QUEBEC PROVINCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22975, 1 March 1938, Page 15

QUEBEC PROVINCE

URGE FOE CULTURE CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE MORE FRENCH THAN FRANCE In raov style the Rt. Rev. F. T. Kolle.v, Catholic Bishop of Oklahoma City, spoke on Quebec to a la rye gathering of members of the Auckland Rotary Club vesterday. He told them that the coiiiitry was more French than the changing France of to-day, and tliat the l< rcnch-C'anadians were for the most part distinctly literate and spoke the classical language of the literary men of France. Bishop Kelloy said the difference between the people of Quebec and the remainder of the British Empire was that the French-Canadians retained their religion and their language, and were governed by French laws. Big Church in Each Village They had a profound respect for brilliant scholars, hence it was not surprising that with the many colleges in the province tho citizens were bilingual, and there was a plenitude of Bachelors of Arts.

'J he visitor to Quebec soon realised when he was in French territory. He noticed all the houses were very comfortable, and there always was a big church in the centre of a village. All the roofs were pitched, and every house had a verandah. These were all unmistakable signs. Tn the United States it was quite different, the speaker continued. One noticed that instead of spending their money upon fine churches, the people there invariably erected a remarkably fine gaol or a splendid courthouse. The French-Canadians had a Parliament of their own, and were controlled by a Lieutenant-Governor appointed by the Governor-General of Canada. Study of Latin and Greek In spite of their brilliance in many branches of culture arid education, the residents had surprisingly little knowledge of the sciences, a shortcoming which the University of Montreal was making special endeavours to overcome, said Bishop Kellev. Each year the Government of Quebec sent 10.000 dollars to each of the colleges, but refrained \from asking a report upon the way in ■which the money was spent, probably to prevent their writing to say that the following year the college could use a little more if it were available. " The French-Canadians are the best scholars, because they study Latin and Greek very closely," tho bishop concluded. "T have heard people say ' What is the use of that?' but T want to say that if you are to have any culture. you must have Latin and Creek. Hence, the studv of both these languages is compulsory, and whenever a "French-Canadian rises to speak he i speaks well."