CATHOLIC SCHOOLS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIV, Issue 295, 16 December 1899, Page 2

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS.

♦ 10 THB BDITOB. Bib, — It was dißtinotly Btated m mine of November 10. b that "we Catholios) want no concession that should not be granted to any Christian or nn-Obristian aeotion of the community. In Blenheim we presented thia month to the State Inspector for examination 159 ohildren— of these 135 ware standard obildren, and of these 131 passed —and the sohoola' record for the year ia 155 obildren out of 159 have fulfilled the requirements of the State syllabus. In capitation fees this would mean £596 ss ; if to this be added the interest at 4 per oent. on cost of ground, convent, Bohoole, and 1 per cent for maiotenanoe and repair?, the t >tal would come to £700. All thia ia saved to the ratepayer and has to come oat of our purses. We are the poorest eeotion of the community, as nine-tenths of us belong to the working olaee, and consequently least able to pay taxes through oustoms etc, and also annually to be thus drained. Were the Presbyterians, the rioheet of the oommunity, called on m oonsoienoe to a like Baorifioe, they ev*n would feel it and would Boon clamour for redress. Ours then is net a statement of a claim- it is a fact. In asking them, as I did on November lOtb, the -liberal, honest-minded fellow citizens of Marlborough for asßistanoe, I did not think that I was doing anything objeotionable or burling m any way the religious susceptibilities of others. However, your correspondent of the " masked gentry " m yours of the 13th instant seems to think otherwise, and says as to the justice of the above olaim he baa " no inclination to dispute the question since it baa been thoroughly thrashed out long since." In spite of this infallible ipse dixit of his, the Right Hon. the Premier, when espousing the candidature of Mr Napier m Aaokland —a Catholic too and returned at the bead of the poll — m speakiog on the education question is reported— Tablet, December 7th —to have said : "He respeoted that seotion of the oommunity whiob aaorifioed jn the matter of education for conscience sake, but Btill, if the ao' required amending', it should be done." This amendment may noi oome for a tim°, but yet I am oonvinoed that it will come— the spirit of British fair play is too manifest m the oolonies. It will yet legislate that the iooidenoe of taxation will fall equally on all, and that private sohools will regeive say a capitation of £X 10s on standard passes only. This can be made to apply to schools of 40 to 60 of average attendance Thi?, as population increase?, will be an immense advantage to the State, as it will save coßt of ground, building and maintenanoe, the illegal capitation, according to Sohool Aot, 1877, on infants and X pupils as well as £2 5a on every child that passes the standards. I thank you now, Sir, for your courtesy m printing my letters. I have Btated plainly the oase as it stands, and have dona with the Catholic Sohool question for 189,9.-1 am, etc, W. D. Gooqan, B.M. 8t Mary's, Blenheim, December !£, 1899.