Page:History of Knox Church Dunedin.djvu/61

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HE Deacons' Court, at its second meeting, resolved to organise a scheme for the collection of the Sustentation Fund, and the minutes show that on numerous occasions since then this scheme has received most anxious and careful attention from the Court. The amount contributed to the fund by the congregation for the first complete year (1861) was £315 Is 6d. From that year onwards there was on the whole a somewhat steady annual increase until 1875 inclusive, when the amount reached £610 10s Id. There has been a falling-off since that year, the amount raised for the year ending September 30, 1890, being only £413 1s 3d. It is to be hoped that the recent energetic efforts of the treasurer, Mr J. T. Mackerras, to secure an increase in the number of contributors among members and adherents, will meet with much success. It may be noted that the highest amount reached was that for the year (1875) before the new church was opened. It is a question whether the subsequent decline may not be attributed in some degree to the efforts made by the congregation to reduce and ultimately to extinguish the debt upon the church building, and whether the prevailing depression in business has not seriously diminished the spending power of not a few members of the congregation.