New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-06-20

nNn ana women OF lnteIlIgence. WHO syn
. pathiz- with the objects Of their ests blisl
ment. and who will guard their irteres,
with Jealous care THE Republic.
Cost of Church.(:oink.
Probably not many New Workers fl.!
} comprehend how large is the amour. G
money which is annually spent in matt
tanning preaching and supporting til
churChea in this Ciiy. The cost OF church
| going Ii htcoDtf, matter af 40 SINAI
concern TO those who are religiously in
| cined. The price OF pew ia many case
equals. If it does not exceed. the annua
house rent OF d family: and even a sin gil
| sitting Is often SO expensive as to put a.
eligible place beyond the reach of man o
moderate mean.. Ia some churches all Of
nearly all of the pews are cold and certsir
percentage of ground rent is paid annual,
by the owners, IN some a portion of the
pews ara sold and the remainder are rented
In otbers fixed valuation is placed Cd
each pow. which the holder is required 70
pay. while in others still the valuation il
fixed and the pews are sold at auction, at a
premium, to the highest bidder. In many
churches the system of ub-letting is in use;
that is. if a pew holder does not wish tu
| occupy an entire pew he leases part of it,
| In some cases pew holder who wishes to
dispose OF a portion Of his pew is compelled
| to sell at q pro rata estimate Where no
| restriction OF this sort is made the practice
| of sub letting becomes a matter Of specula-
| ton and source Of pecuniary profit to the
| pew holders. In churches where unsold
and unrented pews are found many persons
are present seeking free seats from Sunday
to Sunday. who never pay q cen: for the
support of the church.
Inquiries have been made recently as
to the cost of church going in various
prominent churches in this city and Brook.
lvn: and of the churches visited by
Tribune reporter all but one either sell or
let their pews. The exception is the Brook
Ign Tabernacle. the central Presbyterian
church Of that city. Ia this church the
voluntary plan is pursued. No seats are
sold: and none are rented, and no valuation
is placed on any pew. The members Of the
church and congregation are assiene seats
on application to the trustees. Each one
agrees to pay according to his ability, and
in case the Judgment Of any one appears to
the trustees to be defective on this point
they do not hesitate to assist him in de-
ciding. The Tabernacle has between 600
and 100 pews. which vary in size on &C.
count OF the shape Of the building, and it
seats over 1000 people. The amount of
money voluntarily given in this church is
known only to the trustees. The largest
church in New York is Mr. HepworeL'.,
the Church of the Disciples. Its seating ca
pacity is 300. The number of pews is 1916,
OF which about 200 are neither sold nor
rented. All the pews have fixed valna-
ton. which varies from $1,000 to $50 The
pew owners pay an annual ground rent OF
twelve per cent on the valuation, while those
who rent pews pay eighteen per cent on the
valuation. Tho entire amount obtained
each year is about $4,000. If the entire
church were occupied, the amount would be
$30.OoO Eighteen pews are valued at $1,000
each. while the smallest and least eligible
church there is no sub letting. The rents of |
the pews of Plymouth Church in BROOKLYN
are larger than those of any other |
which was visited. About 1000 sittings are |
sold annually, and in addition, there are |
about 800 rec seats. A renting price is set |
on each pew. the rents amounting to $l2, O33.
The pews are sold at public auction at large |
premiums. At the last sale the highest
premium paid for single pew was $672
Below this the pews went for $3.50, $3.50.
S33O. $525 $500. etc. the lowest premium
Daid being $40. The sum total realized for
he present year. including premiums. was
81 .i6J. The premiums in chairs at tho last
entail were $50. A part of q pew, in |
many cases. is re let but at a rate in pro.
portion to the cost of the entire pew. The
Iverage cost of u sitting to those who hold
Jews in Plymouth Church is about $35 per
mum.
All the pews of Grace Church. New York,
re sold When the church was built, in
so. the selling price was, in the aggregate.
l2o,OOO. The number of pews is 20S. Thew |
re subject to ground rent of twelve per
ent on their valuation. The highest rent |
aid is SlOS: the lowest, S.. The church 10 |
ndowed. and much of it's support is de.
lved from the profits of leases of down.
own property. The amount of ground rents
u .5bo. 1t pew owner wishes to dis.
ose IT his pew for any reason, a ready
ale is always found, and the prices paid !
re Largely III advance of valuations, |
'hich were assessed nearly thirty years
go. Pews have been sold for $3.50 a
ear III the temporary absence of their |
Wners. There are about 100 FREQ seats
the church. and iseats are provided |
very Sunday for about 200 persons outside
the regular congregation. The system at
t. PauIs Methodist Episcopal Church com. ,,
ines both selling and renting: Pew own
rs pay twelve per cent ground rent on the :
aluation, while the assessment of those ,,
ho rent pews is nineteen per cent of the :.
aluatiOn. The church has a seating CAPACITY !,
about 700. There are 1873 pews on the .
round floor. two thirds of which are sold: :
'me are rented. while the remainder are
noccupied. and SO nominally free. The !.
aliery contains slxty-two pews, few of =
b oh are cold. The assessed valuations
ary from $500 to $500. Sub! letting ia :
'rried on to considerable extent, but
regulation IN this matter is not allowed. l .
he entire amount raised from the news for !
70 support OF the church is not far from .
i coo.
The -pews Of Madison Square Presby. .
rlan Church. 225 in number, are all sold. / q
ne valuations were assessed in 1858, and. | n
erefore, are not the proper basis for n
lative comparison with the revenue from a
ntals IN newer. up town churches The | Y
'lues OF pews on the ground floor range n
tween $ll5 and $500: those IN the gal 7
ry from $500 to So. The ground rent il !,
7elve per cent of the valuation. In cases II
removal and for o,ksr causes. pews are ri
metimes resold In recent sale in this v
urch the price was twenty five per cent a,
eater than the original valuation. The | a.
Ill OF sub letting IS followed here without h
Y restrictions, and at times as much "a | II
% has been paid for q single sitting, Il
le annual amount of ground rents is about q,
G. 800. :"
The revenue of the Broadway Taber- IL
Gle Congregational is very large. Since d
3 beginning of DR.. Taylor's pastorate, in
zee years ago, 1t has increased from fc
J, 900 to $3S, 900. There are 30S pews in II
church, and all are rented with the ex- o,
't'on OF a small number in the gallery. tr
9 highest pew rent is $685. the lowest "
}. NO premiums are paid, and there is OF
sale OF pews at auction. The church | hi
rs loiO. The average cost Of q sitting ! A.
about 20 year, and the average cost Of b,
ew is 1925. The Calvary Baptist Church, | "a
Or n ~ hs~.I az