CATHOLICS AND EDUCATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18736, 14 December 1922, Page 8

CATHOLICS AND EDUCATION

BISHOP LISTON AGAIN. TIRADE AGAINST MASSEY GOVERNMENT. “LABOUR OUR FRIEND.” (From Our Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, December 13. A striking speech was made by Bishop Liston at Uie prize-giving ceremony of the Sacred Heart College last evening. In commencing he referred to a dialogue in French that had been given by the pupils, and smilingly said he was afraid he could not understand some of it (laughter), but then one could not understand everything, there was a very distinguished man in New Zealand who did not quite understand what happened last Thursday.—(Applause.) While the boys were performing ho could not help thinking ot a sermon preached in Auckland, in which three things were emphasised. One thing was that the world was wrong side up, the second was that it would have to be put right side up, and thirdLy the preacher, turning to a collection of boys such as wore in the hall that evening, said: "These are the boys to go and do it.”—(Applause.) He felt quito sure that 'boys like these who received a very fine secular training, and would receive an excellent religious training in the days to come, were just the ones to put things right in New Zealand. Their parents and fedqw Roman Catholics had kept the Christian principles going in a country that was fast abandoning Christianity. In a lew years, thanks to the wonderful system of Roman Catholic schools, they would be the only ones who would bo Keeping the flag of Christianity flying in New Zealand. In regard to aid toward Roman Catholic schools he was. as a New Zealander, honestly ashamed of his country. He found that in other parts of the world, including the British Empire, generous aid was given to Roman Catholic schools, but in New Zealand not even a petty paltry scholarship could go (he way of those schools. "We Catholics aro contributing towards the State system of education about £370,000 a year,” he said. “Some of our children, of course, are being educated in State schools, and probably £170,003 goes in their education. IV hat of the other £200,000? You would naturally expect that that would go to the places where Catholic parents like to see their children go for education. Not a bit of it. That £200,000 is going to other schools, that is the injustice. We are not asking favours. There are some people we would never dream of asking favours, but simply justice, and yet,” the bishop continued, "I have full confidence in the sense of fairness amongst my fellow countrymen. I believe that they will in time to come see the justice of our claims in the matter of education, and when they have seen that justice they will soon undo the grave wrong. We saw last, week that (iho people of Now Zealand have at last awakened to the true state of affairs in the political life of this country. In the same way we feel that the people of New Zealand will one of those days awaken to the injustice that is being done daily to the Catholic in the matter of education. Thanks to God the Labour people—our friends—are coming into their own—a fair share in the Government of the country. They were not long since in a minority. Now their claims are being listened to. So, too, please God, we Catholics—a minority—will, come /.to our own, and have our claims in the matter of education listened to with respect.” Brother Borgia, director of the Sacred Heart College, said: ‘‘When I returned to Now Zealand a year ago I was amazed to find that this small measure of justice hitherto granted to private secondary schools had been withdrawn by the Massey Government. I do not know of anything so paltry and petty in the history of New Zealand legislation. The political reactionaries responsible for this retrograde step ought to be objects of every honest man's contempt.—(“Hear. hear.”) They cannot base their action on any lack of efficiency in private schools, for judged even by the narrow standard of examination results they casily hold their own. At the examinations held in December, 1921, the students of (he college met with the usual success in the intermediate, public service, senior national, and matriculation examinations, while Wilfred Kalaugher and Thomas Lanigan gained fame for their school by winning a university entrance scholarship, and this in spito of the fact that our learned Chief Justice was of opinion that our Catholic schools were incapable of this achievement.”