Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-05-08
1H[ CHURCH N[RGER
Pastors of Des Moines Churches
In the Consolidation Plan
May Lose Positions
SYMPATHY WITH MOVEMENT
SYMPATHY WITH MOVEMENT
The Pastors Say it Will Make no Diff
ference How the Merger May Affect
Them Personally and Both They
And the Church Members Concerned
Heartily Approve of This Move.
Special to Times-hcpublican.

Special to Times cpupllcan.
Des Moines, May S.-The recent ac-
ton of some of the leading church
council in Pittsburg is causing much
uneasiness among the pastors of these
churches in Des Moines. 1t is new
form of the merger with which they
are not familiar and they fear that
| like some other mergers the effect Will
be to throw some OF them out of em-
ployment. The agreement reached at
the Pittsburg conferences is to form one
church out of the Congregational. the
United Brethren and the Methodist
Protestant churches. The three church
es are so nearly alike in everything
that their union will be simple mat
ter so far as their creeds are con-
cerned Some other denominations We're
invited into the merger at the outset
but they dropped out one by one and
only three remained to perfect the
combination which has for its chief
aim the simplifying of the church work
and elimination of many weak oongre-
cations. In this city it is anticipated
that the leading United Brethren and
congregational churches Will be left
just as they are and there Will be no
abandonment of church property. ex-
cent in the case of the Pilgrim Con-
gregatonal and the Castle Memorial
church of the United Brethren. These
two churches are on the east side sit
uated almost together. The members
have always worked together harmoni-
ously, but when it comes to aband-
oning one or the other of the churches
and combining the two into one congre-
cation it is anticipated that some trou-
BILE will be had. The pastors of the
churches. however, say they are in
hearty sympathy with the consolidation
,laoyement no matter how 1t may effect
very able men it is believed they Will
not suffer greatly. Among most of the
church people of the city in the de-
nominations affected the consolidation
movement is hailed with delight. The
city now has larger proportion of
churches to population than almost any
city of the country and the desire to
eliminate some of them is quite gener-
al.
The Iowa State university has Jared
very well in the matter of funds secured
from the special levy provided for by
Legislative enactment for building pur-
poses. The legislature made special
one tenth mill levy and provided that
In case the taxes from this levy should
exceed $4,000 in any one year the
residue should go to the general funds.
To date the university has received the
following on account of the taxes thus
levied: Tax for 1898, $54,6S0.30; tax
for 1899 $53.549.45; tax for 1900, $54,-
S02.44; tax for 1901, S55,622.45. The
only year when the receipts exceeded
the limit fixed by the legislature was
for the taxes of 1901, and this small
sum will be turned back. The legis-
lature then doubled the tax making it
one fifth mill, but removed the limit.
This will give the state university more
than $4,000 a year, and with the adj
ded assessment may run 1t UP to $l25,-
900 year, all for building purposes.
Not all of the old taxes have been
collected as yet, and for many years
delinquent taxes will be coming in for
this fund. An effort may be made to
clear the books of the state of the old
account by removing the limit as to the
old taxes.
Gov. Cummins is to attend this year
the commencement of the old seminary
at Waynesburg, Pa, where he went to
school in his younger days. The gov
ernor has not been paying visits to that
particular part of creation with any
regularity since he came to Iowa, but
upon pressing invitation he has
agreed to be there June 25 and meet
with the alumni Of the college and
many old friends. The governor has
many dates for speaking. including high
school commencements and picnics and
reunions of old soldiers. If he had
capacity ten times as great as normal
he might attend all meetings where
he is wanted, but he is compelled to
decline about nine out of every ten in
yitatiOnS.