Annual Subscribers' Meeting.
Unusual interest was shown in the annual meeting of the subscribers to Trinity Cathedral, who were called together at the British Consulate yesterday afternoon. Sir Pelham L. Warren (H.B.Ms Consul-Ceneral) presided, and the others present were Messrs. J. H. Craven, F. A. de St. Croix, H. G. Dowler, Jas. Jones, H. A. J. Macray, J. Stenhouse A. Wright, and Jas. L. Scott (Trustee and Hon. Secretary).
The minutes of the last meeting were taken as read and signed.
Tt was proposed by Mr. Jas. L. Scott, and seconded by Mr. H. A. J. Macray "That the Report and Accounts as presented be passed."
Mr. Scott—Before the resolution that the Report and Accounts as presented be passed, put before you, I should like as usual to say a few words on what has occurred during the past year. I am sure that those present, and also the entire congregation will confirm what the Trustees have said regarding our late chaplain, Mr. Hodges, and their appreciation of the work done by Mrs. Hodges, and will further approve of their having erected a stone over his grave. They would also much like to see, in commemoration of his long connection with the Cathedral, a memorial window placed in the church, the cost of which, somewhere about £100 could, I think, be easily raised by subscription among the congregation. Mr. Walker, our new chaplain, will be here about the beginning of May, and pending his arrival we are having the Deanery painted and generally done up, of which it stood very much in need. As regards the accounts at the mesting last year I said that the amount which would be required to pay for the new church room would probably leave us in debt, but this has not proved to be the case, as our present debit balance Tls, 3,880.65 is entirely due to the reroofing of the deanery, etc., amounting as you see to Tls. 4,026.41; 80 that we have paid for the Church Room, completed in every way, out of funds in hand. There are some extraordinary expenses to be met this year, as detailed in the Report, but as there stated, as our income inder normal conditions is always greater than our expenditure, we will, as time goes on, steadily lessen and eventually wipe out the amount we at present owe the bank. Mr. Burdekin is getting on well with the repairs to the organ, and hopes to have it ready by Easter Sunday. You will notice that through the kindness of some friends, two new stops and a coupler will added to the instrument, and our best thanks are due to those who have so generously come forward and enabled these further improvements to be ally an the present state Cathedral funds sould have jr our undertaking anything of this sort. You will also see what is said about the heating apparatus. think waters be somewhat improved before next win-for so that the fumes do not get into the church, and when we are again in funds we can properly tackle this matter. Mr. Hogg and Mr. Addis do not offer themselves for re-election as Trastees, the former being still at home, and the latter on the point of leaving for s year's holiday. A resolution will be put before you, nominating two other members of the congregation to fill their places for the current year.
Mr. Stenhouse thought the Trustees had laid themselves open to criticism by the hurry in which they had been to appoint a successor to the late Mr. Hodges. The late Chaplain died on Friday, and Mr. Stenhouse believed he was right in saying that the appointment of Mr. Walker was practically arranged by the following Sunday. The Trustees seemed to have acted more as patrons of the living than as the representatives of the pewholders. Mr. Scott might now have given some fuller reason for the Trustees' action than was contained in the circular sent out. It was not a question as to whether Mr. Walker was suitable or not he conceded that the Trustees had picked the best man it was possible to get out here. Butheand other seatholdersthought it highly desirable that the congregate ion should have been comgulted before the appointment was actually made. It was said, in excuse, that Mr. Walker was was time to have put the matter before the congregation. Again in the report it was stated that Mr. Walker would be here in April, but Mr. Scott now said it would be May before he arrived. He (Mr. Stenhouse) had been criticised for advising Mr. Walker, who was a personal friend of his, to s00 that his position was very definitely laid down in his agreement. "He would like to know whether as a fact any differences had been made in this agreement from the wording of that with Mr. Hodg He was sorry to see that the Trustees ted the Easter and Christmas to Church expenses: at Christmas time especially he thought the offertory might be given to an outside object. It was always said when this point was raised that the Cathedral wanted the money; but he noticed they generally had a balance on the right side, about Tls. 2,000 the Trustees put it as a rule, and he thought it not a nice idea that the Christmas offertory should go to save the congregation's own pocket. For it came to that since, if the money for Church expenses was nut collected then, it would be necessary to collect it, at some other time. Would it rest with Mr. Walker to say whether or not there should be weekly collections 'The report briefly mentioned the matter of heating the' Cathedral. The ven-filation was disgraceful and thr ened everyone who came there with disease. The place was full of a dead stale atmosphere and the windows were never opened. From the report it appeared the congregation would have to wait for many years before they could get any radi Surely the money could be raised in some way; if in no other way the Honan Road property might be mortgaged. The members of the choir specially complained. One of them had a watering can near his stove to relieve the oppression, so bad was it. Another suggestion Mr. Stenhouso had to make was that the annual meeting of pow-holders should ho held later in' the aftornoon. A member of the Union Church had suggested to hiw' that the Trustees called the meeting for half-past two because they wished no one to attend.
Mr. Scott replied to these criticisms. When Mr. Hodges died, he said, it became necessary for the Trustees to consider the question of a successor. From previous experience they knew how difficult it was to get aman from home. Letters would be sent to people of whom Shanghai knew little, who knew little of Shanghai, and therefore took small interest in the plice, The result was that few clergymen would bepersuadedintocoming. It so happened that just at the time of Mr. Hodges' death Mr. Walker was passing through Shanghai. Mr. Walker was known personally to many members of the congregation and Mr. Addis and he (Mr. Scott) had already Mr. Walker in view as suitable Chaplain in the event of " vacancy unhappily occurring. The Bishop wasalsoin Shanghai at this time. He (Mr. Scott) spoke to the Bishop, and with his permission, Mr. Walker was asked if he would get consent from his Society in London. Mr. Walker said he should have to consult the Bishop and the Church Missionary Society; that was all he could say at the time. The Trustees had every confidence that he was just the man for the post, but to secure him they had to break some rules. Of that they took the risk, trusting to be forgiven when the congregation came to know Mr. Walker. Before anything settled the Trustees sent out a regular explaining the whole matter and about to leave for home, but still there asking for opinions, To that they re-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.