CATHOLICS CONFER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16479, 19 February 1914, Page 8

CATHOLICS CONFER.

FEDERATION MEETING IN WEL- : KP"";,; ; . :: ' LINGTONL.-iai: '' itw 'i.4 ..[PEBviPskss-Association.] ,1. > •->;'WELLINGTON, February 18. . r ..The 6econd' half-yearly meeting of '; the Dominion Council* and Executive • .--of the Nkw Zealand Catholic Federation was held to-day. The follow,. • "ing ■ delegate§ were present:—Welling* '".ton diocese, Mr F. K< Reeves (president), the Very Rev'Dfeah Bolteft and "'Mr"J". W. Callagharij'Auckland; Messrs :W> M'Loughlin, F. G. J. Temm and c 'o : i J. Furlong; Christchurch, "the Very : Rfev Father Price, the Very Rev Dean v Hylahd and Mr J. R. Hayward; Duneain, the Very Rev Father Coffey and ."[Messrs M. P. Sheil and D. Poppelwell. * "V In welcoming" the delegates the chair- ■ man' said the' Federation movement was even now only in its initial stages and / *th6ugh a very'considerable amount of *SpaderWork : had been done "a great deal '■remained to be accomplished. He re- ' ferred in terms of satisfaction to the : -work ' done by the ' organiser (iu.r G. Girling Butcher), and said the selfdenying labour on the part of those engaged should give Catholics the idea that those at the head of the movement were imbued with a sense of re- . sponsibility on behalf of the Catholic cause and that they were pursuing their object with no selfish aims. Going into details of the work done, the Executive refers to the case of neglected children, i Recognising the importance of the matter it circularised the branches for the names of Catholic families willing to take into their homes (for, the usual Government consideration) Catholic children committed through the courts to the care of the .Education Department. This work will be carefully watched and as, the •iresult.it is hoped " that one of ' the leakage from the church will ibe .minimised;' The employment .' bureau; it reports; is a; boon for- employers and employees alike in all parts of the dominion; During the month 107 people were directed to employment. The financial position is satisfactory I • '■•.. Archbishop Redwood and Coadjutor ■ Archbishop O'Shea addressed the conference, congratulating it on the proegress of the movement. Mr Girling ißutcher spoke on the question of organisation, emphasising the importance if parish committees. t ft The conference reaffirmed the principle that the Federation "is not a - political party organisation and does '.'not seek to touch politics except where ' politics touch religion, or where the civil rights and liberties of Catholics are affected." ,_...' ', It was decided that the Dominion ■Executive > ,should approach the hierarchy in regard to the forimulation of a ■ constructive policy ■in connection with the education 'movement.