New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-28
GIVES CHURCH STATISTICS
Governments Report for 1906
First of Its Kind.
MINISTERS GOT S69.667,58
New Yorks Buildings for Public
Religious Worship Valued at
S153, 953,74O.

4 bulletin just issued by the government
shows that there were 1s4. $50 Christian min
listers in the United States in 1906. besides
10S4 Jewish rabbis. and that they increase
at the rate of nearly four thousand a year.
The average salary is $685., and there was
paid to them in 1905 a total of s6s. $685.
There are in Manhattan and Brooklyn
scores of ministers whose salaries exceed
s. 900 a year The highest salary ever Of
fered minister to preach in New York
and given out in public call. was $4,000
year and a house. offered last year by the
Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. 1t was
declined. Several ministers receive Sl5,0co
a year. and there are dozen or more who
get s12.00e These salaries are the highest
in the world. London and Berlin averages
being hardly more than $1,000 a year
The government shows the average sal
aries of ministers in cities having 30O,e0G
population and over. for principal religious
bodies. to be: BAPTIST S1,793; Congrega-
tonal, s1.9SS; Methodist, sl.S42: Presbyte-
rian. $3.50: Protestant Episcopal, sls75;
Reformed. 1888: Roman Catholic, 1854, and
Jewish rahhis, 81 49l.
The average salary of Church Of Christ,
Scientist. readers is only 1924 for the whole
country. with $3.50 as the average in cities
having coo 900 population or more. The gov
eminent explains this fact by saying that
readers are practitioners as a rule and are
expected to earn their own support.
In actual money received Methodist min
listers get most of all, the salaries amount
ing annually 70 sl6 150, 600 Bapdsts receive
the next largest sum. $40, 325. 900; Presbyte-
rians. s7.610, 600: Roman Catholics, s6.T9.ooo;
Eptscoparans. SASH. 600: Congregationalists
NOn. Nd low
1901 600
II is estimated on the basis of these re-
ports that in 1910 the sum Of 500. 600 600 will
be paid to ministers of the United States in
personal salaries ard that congregational
expenses, missions and extensions will in
vo1ve an outlay this year of 5000 600 600
more. These OUTLAWS are higher than ever
before
Values of church properties in various
cities ought to be increased by a fifth. and
for the growth since the data were obtained
perhaps another fifth. or nearly that much.
The government finds the value Of church
property in New York to be sl53,953, 40
This does not include parsonages or hos
pitfalls or asylums-simply buildings used
for public religious Worship. It finds the
debts upon all of them to be sl9O32.4l9 or
about 1913 per cent.
Boston has invested in churches s21.G0.-
600. with debts on them amounting to Z per
cent Of their value. Chicago has the same
sum invested, with 1512 per cent debts.
Baltimore has $4,000, 600 with debts of 1913
per cent of the value. Philadelphia, $40
600 900 with per cent debts; Newark,
S. 600. 900 with IL per cent debts, and
Washington. $4,000 900. with 1ol2 per cent
debts.
In New York City the proportion of debts
to valuation of properties on which those
mortgage debts rest is much higher among
Roman Catholics and Jews than among
Protestants. The government puts Roman
Catholic church properties in this city at
q valuation of So 81 600. and finds the
debts on these properties to be 20 per cent
OF their value. Jewish places of worship
are put down al IS. 700 900 in value, with 10
Ter cent debts. In the Protestant list Bap-
lists have the highest debt percentage. sla
7 err cent: Methodists 8; Congregationaltsts.
s Presbyterians. "a: Reformed, ). ana
Episcopalians. IL.
In New York Episcopal places Of worship
are held to he worth So, $50. oH0. Presbyte-
RAN sl6 400 900: Methodist. s10.500, 900; Bap-
fist So 400 600: Reformed. s., 200, 900, Luther
an Sc. 300 coo nd Congregati onal. N.26O0o0.
Concerning these valuations. It should he
pointed out that in some cases they are
far below the appraisals made for purposes
of tax exemption. For example. the as
srsged value Of church property held by
the Episcopal Church in New York is. II is
believed. much nearer s45, 900 than the
so5 2s0 mo which the government gives in tts