CO129-319 - Governor Sir Blake - 1903 [10-11] — Page 466

COPY.

No.3.

Honourable

C.C

44085

RECO &

Hongkong, 12th., October 1500

Best 7 DEC 03

462

Dear Sir,

I have to thank you for your kind letter

of last week and for endeavouring to obtain from the Government

an increase of the contribution to the Chaplain under the Bc-

clesiastical vote. There are good grounds for your recommenda-

tion to his Excellency. I might point out:-

1. The increase in the number of patients at the Hospital and also of those in the Gaol, for whom religious ministrations are required.

2. The inadequacy of the present grant regarded on a sterling basis as compared with ten years ago.

At that time the Mission received $720 a

year and undertook, out of that grant, to defray the cost of pauper burials. Then a few years ago the grant was reduced to $600 a year, with an allowance of $5 for each pauper buried.

This latter allowance was taken away two

or three years apo and the grant to the Chaplain remained at only $800 per annum, which at the present rate, represents but

very little more than £50 a year.

This sum will be admitted to be wholly

inadequate to the duties discharged by a Chaplain, who has to minister to the ecclesiastical wants both at the Hospital and the Gaol. The number of persons to be attended to in both these institutions bas largely been increased when compared with that of ten years ago, when the remuneration of 1720 annually was voted. It is an anomaly that while there has been increased work the remuneration has actually been less.

I have etc.,

(Sa.) + L. M. Piazzoli,

Vicar Apostolic of Hongkong.

Gershor Stewart, Hongkong.

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