Is 2,000 gn. FEE TOO HIGH?

' C.H.' Reporter
CANADA'S much-talked of "give-till-it-hurts" money-raising scheme, meant to stop priests from talking money from the pulpit, is now under way at Potters Bar, Middlesex.
With Bishop Cashman. Auxiliary of Westminster, as principal guest. the scheme was launched last week at a dinner held at nearby Southgate. The parish has to pay the bill.
Dozens of chickens, served up cold with tomato salad, were quickly devoured by nearly 300 parishioners. It is the way the organisers (Cathos Ltd., of Toronto) have thought up "to soften up" people who are going to do the paying eventually.
Speakers at the dinner told them they would be expected to " pledge " a weekly amount to the parish, and give it at the Offertory at Sunday Mass. The parish commitments for the next three years were going to be £19,000.
Canon A. Rivers, Financial Secretary for the Westminster Diocese. attended, and an expensively prepared brochure, containing a message of encouragement from Cardinal Godfrey, was distributed to diners.
A panel of 30 men has been trained by the organisers, and they began on the following day to convass the parish for " pledges". The first ten among them to volunteer had already pledged themselves to a total of £1,000.
Speakers referred to the adverse criticisms that had been made, and asked diners to be charitable, and to give in a spirit of sacrifice.
The main objection that had been raised at Potters Bar had been on the score of the amount payable to Cathos Ltd.. for their services. This is a fee of one thousand guineas, plus expenses. The Essex priest who has been successfully running a similar fund-raising scheme in his parish since January, 1959, told me: " It is a very high fee to pay to be given the know-how. If Cathos did all the work of canvassing, it would not be so bad."
NO 'PLATE'
1 he priest concerned is Fr. D, J. Petry. of St. Michael's, East Ham. He told his people last year what his commitments were, and asked for f100 per week, suggesting a levy of 6d. in the £ on wageearners.
Some 30 people then went canvassing, obtained the pledges, and reported back a total of £70 per week. Some parishioners said they preferred to give what they pleased from week to week. These " nonpledgers " find another £30 per week for Fr. Petry.
There are no other collections at East Ham.
Other priests I have spoken to tell me that the disadvantage in the Cathos scheme is that there is no guarantee that payments will be kept up. On the other hand, Cathos undertake while the contract is in force (three years is the normal period) to return to a parish and " ginger things up " if needed.