RELIGION AND POLITICS

Otago Witness, Issue 3400, 14 May 1919, Page 49

RELIGION AND POLITICS

REV. HOWARD ELLIOTT'S . PROPAGANDA. A lengthy denunciation of the Roman Oatholio Church and its ministers was delivered by the Rev. Howard Elliott in Hi* Majesty's Theatre on the 30th, under the auspices of the Protestant Political Association. The Rev. S. G. Griffith presided, ,and briefly introduced the speaker. The theatre was filled. Admission was by ticket, and possibly this accounted for the obviously sympathetio gathering which the speaker faced. The advertised object of the lecture was to reply to Roman Catholic Federation speakers, Mr Eliott, who was greeted with applause on rising to speak, contended that if Catholics wanted schools of their own they should •pay for them. He said the attitude of the Catholic schools was anti-British. There was not a Catholio school in the Dominion that saluted the flag, sung the National Anthem, or kept Empire Day. Mr C. Watt moved —"That this meeting of Protestant citizens affirms its belief in the attachment to tha national education system, thanks the Minister of Education for his firm adherence to the principles of that system during his administration, and urges upon the Government and the members of the House of Legislature the necessity of passing legislation to effectively preserve the separation of Church and State and prevent any money grant, concession* or privilege whatever being given to sectarian or private schools. In the opinion of this meeting it is essential, in the interests of the national system, that all concessions,' privileges, and scholarships l be immediately withdrawn from all sectarian schools. It is also resolved that copies _of this resolution be forwarded to the Acting Prime Minister and to ths-' Minister of Education."

The motion was seconded, and carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the speaker concluded the meeting.