POLITICS AND RELIGION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10523, 26 February 1920, Page 5

POLITICS AND RELIGION

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S SPEECH

REV. HOWARD ELLIOTT IN •" ' ' ' IirPLY.

TER TRESS ASSOCIATION

AUCKLAND, February 25,

The Rev. Howard Elliott writes in reply to the speech by Sir Joseph Ward af Wiiitoii as'follows: Sir Joseph Ward, in his address at Wiuton, attributed the defeat of himself and his party to the, Protestant. Political Association, its organisation, and propaganda, and referred to -what. he was pleased to describe ns ‘‘the wretched tactics adopted to bring about that defeat, largely by bringing in sectarianism of a most unprecedented' doscriptio;i." That Protestantism, organised )W political action for the first time in New Zealand,' met and defeated the long-established political organisation of Home, is unprecedented I admit, but that ‘‘wretched tactics” were adopted I deny. A QUESTION OF TACTICS.' ' ‘

I am prepared to meet Sir Joseph Ward on any public • platform in defence of those alleged ‘‘wretched tactics.'”' Our tactics were clean, abort board, and uncompromising. Sir Jos* eph’s reply is . singularly unsportsmanlike ' ' aiid ' ‘ ineffective. It is based upon misrepresentation and misstatement on every point. He (Sir Joseph) suggests that 97 separate documents which ho has received ivers nil circulated by the P.P.A. In various districts. That? is' ificorreW.” Literature was circulated, _ of which the P.P.A. had no cognisance whatevci. The special election edition of "The Nation,” the official organ of the P.P.A., . was widely circulated through the electorates, but that ‘‘it teemed with appeals to passion and prejudice and misrepresentation ia untrue. The ex-Leader of the Opposition did not afford particulars in his speech to enable a definite reply. -When he docs so 1 will undertake to reply. Jlight it not be said, however, with more truth that Sir Joseph Ward’s speeches .ip Canterbury and the Town Hall in Wellington teemed * with appeals to passion and prejudice?

CATHOLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN. Tne statement, I am .reported to have made .at), l)luff, the,,effect that “it cost be ween! £15,0!X) and £ 16,000 annually to carry Catholic children tree cn the railways past the'State schools,-’ u, horded Sir Joseph the principal topic tor his address. X have never made such a statement, neither have X referred to a book-keeping entry between the -Railway and Laucation Departments. What 1 did say at the Bluff, as from many other platforms was, and 1 quoted the latest Parliamentary- return, that it cost between ±ll5OO and ±ll6OO (the exact amount is £1540) annually, to carry Homan Catholic children past State schools to sectarian schools. Sir Joseph says tliit "it. costs nothing. The issue lies between the ’ 'Parliamentary return and Sir Joseph Ward. ' Further, Sir Joseph alleged that the regjulaitions under winch tree passes are issued afforded the same right to children attending State schools as to children attending They do nothing of the kina. A child attending the S-mto school may gravel free on the railway if the homo of the child is two miles--from- -tho •• nearest • school, and then only to the nearest State school, even though it. he a oneteacher school, whilst the child attending a Roman Catholic school - may travel up to six milcs cach way daily past any number of schools. The operation _of •this regulation pro'.'idea' 1 d ‘constant ‘ incentive ito parents other than Romanists to send their children to sectarian schools, and is a-source of - complaint from many country teachers, handicapping the State school and greatly favouring sectarian schools.- Sir Joseph Ward either does notr know the facts or lias misstated them. —I -can - furnish ample proof of the injustice of .the- operations of these regulations. Further, Sir Joseph .stated that .the Railway Department’s regulations apply impartially to all members- of- the community. -•■ That is not ifruei .- The nuns receive free passes on the railway to travel to teach in sectarian schools, but no such privilege is extended to any State school teachers <, The regulations operate greatly to ithe' advantage ot the Roman Catholic Church, and nor. withstanding Sir Joseph Ward’s evasion of ithc foot, were brought into operciV.cn and extended by the Liberal Government of which he was afterwards a member. ‘ ‘ ‘ CIVIL SERVANTS’ -APPOINTMENTS.

Referring to appointments to the oiril service, Sir Joseph Ward has' avoided the issue by endeavouring to confine the figures to the year 1911. My statement was that lif l!gLI a rej. -turn was" furnished .whicli , showed, that of the last G(XX) appomtinents, to the civil sendee 4CCO were Ttoman Catholics. It was in that year the census was taken of the religions of the civil scrv.ants. Sir Joseph. endeavoured to get past the direct statement,and at the same time overlook the further statement that 40 per cent, or thereabout of civil servants to-day are Roman .and, that .the ..majority entered the,service when'political patronage was rampant, and Sir Joseph Ward was either at or near the head of the Cabinet table. - : THET BANKNOTES. \ Tho. banknote story is very old, and was age-worn before over tho P.P.A. existed. 1 havfi "ou'rhStf/ ’ occasions in answer to quegtiofis'ifi'ifublic, 1 'explained the true significance <ji ' the Coat of Arms on tlie Tet'erse of' tho Bank of New' Zealand one-pound note. I have always, said that, it represented a pioneer,,Anglican .Bishop .whom Protosrapts hold ,tn honoured memory. I- know pothing..o£ .the . stories -circulated concerning .Sir Joseph Ward’s alleged borrowing from or lending to the Rope. I'have to remind the lato Liberal Leader -that he has made' no attempt to answer our arguments in connection with the exemption of the Roman Catholic schools from .taxation, to the extent of more” than £30,000 annually, nor has ho explained as tho, late Minister for Finance if the Kpinap .clergy are exempt from income tax, whilst the Protestant clergy are liable. Meanwhile members of tho P.P.A. will appreciate Sir Joseph’s sorrowful but flattering estimate of tho influence of the organisation.