CATHOLIC EDUCATION BOARD

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3159, 10 August 1917, Page 3

CATHOLIC EDUCATION BOARD

ANNUAL REPORT. The fifth annual report of tho Wellington Catholic Education Board shows that the accumulated fund has increased from .£1348 to .£2273. Tho principal source of this balance is the handsome donation of .£SOO made by Mr. llaurice O'Connor, aided by the strenuous efforts of tho committee responsible for the organisation of tho St. Patrick's Day celebrations, Boxing Day picnic, Thomas Moore anniversary festival, and the annual schools' "social," which added ;£4Bo to the fund. "It is most satisfactory to be able to report,*' continues the board, "thUt the little insignificant copper coin contributed by each of tho members of the congregations attending the Catholic churches. of tho city, and commonly known as the penny collections, practically covered the year's expenditure, which totalled .£079. Since tho establishment of tho board five years ago no less than i£3ooo has been derived from the Sunday penny collections." The whole of the mortgage on the Marißt Brothers' residence in St. Joseph's garish has nowbeen paid off, thereby et?ecting a saving of ,£52 _per annum to the board. The Sacred Heart parish, Thorndon, has also paid off during the gear tho morigago on the Brothers' •resSlonce, effecting a saving of .£ls per annum. The Bouleott Street Educational Trustees araiointed to administer the moneys donated by Messrs. Martin Kennedy, Maurice O'Connor, and Felix Campbell for the erection of a Catholic hall, and diverted bj; those gentlemen from that object to Catholic educational purposes, donated tho sum of .£-150 towards the reaovalion of the Bouleott Street scliool. The work was carried out by day labour under tho direction of tho Eev. leather Mahoncy. "It does seem a great hardship," continues tho report, "that Catholics are forced to 6train every nerve to support tho Catholic system of education and also to support, through taxation, tho State system from which they derive very little benefit, and aro denied even bnTO justice. Our energies could be utilised in other necessitous works connected with tho Church if only we were handed back a nortion of tho money which we contrlDute to the Stato system. Our schools are inspected by the Government inspectors. We havo the samo standard as the State schools with all the up-to-date appointments and appliances and equipment, as reference to the inspectors' reports will disclose. If we, then, can satisfy the Government that the seoular education given in our schools is up to {lie required standard, 'surely tho Government should in justico spend some of the money levied from Catholics for the benefit of Catholic schools, not for the religious instruction imparted, but for the secular education provided. Wo ask for no favours, but for justice, which wo must strive to obtain by every constitional method."