeacon said that the result of the offertories (£lßl 5i 3d) was very satisfactory indeed, being the largest amonnt received for over fourteen years. Mr Fraer said that it was the more gratifying because the other contributions were correspondingly large ; he also stated that not another parish in the diocese was in such a good position. Mr Herbert also expressed pleasure at the state of the finances, and suggested that in future the balance-sheet should be made up to the 31st December in each year. He had not had time to go through all the items in the balancesheet, still he feared they could not take suoh a rosy view of matters as the Treasurer had done in his report. The item of £40 for interest was a drag upon the funds. He would like the Treasurer to give the meeting his views how the debt might be reduced. He (Mr Herbert) had perused a statement prepared in 1874, and the report just read was almost identical. The debt at that time was almost a similar amount, but by making an effort £380 was raised by a bazaar. He would like to see the debt reduced, as there was no doubt that, with the large amount of interest the Church was paying, they were getting behind.

Tbe Treasurer said that since 1874 large additions had been made to the parsonage, and there was a valuable asset in the new Sunday school building. He thought the parishioners were taxed quite enough at present, and the only way he could see to reduce the debt would be by thf> wealthier members giving handsome donations.

Mr Thompson was very much pleased at the present position of the Church, as were also Mr Jeffery and Dr Withers, who considered that posterity should bear its share of the debt.

.Mr G. O. Taylor would like an effort made to reduce the debt, say some £25 a year, and recommended this to the consideration of the incoming vestry.

Mr Herbert asked the Treasurer, who is a member of the Country Cures Committee, whether there was a possibility of getting a grant from it. Mr Fraer said that If an application was made it would be considered along with others, bnt, if other parishes were more in need than this one, he would not feel justified in supporting such an application.

Mr Wakefield said the present rate of interest was 8 per cent, but if some wealthy parishioners would lend the money at 6 per cent there would be a clear saving of £10 per annum. The balance-sheet was adopted.

,Mr John Thompson stated that the Sonday-school scholars were contributing a penny a week for procuring a supply of new books for the library. The books were formerly paid for out of the general funds.

, Before proceeding with the election of vestrymen, the Archdeacon took occasion to remark that, hitherto, representatives were elected for Blue Spur, Wetherstones, and Waitahuna ; as seldom any of theae Attended the meetings, he thought it would be -advisable to elect ten vestrymen from the members who were likely id' attend, because, although there had been nominally ten vestrymen, seven had conducted the business. At Waitahuna there is a local Committee.

"The election of Vestrymen and Churchwardens was next proceeded with; the names of the gentlemen chosen appeared innur last issue.

. Menrs G. O. Taylor and J. Tucker were appointed Auditors for the ensuing year. Votes of thanks were accorded to the choir, Sunday-school teachers, the outgoing vestry, the Treasurer and collectors, and to Mr Herbert for keeping the grounds in order. A vote of thanks was accorded to the chairman, and the meeting closed.