Ormondville Vestry.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 2489, 28 August 1890, Page 2

Ormondville Vestry.

A meeting of the above was held on Tuesday evening. Present Messrs L. Webb, Garforth, Tingey, Packer, Westall, Groom, Bovaird, Pattollo, Redward, and Shugar. The Rev. A. S. Webb took the chair, and opened the meeting with prayer. Tho Chairman said the first thing to be done was to read out a statement of accounts. There was now in the bank the amount of £B4 10s 6d, and in addition to this the architect’s fee of £7 had been paid, making a total of £9l 10s 6d. Of this amount £6B 10s 6d was the result of tho bazaar, the accounts bad now been made up by the ladies, showing that to bo tho net result. Would the vestry go into the matter of the church improvements first, or other business ?

Mr Grootn said he thought they had better go into the general business first. The Chairman said the general business he would bring before them was the matter of the clergyman’s stipend. At present the olergymun got what was left after all other costs were paid. At Makotuku some £3O had been laised during the year, but when other expenses were paid, there was only the small amount of 15s 3d left for the clergyman’s stipend. The present system was unsatisfactory, and some years ago he had asked the vestry to vote a certaiu amount, so as to have something definite to aim at, but the then vestry did not think this desirable, and it fell through. At the vestry meeting held recently at Makotuku, the vestry voted the sum of £25 towards the clergyman’s stipend, this money to be contributed by Makotuku, Matainau, and the Siding, and to be a first charge on the church revenue. At Ormondville the clergyman got all there was, but if the Ormondville vestry would vote the same amount (£25) that would be £SO voted in the district to meet the sum of £l5O raised outside the district. Of course if the money was not raised he would not receive it, but whatever was short of that amount could appear as a donation or subscription from the clergyman, and os things progressed they might, by-and-bye, relieve the fund raised outside the district. There had been some grumbling outside already, aud some said be got too much, this district getting £l5O a year, while some other places got only £IOO a year, but the fact was thut whatever money was short of the stipend here Archdeacon Samuel Williams made it up. Now this state of affairs could not go on for ever, and he (speaker) wanted this vestry to make some kind of provision. It was rather an indelicate thing for the clergyman interested to talk so much about bis stipend, but something must be done to alter the state of affairs. He would read the statistical returns of the diocese, containing a list of the amounts paid in each parish. (List read.) He had gone over this list carefully, and found that with one exception, he had the lowest stipend in the diocese.

Mr Groom moved that £25 a year be voted towards the clergyman’s stipend, and be a first charge on the church revenue ; seconded by Mr Shugar and carried.

Mr Shugar asked if the Bishop had not introduced a system of monthly subscriptions of Is ? The Chairman said this had been done, and he intended oulliug a meeting soon so as to consider tho matter, but in the meantime, the ladies had done something of the kind, though used for other purpose*. The Chairman said the next business was the Church improvement, the plans for which were on the table, and most of tho vestry had alread> seen them, there was also a drawing of the Church when completed. There had been only one tender received for the work, and that at too high a price for the vestry to roach (£376). The vestry had thou commissioned him to write to Mr Coles, of Onga Ouga, who was well known to them as a gentleman who worked conscientiously, asking him to name a price for the work. lie had received a letter from Mr Coles, aud the price named by him was £254. That price was over the architect’s estimate (£205), but Mr Coles included painting the old portions of the building, which were not included in Mr Lamb’s estimate. Mr Tingey asked if any mention was made about varnishing the iuside of the church, as that would be required and would add to the cost. (Mr Coles’ letter read). The Chairman said that he did not think the work could be done for less than Mr Coles’ estimate. Mr Shugar asked if the plans had been open for infection ; be had heard some complaints from local men about this matter. Some builders had told him that when they called at Mr Groom’s, whore the plaus were a Ivertiesd to bo on view, the plans were not there. He did not think local men bad a .chance of tendering. The Chairman said that the plans were at his house, and could have been seen by aoyone. Mr Garforth said that several local men had seeu the plans, but when they heard of the amount available for tho work they would have nothing to do with it. Mr Westall asked if the improvements would provide more sitting room. T-he Chairman said the principal object in view was to make the ohurcb safe, and provide church and vestry ; additional room could be got by lengthening the nave, Mr Boviard asked how much the Makotuku church had cost ? The Chairman said £32G, and £2O more for the organ. Mr Groom said they could get up another “ bazaar” or coffee supper to augment the amount in hand, the church was now only a barn.

Mr Pattullo asked how much they could expect to raise by a canvass for subscriptions ?

Uie Chairman said he could not say. Some geutlemen were very g< nerous, but though the vestry would gladly accept 2s Gd or oven la as a coutributioQ—people

did not like to give so small a sum, and if they could not afford to give more, they gave nothing. ar^ asked if there was not a fund from which the church could borrow money ?

The Chairman said only for a new church. The money for the Makotuku church had been advanced by the bank on a suitable guarantee. M'<* ro °m said they had to face only ssLiuO, and coffee suppers would raise a portion of the money. Mr Pattullo suggested an adjournment for a month to eee what success a canvass would meet with. The Chairman pointed oat that the timber must be on the ground before very long. Mr Bovaird said that a great portion of the money must be raised from outside. Mr Greoin said they had raised £6B locally. Mr Westall said that if they could raiea £7O, that would be all they could expect. The Chairman said they had done more at Makotuku. Mr Bovaird did not like the work to be confined to one man however goo 4 he was. Mr Pattullo aßked was tbia the only tender ? The Chairman explained that thie was not a tender; but when tenders were called for only one tender was received, fie had found that when there wae a pretty and comfortable church the congregations increased, and at Makotukn tha chnrch was always full now. Mr Westall pointed out the difficulty of raising enough for the clergyman's How then could they raise the cost of improvements and additions to the church ?

Mr Shngar thought they should adjourn the meeting for a month. Mr Pattullo moved that the meeting adjourn for a fortnight to see what coaid bo done by a canvass by the vestry • seconded by Mr Groom and carried. ’ The meeting then adjourned.