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UNDERPAID CLERGY

CHRISTCHURCH "NOT A LIVING WAGE,” DISCUSSION BY SYNOD. CHRISTCHURCH* .October - 30. . The coat of living problem-as it affects Anglican clergymen in the Christchurch diocese was under consideration at last night’s sitting of the diocesanS synod. ' A statement that no Anglican priest. in Christchurch, not excepting those in the cathedral, is receiving a; , living wage, was madia by Archdeacon P. B. Haggitt, although he subsequently modified it. : ‘ A statement J concerning stipends was also made by jArchdeacon J.. A. Jacob. "For four years I was the besripaid parish priest in the Wellington diocese,” said the archdeacon. • “For the last nine years I have been the best-paid priest in the'Christchurch diocq&e. I iuive a wife, but I have no children. She is a very economical woman, and an extremely good manager. I have small private means, about ,£6O a year. If it were’ not for my private means I should be in debt. I have saved, dur* ing those 14’ years £2OO, which I have got invested, so I have not saved all my private income. That is to say, ray living has cost me more than ,my stipend, and I have got the largest stipend of any parish priest in the diocese. Further, I have no family. How my brothers who have half or twothirds of my stipend live I don’t know.” ’ The statement was challenged by Mr •11. M. Bannehr. He said lie thought the statement should not go cut to the public unchallenged. There were, 29 vicars in Christchurch receiving £3OO a year and over, with free houses. It was quite patent to anybody who knew present, conditions that there were thousands of church people living on very much less than that. ‘T don’t say that ihey should not get more than that, hut they are not getting it,” said Mr Bannehr. “If the point is made that £3OO and over is not a living wage, wo are alienating some of that largo number of members of our Church—men who get small wages and give wonderfully well. Theyigi-ve much more than rich people who give about £5 a year and come to church ‘only three or" four times during the year. The others come, ©very Sunday and give every time.” The Rev. J. De B. ,Galway said there were 10 clergymen in the diocese receiving under £250 a year. It was not necessary to say what that meant. "There is another aspect of the case which has not berii touched uponi” said Mr Golding. “It is the state of the churches and the attendance at the present time. We are all interested in the welfare of the priests, and would like to see that they are well paid, but when tho attendances at the churches drop off, and the money does not come in, what can we church officebearers do? I know the difficulties which working people have to contend with. If it is hard for them to make ends meet it is hard for them to subscribe to the church. Replying, Archdeacon Haggitt said that if lie had stuck to his notes a good deal of the discussion would have been avoided.' What he had in his notes was that he did nol believe that there was one clergyman in Christchurch’ with a family who was able to save more than a very little. That was , what ha had intended to say. but while on the subject he could not help • thinking about some of those he kne#, and he went' on to mention the living wage. It was very sad that some thousands of people were not receiving a living wage, and if synod could do anything for them he thought it: should' do so. The application of the "Budget system” to Christchurch finance was subsequently decided upon.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WH19201102.2.21

Bibliographic details

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160796, 2 November 1920, Page 3

Word Count
633

UNDERPAID CLERGY Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160796, 2 November 1920, Page 3

UNDERPAID CLERGY Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160796, 2 November 1920, Page 3