Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-25

What was the result OF the control OF
such a sci -pcrpetuating, irresponsible boa d
OF vestrymen. who could be reached by
no criticism7
II is very little different from the result
in other corporations. Perhaps It was, II
anything. worse, because there was less
accountability on the part OF the board
OF directors tvestry). An insurance de-
at Albany made. at least. a pre-
tense OF supervising the Insurance COM
panies, but there was no church department
at Albany-no one on earth who had any
power to demand any sort Of an account
ing from Trinity corporation. And UNI
limited power over vast unearned property
in the hands Of a few men, who are not
accountable to anyone, car work out in
only one w~ey-whether the men are organ
lied under a churchly name or not.
And what is that result7
Benumbing Effect of wealth
A curiousA insidious, benumbing disease
seems to affllct those who control un-
earned property. Subtle psychological
changes take place within them. One might
expect such men to say to Themselves:
''The people have endowed us with special
franchise privileges, they have granted us
land to work with, they have built up this
land and increased its value. they are pay
ing us a large yearly income. they have
RENTED our taxes for over two hundred
years. we, therefore, owe them the most
enthusiastic service and the frankest
accounting OF our stewardship" Do they say
this? Not at all. BY the curious psychology
ical change to which l have referred they
come to act as though the property which
they control was in reality their own. They
resent any questions regarding 1t, they
spend the income where and how they like;
they make no accounting to anyone.
People ordinarily expect to pay some
thing, make some self-secrifices for their
religious advantages. Some of the most
heroic stories in the world are told of the
sacrifices of men and women to build
up places of worship. but the congregations
of Trinity parish get their religious ad-
vantages practically for nothing. Accord
ing to the financial statement issued re-
Gently by Trinity the first public report in
over fifty years. Il costs $340,S7O to main
tain the ten churches and the schools of
Trinity for one year. OF this vast sum
the members of all the churches contribute
just SIS, 210 lin pew rents). All the re-
malnder of the expense was met from
the rental income from the property owned
by Trinity. In other words, the poor
people and other tenants on Trinity lands
have paid not only for the support Of the
chapels In the poorer part Of town. but
they have built the rich uptown churches
and are paying practically all the running
expenses. Communicates in Trinity wor-
ship in churches which they have not built,
and to the support Of which they contribute
nothing. They are, In short, religious
paupers.
Princely Expenses.
1t Is true that the congregations of
Trinity churches contribute during the
year 1900 for special charities, but none
of this money went to the church support.
and even II II had been so applied 1t would
not have begun to liquidate the cost Of
operating the churches.
Music alone cost Trinity last year dn-
Guiding care OF organs) s6s,oOO, or over
three mes as much as the members con-
tribute to the entire support OF the church.
There have been many complaints OF the
Trinity tenerhents Iofs whichc more later,
but at least they pay for a great deal of
fine music, also for twenty-eight clergy
men at a cost of $i01. s74 and for thirty-two
sections and engineers at S26,b SOS. / find an
item of fuel and light of churches OF
So, $50. The total contributions OF Trinity
communicates for church purposes 01S,OOO)
will pay that, and some to spare.
AS in the life Insurance companies,
salaries range high; the rector is said to
receive the highest salary OF any clergy
man in America, $1,000 a year, and some
OF the Wears receive 5000 each-more than
the salary of a United States senator. Be
sides the salaries many of the clergy also
receive free residences Con partial un-
taxed property, so that they have no rent
TO pay-a big item in New York City
and when they retire they are generously
pensioned.
1t was found In the life insurance com
panies that, although keen business mer
conducted the operations. some of the real
estate owned yielded q very low income
The same is true of Trinity. 1t cost jusI
short Of $50. 600 for salaries and office ex,
penses in conducting the real estate bust
ness of Trinity. and yet the net income
| last year on SIS. 100000 worth of rea
r estate was My about $4,000 (gross S762,
; O0O)-or a little more than 2 per cent
> Tenement house property in New York IL
ordinarily expected to pay from to 6 pei
cent net, and other rented property not lesl
4 than four per cent.
Losing Its Hold.
Complaint has been widely made (especi'
ally in New York City that the church
was losing It's mold on the people, thai
people do not 30 to church as they one,
I did nor take the interest in religious affairs
c that they should. Has the position o.
5 Trinity With its low standards OF Soda
i justice and morality had anything to dc
with that tendency When the public. and
G the courts, and the legislature, have Il
. castigate a church to higher moral stan