The Chaplain to the Borough Cemetery
At the meeting on the 6th of January, an application was received from the Rev. T. Nightingale for an increase in his stipend, as the £35 per annum did but little more than pay for fly-hire. The application was referred to the Burial Board Committee. At the next meeting the Committee recommended an increase from £35 to £60. Coun. Bromley in moving the adoption, regarded such increase as a very reasonable one, seeing that the duties had largely augmented, and that the Chaplain had to go a long distance in all sorts of weather, thus frequently necessitating the expense of a fly. Coun. Picknell thought it unfortunate that the distance from the town had not been sufficiently considered when the cemetery site was determined on. Coun. Winter, moved the rejection of the Committee’s recommendation, and went considerably into statistics to show that the stipend of £35 had averaged 7s. for each interment during the first year, or an average for the three years of 5/6 each interment, or nearly double the legal amount that a parish clergyman would receive. He would propose that in future the Chaplain receive 6s. each interment. The fee to dissenting ministers was 3s., and he had not heard that they had complained. He was surprised that anyone should have proposed such a rise, which in the three years interments would average 10s. each. – Ald. Ginner reminded Mr. Winter that the clergy had given up to the Burial Board the monumental fees, which they could have legally claimed, for the advantage of the town, and that there should be no dispute about the salary of the Chaplain. Coun. Vidler (who caused a nearer site to be abandoned) replied to Coun. Picknell’s remarks about the distance, which elicited cries of “Question,” “Chair,” “You are wrong,” “No such thing,” &c. Coun. Putland seconded Mr. Winter’s proposition, because he thought it was a just principle to pay the Chaplain for each funeral at which he officiated. – Ald. Ross did not think the proposed sum was too large, although he agreed with Mr Putland in his view as to the Dissenting ministers. He was, however, sorry to see among the members of the Board an underground current of feeling such as he had never before witnessed. – Coun. Howell agreed with the principle that a man should be paid for his work, but it should be remembered that the Cemetery was not a paying concern. Under the plan proposed in the amendment; for according as the Board got customers, the Chaplain’s emoluments would increase. He would also like to see the Clergymen and Dissenting ministers placed on an equal footing. – Ald. Rock dissented from the last speaker’s views, inasmuch as they would be paying more for the Chaplain’s services by that plan of single payments if the interments increased, as they believed they would, than -
