POLITICS AND RELIGION

Otago Witness, Issue 3442, 2 March 1920, Page 42

POLITICS AND RELIGION

REV. HOWARD ELLIOTT IN REPLY. CONTROVERSY WITH SIR JOSEPH WARD. WELLINGTON,' February 25. The Rev. Howard Elliott writes in reply to the speech by Sir Joseph Ward as follows : Sir Joseph Ward in his address at Winton 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 as "the wretched tactics adopted to bring about that defeat largely by bringing in sectarianism of the most unprecedented description." That Protestantism organised for political action for the first time- in New Zealand'"'met and defeated the long-estab-lished political organisation of Rome is unprecedented, I admit; but that "wretched tactics" were adopted I deny. lam prepared to meet Sir Joseph Ward on any public platform in defence of those alleged "wretched tactics." Our tactics were clean and above-board and uncompromising. Sir Joseph's reply is singularly unsportsmanlike and ineffective. It is based upon misrepre-' sentation and misstatement on every point. He (Sir Joseph) that 97 separate documents which he has received were all circulated by the P. P. A. in various districts. That is incorrect. Literature was circulated of which the P.P.A. had no cognisance whatever. The special election edition of The Nation, tin 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" is untrue. The ex-Leader of the Opposition did not afford particulars in his speech to enable a definite reply. When he does so I will undertake to reply. Might it not be said, however, with more truth, that Sir Joseph Ward's speech in Canterbury and in the Town Hall in Wellington teemed with appeals to passion and prejudice? The statement lam reported to have made at 'Bluff to the effect that "it cost between £15,000 and £16,000 annually to carry Catholic children free on the railways past State schools" afforded Sir Joseph the principal topic for his address. I have never made such a statement, and neither have I referred to a bookkeeping entry between the Railway and the Education Departments. What I did say at Biuff, as from many other platforms, was, and I quoted the latest Parliamentary return, that it cost between £ISOO and £I6OO (the exact amount is £154-0) annually to carry Roman Catholio children past State schools to sectarian schools. Sir Joseph says that it costs nothing. The issue lies between the Parliamentary return and Sir Joseph. Further, Sir Joseph alleged that the regulations under which free passes are issued afforded the same right to children attending State schools as to children attending sectarian schools. They do nothing of the kind. A child attending a State school may travel free on the railway if the home of the child is two miles from the nearest school, and then only to the nearest State school, even though it be a one-teacher school, whilst a child attending Roman Catholic schools may travel up to &ix miles each way daily past any number of schools. The operation of this regulation provides a constant incentive to parents other than Romanists to send their children to sectarian schools, and is a source of complaint from many country -teachers, handicapping the State schools and greatly favouring the_ sectarian schools. Sir Joseph Ward either does not know the facts or has misstated them. I can furnish ample proof of the injustice of the operation of these regulations.

Further. Sir Joseph stated that the Railway Department regulations apply impartially to all members of the community. That is not true. 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. Regulations operate greatly to the of the Roman Catholic Church, and, notwithstanding Sir Joseph Ward's evasion of the fact, were brought into operation and extended by the Liberal Government, of which he was afterwards a member. Referring to appointments to the civil service, Sir Joseph has avoided the issue by endeavouring to confine tho figures.' to the year 1911. My statement was that in 1911 a return was furnished which showed that of the- last 6000 appointments to the civil service 4000 were Roman Catholics. It was in that year a census was taken of the religions of civil servants. Sir Joseph endeavoured to get past that direct statement, and at the same time to overlook tho further statement that 40 per cent, or thereabouts of civil

servants to-day are Roman Catholics, and that the majority entered the service when Solitical patronage was rampant, and Sir oseph Ward was either. at or near the head of the Cabinet table.

The bank note story Is very old, and was age-worn before ever the B.P.A. existed. I have on many occasions, in answer to questions in public, explained t&e true significance of the coat of arms on the reverse of the Bank of New Zealand one pound note. I have always said that it reFivestented the pioneer Anglican bishop, whom Protestants hold in honoured memory. I know nothing of the stories circulated concerning Sir Joseph Ward's alleged borrowing from or lending to the Pope. I have to remind the late Liberal leader that he has made no attempt to answer cur arguments in connection with the exemption of Roman Catholio schools from taxation to the extent of more than £30,000 annually, nor has he explained, as late Minister of Finance, if Roman clergy are exempt from income tax, whilst Protestant clergy are liable. Meanwhile members of the P.P.A. will appreciate Sir Joseph's sorrowful but flattering estimate of the influence of their organisation.