SIR. J. G. WARD AND HIS CORELIGIONISTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13631, 28 June 1906, Page 8

SIR. J. G. WARD AND HIS CORELIGIONISTS.

TO THE liimoi:. Sin, —In regard to tho question as to whet-her Sir .1. (i. Ward favours his own denomination- ill Guwiiimeiit, appointments, 1 ilunk it would throw light on the question if we could be informed as to .what percentage of Roman Catholics hate been appointed ie Government situations since Sir J. Ward was appointed to his present olliie in the Ministry. Could you or anyone of your readers inform us regarding this point, or tell a;s> where we could get the information? I understand Roman Catholics are about 14 jier cent, of our population, 'but- if appears to me there are far more than that proportion.in Government situations. I agree with what- " One of Them" says in his letter to you that '' it does not matter what a lean's religion is so long as he is .capable." No preference ought, to be given to anyone because be Wongs to a particular religion. AVhat wo require is an independent Civil Service Board on tho lines of Mr Ilerdman's bill of last Parliament. "One of Them" is wrong _iit thinking- Marconi is a Roman Catholic. lie is a Waktensiau, a member of a Church that has suffered terrible persecutions,—we all know from whom. "One of Them " is wilfully trying to impose on us when he trios lo deny that with Romanists the Pope comes first, the King eecond. His assertion that their prayer lxiok inculcates obedience to ihe powers that ho does not- alter the fact. Uiafc with them the Pope is first.—l am. etc., Faiuplat. [It- must be obvious to this correspondent, and others who have written on the subject, that it is not- possible to supply the information asked for. Neither the Government nor Sir Jor-epl) Ward takes the trouble to pry into the religions faith ot those .who are appointed to the civil service. We do not Iwlievc it makes one particle of difference in the making of those appointments what creed a man professes. —En. O.D.T.] TO THK EDITOR, Sip,—l do nut feel at all inclined lo concede to "I-'rivman" that 1 am the least '>ii b'iind to the point at- issue in "this controversy." Having brains as well as eyes, 1 vtiii net- ojdy able to observe the waving

of (.he toi-toi plume, but (o remember (he breeze behind it. Mv' t-oticlusions arc not rash, but are the ouicome of a residence of many jeers hero. There are, cwtainly a nimibor of people who are lolcranfc enough, and with these, of course, 1 have no quarrel. Itiii, tbeve exisis a Wind unreasoning prejudice agaimt Catholics that is not bo evident. in places whore they form a larger proportion of the nopulation than (hey do in such cities as Dunedin. Go to some of the 11ItJo country (owns in Central Otago, where they are well represented in number, and you lind the atmosphere altogether different.

Whether they are receiving more than their proportion of employment at tho disposal of tho Government, would only be provable by tlie production of a return showing the number of employees in each department, and their various religions, Similar returns have been compiled okewhere, and have turned the tables oil (hose who considered (hey hod a grievance. Myself and many other Catholic* would welcome a return of the kind, and should it happen that our side has not received a fair proportion of Government employment it will then bo open to us io set. the ball rolling. As for Sir Joseph Ward using liis power on behalf of his eo-religiouists, that is altogether a delusion._ lie does not want to create trouble for himself, and has no need to. Ilis constituents have such abundant faith in him that lie is left entirely independent of the Catholic vote, which, by die way, i.s not intentionally a blockvote, _ but _ naturally becomes somewhat eoheiive owing (6 the pressure to which it is subjected by the aggreguiion of "Freemen" amassed around it..

1 have nothing to gain in advocating his cause, and do not favour (ha idea of C.itholics looking for civil service appointments of any kind. I should like to see them belter represented aiuon? the protessions and in commerce—fighting their own way. and gaining the l-etipoct of the public generally not only individually, but as a body. We want full men and broad men—not men with their mouths gauged, whose representations have to be made in the fashion that "Freeman" refers (o. Such fellows have not ability enough to walk—thev am onlv crawl.

The suggestion that Sir Joseph Ward knew what sort oi men- suited him best, and consequently had few Catholics iji bis own employ, is beneath i-ontempt. He began business in a small way. and his early employees grew un with him. They happened to be non-Cat holie;. and r.o doubt would have their friends. Then there were shareholders wlw would have friends to reoammend. and so on. J cannot say for certain, neither perhaps could Sir Joseph, as most of bis time was devoted rather to the country's interests than bis own. Then again there were nut many Catholics in Inverca.r-jii! eligible for employment in his btisinc-:s. Had there, been, however, I am perfectly rsatisfrel that ability and cliarae- (•"!' would be. what would have been sought for, not religion.; belief.—l am, etc., Oxe OF TllEll.