Church Collections
p. 68 · Read in the full issue
Tongan Taxation Versus Church Collections
Letter to the Editor.
KINDLY allow me space to reply to the “damning with faint praise” of Mr.
“Absolutely Correct Etena” in your June issue. “Ignorance” said Josh Billings, “consists in knowing so many things that ain’t so”. “Etena’s” knowledge of “things that ain’t so” is really marvellous.
I repeat my statement, “The collection realised some £620.” That statement is not “inaccurate, unfortunate”, nor “mis leading”; it contains no “discrepancy”, displays no “weakness”; neither does it convey a “false impression” to your readers.
The collection realised £604, a sum far below actual requirements. There was
also collected the sum of £24, for the maintenance of a Tongan missionary in the Solomon Islands, making an “abso lutely accurate” total of £628. Then what of “Etena’s” claim that £740 was collected?
About “the thousands collected by the Church”. Last year, in Tongatabu, there was collected a total (including tne £628) of £l,BOO. ±2,200 will be a very generous estimate for the rest of the group, which gives us approximately £4,000 Suppose we could induce the Austra lian Mission Board to add this sum to their present donation, and make an annual contribution of £5,000 —there would then be no “thousands pocketed by the Church”, and the expense, not being borne by the Tongans, could have no “bearing on the misery etc.”. Now Mr “Etena”, how long would it be before a “carefully planned and balanced” budget added this £5,000 to the already over filled coffers of the Tongan Treasury? I do hope you will try to answer my question.
I am etc..
A. Cowley.
Nukualofa, Tonga.
July 25, 1938.