Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-05-06
Episcopal Diocese of Washing
ton Chooses Standing
Committeeman.
TWO OF THREE LAYMEN
ALSO ARE DECIDED UPON
%
Question of Adopting General Pen
!: sion Plan for Retired Clergymen
Provokes Discussion.

D.. Voting for the standing committee for
the diocese of Washington in the con-
vention Of the Episcopal diocese OF
Washington in st. Adams Church re-
suited on the first ballot this after
noon in the election Of Rev. c. L. Buck,
Rev. George F. Dudley, Rev. Herbert
Scott Smith and Rev. DIR. r. H. Nc
Kim as clerical members of the COM
H1ittee and W. NJ. Levin and ]. H. Cor
don as two of the necessary three lay
members of the committee.
As the committee calls for three lay
members. a second ballot was called
for by Bishop Harding and the voting
on this ballot was in progress when
The Stars report closed.
The question of whether this diocese
will adopt the general pension plan
for retired clergymen. following the
scheme laid down by commission ap-
pointed for the purpose of studying
the whole question of clerical support
vas the big issue before the conven-
ton today and lively controversy was
in progress late this afternoon.
Pension Plan Before Convention.
The motion to adopt the general pen
sion plan for Episcopal clergyman. as
outlined by the report of the commits
sion which has been studying the mat
ter for several years. was presented
to the convention early in the day by
Rev DR.. Randolph Mckim, on behalf
Of the pension committee. on which the
other members were Rev. DR.. Herbert
Scott Smith. Byron S Adams, Melville
Church. Ralph Jenkins and G. S. Whit
more. The proposed pension plan Is as
technical in nature as the most in
volved insurance plan. Briefly, it is a
straight out-and-out insurance, where
by the various dioceses pay a premium
10 the general pension fund. which Is
TO be set at 100000. and when a
Clergyman reaches retirement age. set
at sixty-eight years, he would receive
q pension worked out on mathematical
lines.
After DR.. McKim had read his report
and had moved it's adoption, SO that
the diocese of Washington would join
with other dioceses of the country, the
Whitmore, proved to be couched in
rather vitriolic language for conven-
ton. Mr.. Whitmore's proposal was to
adopt q nat pension of $500 a year and
to place the retiring age as young as
possible, this age to be worked out on
acturial lines.
Mr.. Whitmore said that the general
pension plan rewarded the rich clergy
with pensions many times greater than
those given the poor clergy.
c.
had considerable to do with drawing
Up the proposed plan, went into great
detail In answering Mr.. Whitmore. He
said that the proposed plan is meeting
with the almost unanimous approval of
the church at large. and he also said
chat the fiat rate pension of $500 year
is absolutely impracticable.
Business Methods Scored.
A report scoring some of the parishes
Of this diocese for not promptly paying
their pledges for diocesan missionary
support was read to the convention last
night after the service in the Church
Of the Epiphany. 1t was written by
Spring, Nd, who, speaking of tardy
payment, said:
ITO say that such bad business ar
fanGements are not creditable to the
Testfy which makes them. that they
are unfair to the clergymen who suffer
from them and that they are a stand
ing obstacle to the progress Of the
church at large is only to repeat what
has been said already many times, in
different forms of words. Such slip
shod ways of managing the secular af-
fairs of a parish should have disap-
peared from the diocese of Washington
long ago. Unhappily. they are still
consequences of such methods are pain
fully distinct. How can the work of
the church in the diocese make salts
factory progress when the rectors are
constantly changing? Why do they
change their parishes or go to other
dioceses? Largely because they are
Inundated. if not made physically un-
comfortable, through not being able to
meet their current bills promptly on
account of the failure of those charged