86
S. JOHN'S CATHEDRAL.
ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of seatholders in and sub. scribers to 8. John's Cathedral was he'd on the 27th inst. in the Library of 2. Paul's Coll-ge. Present-Rev. F. T. Johnson (Chairman), Sir, William Meigh Goodman, K.C., Hon. R. Mur- ray Rumsey, R.N, Dr. Atkinson, Major Hoo. H. W. Trofusis, Mr. H. H. Gompertz, Mr. R. T. Wright (Hon. Treasurer), Mr. A. Bryer (Hon. Secretary), Messrs. Deunys, Bowley, Beck, Ward, Mumford, Cunningham, Piercy. Wood- cock, Bryan, Rayner, Mitchell, Stockhausen, Lady Goodman. Misses Goodman, M. Atkin- son, and Mrs. Woodcock.
The HON. SECRETARY read the minutes of last meeting, which were approved
The HON. TREASURER submitted the financial statement, which showed that the income during the past year amount ed to $12,327.85. comprising 84,172.5, donati ns and subscriptions; 84,331.40, àmount of collections; $600, Goverument contribution; $500, military contribution; and $303.95. amonnt at credit of the choir fund. The year
started with A debit balance of $1,880.57, and at the end of the year this had beou reduced to $1,137.47, so that the year's working showed surplus of $74310. Against this deficit of $1,187.47 there was $3,118.54 in the reserve fand.
The CHAIRMAN having invited remarks on the report,
Mr. A. CUNNINGHAM asked if the accounts did not actually show a deficit on the year's working of over $3,00) ? |
The CHAIRMAN said it showed a surplus of over $700,
Mr. CUNNINGHAM pointed out that a debit balance of $1,180 had been brought forward and there was at the end of the year a deficit of $1,137, as shown in the accounts.
The HON. TRE:SURER stated that the surplus on the year's working was apparent when these two amounts were compared.
Mr. G. A. Wooncock moved the adoption of
the accounts.
Mr. N. Mumford seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
January 31, 1903.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
against increasing the renta; money must besittings at $10 each. Now, at the present got to pay expenses, but he had thought that as the annual meeting was so rear it should be left to the seat holders and subscribers th decide upon.
The CHAIRMAN stated that the next point to be considered was Mr. Ward's agreement. A new agreement was made with Mr. Ward last year, according to which he would be paid $.00 per month as organist and choirmaster; a new point was that Mr. Ward was to receive $25 for each and every organ recital given in the Cathedral provided that the consent of the I trustees had been obtained. In the fourth year Mr. Ward would bare leave of absence for nine months, and during that time he would be paid half-salary and ha'f-passage that was, passage one way. The first period of absence would come Ou the 1st of March, 19 5. He thought that was all he had to mention about this agreement. It was made in July, aud must be approved by the annual meeting before it would come into proper effect.
SiĘ WILLIAM GOODMAN had much pleasure in moving that the agreement te approved of. In Mr. Ward they had a most efficient and able organist; these terms were slightly better than the terms Mr. Ward had before, and he thought that after the experience they had had of Mr. Ward he was entitled to them. He had wanted some little modification in the agreement, and that modification had been made.
Mr. MUMFORD secouded the motion, and it was agreed to.
The CHAIRMAN said the next item of business was consideration of a letter which had been received from Mr. Mumford,
The HON, SECRETARY read the letter, which was to the effect that Mr. Mamford had re- ceived a circular intimating that seat rents in the Cathedral were to be raised 50 per cent.; he suggested that the matter be left over to the annual meeting for consideration, as the seatholders would appreciate being taken into consultation, and besides, there were many other ways of raising money than by raising the seat rents.
The CHAIRMAN asked Mr. Mumford if he had anything to add to the letter.
Mr. MUMFORD said that of course when it was written he was not aware that there was to be a large deficit in the accounts. He was not
!
1
-
I
|
į
|
The CHAIRMAN stated that this was a matter which really rested with the Church Body, ant it had been decided several months ago that it would come into force on the first of the year. They did not bring it in only for convenience Pake.
Mr. MUMFORD said that what he meant was that as the annual meeting was so neap it would bo better to leave it for the annual meeting, as the seatholders should be taken into consider tiou. He had no doubt that the Church. Body had full authority to do this, but he thought it better that the people who pud should hate some say in the matter. This principle was recognised in clubs and other institutions throughout the world. There was no reason to hurry the matter on,
The CHAIRMAN-There was no hurry; it was decided mouths and mouths ago..
Mr. MUMFORD - I accept that explanation.Į The CHAIRMAN added that if he wight poist out, the pew rents here were not so high as in the neighbouring Cathedrals of Shanghai and Singapore. Apart from that, the Church Boty found that money was desirable, that they needed to have their inc me increased, and they thought this would be a way of increasing the income without imposing any undue hari sip on the members of the congregation. Soil was decided, and Lo might say the members of the Church Body were seatholders, and were taxing themselves as well as other people. He thought that after due consideration most people would come to the conclusion that this was a fir way to get an annual increase of some $1,210, and that it did not involve any great hardship on anyone. It ought to be remembered, too, that the pew rents were fixed when the dollar was not nearly so low as it is now. Mr. Mun- ford said in his letter that the increase was 50
per cent. That was
perfectly true, and it sounded a very great increase, but the practical difference between $10 then and 815 now as not so very great after all;
the
#I
: h
a
time $10 did not represent anything like the amount of money it represented in sterling at the timo these regulations were mide, in 1892, for what was $10 then was quite as much as $15 now. Therefore they lought it right to make the alteration, and a c.rcular was sent round in duo time notifying the sentholders that the alteration would be made. He quite appreciated Mr. Mumford's remark that before making the alteration people should be consulted, but there was a little difficulty in that connection. They had to give ten days' notice if they clei general meeting, and then they would not be in such a good position as now, because they could not tell what funds would come in before the end of the year. The meeting had now to consider whether or not the Church Body had done right. It was for the Church Bedy to make that alteration in the discharge of tt eir It was obvious that it w.S respousibili i s. desirable to get another $1,000 by mesus of seat rents, and he thought there would I s no difficulty about it. He thought it was a good way of improving their financial position.
Mr. Muaran thanked ir William for his explanation. He did not at all object, he said, to the increasing of the soat rents; the point be wished to bring out was that there were other ways and means besides that. Ono had become apparent ince he wrote the latter. He observed in the Cathedral two Sundays ago that there were notices in the seats reminding strangers that the Cathedral funds were kept up y voluntary contributions, and asking them to subser be liberally. That was a step in the right direction. Another god step would be for the parson to intimate o vasion fly from the pulpit the same fact; it was done in other cathedra's and churches, and he did not s00 why it should not be done here, In their church there was a lar, e number of visitors Sunday after Sunday, and pr. bably they would give nor liberally if they knew that the clergyman down. they wanted to see every. body getting a fair salary. Most of them had been compensated for the falling dollar, and they expected the parson and others to be com. pensated also.. He had not any other feeling in his mind when he wrote the letter,
seo
From
The CHAIRMAN stated that he would make a note of Mr. Mumford's suggestion. The notices in the seats were a good thing. Pe personally should like to the church absolutely free; he believed that was the right principle-first come first served, but this was not an ideal world, uufortunately; they wust take things as they found them and just now it was absolut ly imposible to do without reat rents.
Fir WILLIAM GOODMAN said that member of the Church Body he fully approved Mr. Mumford's keeping an eye on the doings of the Church Body; it was quite a right thing, and they were all muclr assisted by feeling that the eyes of the seatholders and the members were upon them. They had somewhat responsible duty to perform, and because sometimes it was not very pleasaut they must not therefore shirk their du y. He must point out that in the Cathedral
the first place Or- was regulated by an
Mr. CUNNINGHAM said he would like to speak dinance, Section 13 of which said that generally on the condition of things in the the Church Body had to make regulations Cathedral relating to
Sir William Goodman had touched arrangement, and use of the sittings of the thing that some members should keep a critical
appropriation. allotment,
on a very god point when he said it was a good Church. and to the rents and subscriptious. if any, to be paid for the sittings, and mode of trusted that that Body would always realise that eye on the doings of the Church Body, and he col ection. Therefore, the Act imposed upon the scatholders and subscribers had the greatest the Church Body a duty they could not shirk, confidence in what they did. The only to make the recessary regulations as to the time their doings had ever been questioned was rents and subscriptious to be paid for the last year, in connection with the matter then sittings in the Church. Regulation 18, said brought up. It was impossible for him to that the Church Body might from time to realise why these condi ions had been ignored. time assess and fix the annual rent for each It must be known to every member of the sitting in the Church, and might at any time, Church Body that great dissatisfaction pre- make an agreement or a contract with any per- vailed, and that numer us people-seral of son desirous of taking a siting. It was there whom had been members of the Cathedral for fore contemplated that the Church Body should long years-had left within the past twelve bave the necessary power to alter the amount months. The report spoke for itself: there had to be paid for these sittings. Body were in a sense the parliamentary repre-
The Church been a large deficit, and the report secma! sentatives of the sea holders and subscribers, mouths the Church would have entirely used up
to show that at the end of the next twelve- They had to puss a sort of budget, and its reserve fant, and have nothing to go for to enable the seat holders and subscribers ward with into the new year. As a way cut of to judge whether that budget was correct the difficulty the Church Body hoped to raise au or not they would have to go into matters additional income of a thousand dollars. It was and have in their hands all the accounts and figures when the matter was considered, would be realised, but he had very grave doubts a very pleasant hope, and h for one trusted it Some months ago they asked the Treasurer to about it. The Bishop had made certain public be kind enon b to put them, as a Church Body, statements which in a way Lad been resented in possession of the present and prospective by the member‹ bere, and he might state that financial positions of the C. thedral. The Trea-, after the meeting last year the Bishop made surer pointed out to them that there would preb- certain specific promises to himself on behalf ably be a deficit, though they might possibly of the choir, end be spoko now on behalf of get a little more than they spent during the yeır. When they came to look into ways and means.
the choir. These promises had not been ful- filled. Ito did not think that was the fault of they found that the amount derivable from the Bishop, but he thought the fault was with Church sittings this year was 84.220-242 | the Church Body themselves, and that their
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.