New-York tribune., 1911-04-04
METHODIST LAYMEN LOSE
Ministers Refuse to Recommend
Changes to General Conference.
CHANCELLOR DAY OPPONENT
Action of Clerical Section A Sur
prise, as Pastors Had Been
Expected to Approve.

Al,housh the laymen of the New YORK
conference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church have declared themselves in favor
of an Increase in the powers Of the bishops
the clerical body refused yesterday TO make
such a Recommendation to the general con-
ference at Minneapolis next year. the SUD
feet has interested the Methodist Episcopal
Church all over the country. ana II ma"
been predicted that the minister's would
like the laymen. put themselves on record
IN favor OF doing away with the district
superintcndents and placing the RESPONSE
biity for the conferences directly upon
the bishops. The ministers debated inc
question yesterday. and the issue seemed 10
have been practically settled before II was
put 10 a vote for when the voting came IL
passed by so quietly that few took any III
terest in il.
The Rev. Dr. Herbert Hazard. OF Central
Valley. was sponsor for The memorial 10
the general conference. He proposed that
when two-thirds Of the members of the an
nual conference and lay electors should
ask for a certain bishop he should be as
siened to that district for four years Dr.
Hazard said that he had sent out 70 let
tiers on the subject. and OF us replies re-
celved los had been I'm favor. % against ana
"a neutral He said that his charge at PINE
Uill had never been visited by bishop. ana
that an increase cf the board OF bishops 10
forty or fifty men would give such small
places an opportunity for occasional vista
tions. Or. Hazard did not propose to do
away with district superintendents. prov!d-
ing that the bishops might appoint them
when necessary.
Dr Hazzard was followed by Chancellor
Day of SvracCse University. who opposed
the plan When you study the greatest
good to the greatest number it is ques-
ton whether bishop should turn away
from hundreds Of people 10 give his time
20 a small congregation. however worthy
II is" said Chancellor Day. They talk Of
the chances for the young Of seeing a
bishop-somethlng which they alege is hard
10 brng about under present conditions
There are bishops and bishops and IT seems
20 me that # 4 young man gets one look at
a bishop like Matthew Simpson IL VIII
compensate him for all the contact he may
have missed with a sort of bishop-secretary
] heard Bishop Simpson when | was a
young man. and l had 10 repent or leave
the congregation. I'm sorry TO say that l
left. our bishops are giants. men with
flaming swords. and they are not CORE
spending secretaries. / would substitute
for this plan the scheme of laying at the
door Of the district superintendents greater
possibilities and eDlargins their spheres
one speaker argued that 20 do away with
the district superintendents would be a
saving Of $4,000. and another said that
more bishops were needed for the one prob
lem of handling the situation in the cities.
'Methodism has not solved the problem Of
the cities" said the speaker the Rev. Z. :.
Lowther.
When the hand-vote was called for by
Bishop Smith. who presided. he announced
that the motion was los. The advocates Of
the plan did not demur, and the conference
went on 70 other business.
During the carly afternoon Chancellor
Day and the Rev p y. Chase introduced
o resolution allowing the board of stewards
t. deduct the pay of & superannulted min
lister appointed 20 a charge. If II was
thought necessary. Nr CNse announced
that the old preachers fund was close 20
Sano0e. with an income of over $1,000 and
that plans were under way TO increase IL
10 $4,000 The resolution was killed.
CONGRESSMAN John T. Andrus. Of Yonkers,
has announced that he will give $4,000 10
The old preachers fund If the conference
will raise Sl0G0n His idea is to divide the
interest on the amount among superannu-
ated ministers and their widows ana also
among those preachers who row give per
cent of their salaries TO the fund, the gift
TO amply when they become superannuatec.
The fund Will also 90 70 their widows II
Tho latter have been ten years the wives
O. preachers I'm executive service. The con
ference voted t. accept The gift and TO
undertake % raise the conditional fund, ana
e plan was adopted to get that amount.
The conference voted 10 make the ratio
Of payments T. retired preachers from the
Church collection fund at the rate Of Sl1
for each wear in active service. The income
now amounts 20 S3i,00.
Tho Rev. Emory T. Haynes. of BROOKLYN
who left the Methodist Church some years
$40 10 become a baptist clergyman ana
later returned to Methoiism. protest d