WHAT SHALL BE OUR POLICY ?

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 46, 15 March 1895, Page 17

WHAT SHALL BE OUR POLICY ?

VOICE from the far North and a voice from the $JfejPww far South call attention to needed reform in the New Zealand education system as a r] ministered Mm^^ by Education Boards. The Thames Advertiser \tftffi finds fault with the mode- of instruction in State «s£"• schools :—": — " We have not got hold of the right a / tad of education yet nor the right people to carry it out for the best interests of our children." The Southland Times clearly indicates in a leader of March G that it looks "with great disfavour on the action of the Boards who have declined the united request of the New Zealand hierarchy to have Catholic schools examined by Board inspectors :—": — " Even supposing the permissive view of clause 98 of the Act is the coirect one, some of the grounds on which inspection has been refused appear to be nanow, unworthy, and untenable." Our northern contemporary believes that " our educational system has not proved itself to be the panacea for all evils that its authors expected it would be. The fact is we have made a fetich of our much-lauded system and have expected too much from it. ... At present our children arc turned out from one pattern, and that far from a good one." We have noticed lately that there is lees disinclination than formerly to touch the one thing sacrosanct

in the Colony. The voice in the wilderness i-< listened to and the public mind is awakening to the fact that change of some «oit theiH miiat be if youthhood is to be saved from destruction. "We are just beginning to find out that on re cram dof\s not make good oiuz^xif." We are quite at one with the Thames Aduertisir when it says ''that the profession of teaching should be in the hands of persons of the very highest culture and moral character." It is clearly seen through the provinces that *his is realised in Catholic schools, where '■ persons of the very highest culture and moral character," heroically devoted to their noble work, train our children to serve their Maker and fit them for the duty of true citizenship. The Southland Times, in its editorial, argues the question whether or not managers of private school have the right under Statute to demand Sate inspection — a matter "of importance as a question of law and of fail play towards a large body of our fellow-citizens."

"Of course, " saysour Southland contemporary, "if this legal privilege exist?, there is an end to all c jnfnveray, aad we confess to a difficulty in coming: to any other conclusion than that it does exist. Clause 98 of the act runs thug . — ' Where the teacher or manager of any private school de-irvi to have their school inspected by an inspector, euch teacher or manager may apply to the B >ard to authorise such inspection, nnri th p same when authorised shall be conducted in like manner as the inspection of public schools." We should bo estremely sorry to be made responsible tor the syntax of this sentence, but the mended meaning seems to be plain beyond dispute. The c mtention of tome entice a that the effect is merely permissive, and that it is left with the Board appealed to either to grant or to refuse the application. But what seems to contradict this view is the u^e of the adverb wJien, this word appearing to imply that concession would follow application in all cases and as a mater of course Had there been employed, instead of when, the adverb where, or the conjunction if, a clear peimiseive or optional character would have been given to the clause. The authorisation is no' made dependent on anything but application, and when or after the second step, authorisation, shall hive been taken, examination of a specified character is to lake place. The terms of the statute seem therefore to be conclusive on the point. Having answered the contention of some of the Board " that money cannot be afforded for extended inspection " by calling attention to " the large amount of money saved to the country by the voluntary provision of schools and teachers made by the members of the Roman Catholic Charon," it continues.

" In view of this great sacrifice and its money value to the State, the plpa of want of funds appears mean and contemptible, and incapable of sustaining the refusal it haa been put forth to justify. Probably the most satisfactory way of dealing with the question of r'xjht it\ the matter would be to invoke n judgment of the Supreme Court latcrpie'in^ the precise meaning of clause DS of the Act." This is the opinion of tho Southland Tnius. What action will be taken by the Hierarchy remains to be seen. A meeting of the Archbishop and Bishops of New Zealand was held last week in Dunedm. r ihe resolutions of the Conference will, in due couree, be communicated to clergy and people, iur readers will join with us in expressing sonow at the absence, through illness, of Bishop Luck, and in congratulating Bibhop Mohan on being able to take part in the deliberations, it giveb great delight to his many friends, Catholic and non-Ca'hohc, to find the venerable bishop of Dunedin in his accustomed place. It is safe to say that the cause of Christian education was not neglected at this meeting, and it is safe to hold that the loyal Catholics of the Colony will zealously and unitedly follow their natural leaders in the demand and effort for simple justice.

A rktrkat in prepara'ioi t >r the Feast of B*int Patrick was be^un in St Joeepli'd Cathe iral on Sunday evening, when the Very Rev Father Lynch, rect ir, explained the order of the exerc sea aad exhorted the, con^regvi in to ba exact in attending tbem. Oa Monday evening the preachor w.ig the Hey Father Murphy, and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament wa^ given by the Rev Father O'Regan of Poit Faiiy, Victim Ihe Xcv Fathers Ryan, of Milton, end Howard were aleo {.resist. On Tuesday evening the preacher was the Rev F ttur Hunt, and, betides the clergy attached to the cathedral, the Rev Father Cil yof Lawrence was present. There is a Mass with a shirt ins rue. ion every morning at 6 o clo^k and a Mass at 7. The atten Unco at bjti has been extremely large, and generally the success attained vaa bdn much greater than had been looked for. On Friday morning the adoration of the forty hours will omtnence, and on Sunday thire will be a 2eneral communion — the particular intention being the complete restoration to health of the Most Rev Dr Moian.

We ne^l hirdly rea i 1 oir r^a lets of the celebration of St Patrick's Day, to Uke plac; tb:s (Friday) evening ia the Garrison

H.ill, Dunedin. The programme will be found in ano her placa and our rradern can see for themselves the certain promise of good things that it contains. But we need not urge our Irish fiieods to do honour U S; Patrick's day. That comes by nature to th>>m und it would be litt'e sho t of impertinence ou our pirt to attempt to press them. A'l we need say is that the perform m*e will be worthy of tbe crowded house that will certainly be present.

llrs GiCcc Arbhbishop Red woo', an-* his LoHship Dr Grimes, piid a visit to Dr Moran kst week. While in Dunedin a meeting of the Archbishop and Bushops of New Zaaland was held. The important resolutions of the Conference will be published in a future issue.

Here is a joke and a dodge too. We did not think " Tay Pay " was so easily to be md. Thn London correspondence of the Oiago Daily Times reproduces from the Sun a criticism on Mr Ward aad New Zealand economics, that, if the law would allow us to bet, we would lay a wager haa traversed the ocean twice. There is not a bit of. " Tay Pay "in the whole extract— but there is a good bit of a colonial politician, whom it would not be hard for ns to point oat. Here is what the Times' correspondent aays of the matter : "Mr T. P. O'Connor, M.P., otherwise the Sun, has been having a vigorous fling at New Zealand, and kicks out with the ' irresponsible frivolity ' which rude people allege to be his characteristic, though they do not go so far as to complete tho Dieraelian quotation and cill hi? fulminftuona " hare-brained chatter " He flourishes his shillelagh over the head of your Colonial Treasurer in a very lively fashion. This is how he compliments poor Mr W&rd on his Budget and on his financial genius generally." O, then, the divil a kick, and the divil a flourish ! There ia nothing at all of the boy from the West of the Shannon ia the affair. The writer came from more p*wky quarters, and a pity it is that "Tay Pay" let himself be taken in. But the fact is oar worthy Opposition are put to their wits' end, and there is nothing they are not capable of doing to get the better of the Government. Mr Ward's character, or that of any other man, ib a light matter for them to attack. Wby, they are attacking the whole credit of the colony — and not a fig they care who or whit Roe 3to the wall so long as they gain their ends. " Tay Pay " ought to know better than to play into the hands of a clique who would ruin the country in their own interests. If he is the Irish patriot he professes to be, he ought to remember tnat Irish immigrants as a rule are among the body of the people whom the Opposition would sacrifice, and that hardly one of them belongs to the •' swells " whose monopoly they struggle to uphold. By way of postscript we would ask if the London Press is open to the same reproicb. as that lately exposed with regard to the Press of Paris— that namely of taking bribes ? Mr T. P. O'Connor wo repeat knows nothing at all about Mr Ward or New Zealand finance, and he has at bjst acted weakly by alloMa^ any such ia'eivste 1 misrepresentation to appear in his paper. But bere is the paragraph referred to r.nl it is easy to se-> that "Tay Pay" had n)ihinu to do wi'h it— beyond playing the part of cat's paw— Much iodeel T. P. O'Connor knew about the New Zealand Budget. He hai never read a word of it acd much be knew about Mr W-ird :—": — " It is to be hoped that Mr Ward's visit to this country will b netit New Z^alan'. Had Mr Ward not already s'arted on his journey we would augge t his putting an elementary triatise on economics in his pocket to study on his voyage. Toere have been many men in times past who have held important for which they had no qualification ; but we doubt whether a more striking example of a square peg in a round hole could be found than Mr Ward's position as Treasurer of Now Zealand Those accustomed to the clear Budget statements and sound economic principles of our own Chancellors of the Exchequer will derive much amusement, not to s"y ns'onihhment. from a perusal of ihe Budget statement delivered by Mr J. G. Ward in the New Zealand Legislature last year. We trust that not only will Mr Ward provide himself with an elementary treatise giving him the first principles of sound economic?, but that when in this country he will attend the Budget speech debate for the purpose of learning what a 'Treasurer's' statement should ha. At this critical time it is most unfortunate the colony does not possess a Treasurer of ability an 1 decision strong enough to do what ia necessary to put thinga right. Drastic economy should be the order of the day, and until this is initiated in real earnest there is little hope that New Zeiland will emerge from her difficulties. 1 ' It may safely be affirmed that this paragraph was written in New Zealand. The hall-mark is clearly stamped on it.

In relation to the letter of our corresp jnden', " A True Patriot," we beg to say that, if we have given our correspondent rsason to conclude that we took Mr Davitt's part ia his action towards the London elections or ia aiding in the matter with secularists and Radicals, we expressed ourselves very badly. All we intended to express was our relief to fiad that Mr Divitt bad, an we believed sincerely, made, to all intents and purposes, an apology for what he had done.. As we have already said, if we acted softly, Mr Dmtt'a personal career seems to form a sufficient excuse for us As we do

not lay claim to impeccability, however, we are willing to submit, without any further comment, to the rebuke of those who think otherwise. That, it seems to us, is about all that need be said on the subject. With regard to a paragraph quoted from the Sydney Freeman in our Current Topics, we have to explain that it is a mistake to say that the Inspectors passed any official opinion oa their visit to the Duoedin Convent schools. They expressed themselves, indeed, as generally pleated with what they had seen — but that was all. i We have received from Mr E, Dunne, Geor,e street, Dunedin, a cabinet photograph of the late Father Seraphin, C.P., who was lost, I as our readers will certainly remember, ia tha wreck ef the Waira- ' rapa. The picture is both beautiful and affecting. It iB the portrait i of a bright and winsome youth — his countenancs radiant with peace and purity — clad in tha austere habit of the Passionists' Order. The i figure might serve as a model to a painter for a picture of the beauty of holiness, and no one can look a* it without receiving a suggest on of good thoughts, even independent of the tragic associations connected with it — and which, in themselves must necessarily give it an intense interest. The photograph is a rare one, and must serve as something far more than an ornament to even the most choice collection. Its proper place, however, would be among more sacred mementoes, where it would fitly illustrate the sacrifice made to reli- j gion of woildly ends and prospects. The youth with that fine heal and intellectual, lov-able face had certainly a brilliant path before | him in the world if he had chosen to cuter upon it. But, as we have said, the picture is in every way in xpressibly and most suggestively effecting. * i Ova friends at Invercargill certainly intend to take the shine — and will take it too — in their liiah national celebrations. Besides their sports by day on Wednesday next, they are to have a dramatic ' performance on that and the following evening at the Theatre Royal, i A fine Irish drama, " For Honours' Sake, on the Shannon's Shore," has been rehearsed for the occasion, and we have no doubt it will be finely played. Oar friends are to be congratulated on their spirit, and we wish them all possible success. We take the following li^m the Sydney I'reeman cf March 2 :—: — The Hey Matthew Sullivan, S.M. (who, by the way, is a native of Sydney"), arrived from New Zealand on Wednesday by ihs steamer Hauroto, accompanied by Fa' her Laoe, of Lower Hutt. Father Sullivan is a member of the staff of St Patrick's College, Wellington, and he is on a month's leave of absence. Father Lane is also having a few weeks' rest. Within a few hours of their arrival both priests called at St Mary's to pay their respects to the Cardinal. We have to acknowledge the receipt of the first number of Liberty, the j jurnal of the National A sociation of New Zealand. Our new coatemporary makes a favourable begraoing. It :s well written and neatly issued. We see tba 1 our fears have been realised. Sir Robert Stout has not undergone any moral change for the better by bis migration to Wellington. Sir Robert has delivered a speech in the time-honoured strain. He expresses himself as still struggling foi the manufac'urc of the improved nvin by means of legislative enactments. Meantime, one of the m ist prominent men of letters of thd day — oeeupjmg a position wh -nc>.' he must neceis nly command ados 3 and penetrating vie* of all thU is going on in the world — that is M. Ferdinand Brun"''c"e, edito r of the Revue (Us Deux Mondes, protests that there caa be no morality without religion — q toting auuther eminent

writer— the late M. Edraond ticherer — in support of his assertion But not even Sir Robert Stout, we coaclade, will maintain that thata t improved man may be immoral. Sir Robert, nevertheless, continues quite as much bent on stamping out religion, as he ib on the improvement of the race. M. Brunetiere also points to the pressing nature of the situation. He likens the urgency that exists f>r calling in the aid of the form of religion most suited to meet the need, to that for putting out a burning bouse, or acting promptly on the field of battle. Sir Robert Stout, on tha con r try, will proceed at leisure — with an irre'igiou 1 * and therefore aa immoral, vapouring of legislative philosophy. But again we are reminded— and, if we recollect aright, ia the sime connection — of tb*t old story of the barbarian* who captured a certain body of civilised men. Among the prisoners was a philosopher — whom tho ciptor-!, not bsing able to find any other use for him, set in a retired place to hatch goose eggs. Tne pity is that Sir Robert Stout should do his hitching in public, with a specious prutenc^ of producing from hU egg 9 something much better than gosling. We perceive from hij speech th it the passage of Cook Strait has left him as u.fi i ed and as void of common sense aa we knew him to be in Dunediu,

And by tne way what are the remnants that remain uf the purity of the arimiaiatration in which Sir Robert Stout had a personal part. He now speaks of appointments £or political reasons that betray Dcliticil corruption. Were appointments for family reason?,

let us abk, le^s sinibter 1 But Sir tijbert titout is privileged. Ha has the license of a pjilosopher. If it were anyone else we should be vulgar enough to say, albeit with perfect trulh, that he had an infinity of " check."

Our Canterbury subscribers both in town and country will do well to take no'ice of Mr G. A. Parsons' monumental mason advertisement which appe>rs on page 11 of this week's TABLET. Mr Papons who has been e&tiblia n>d in Syieaham (near Ohnstchurch) f >r many ye irs is well known as one of the leading men in his own particu'ar line, and he desjrws the patronage of all who see his adveitisemeui.

Mi a rs K'len George and Co, rw^on, Dunedin, are now, for a limited period only, issuing cou^> 3 ..men entitle the holder to receive, at a very low charge, 12 fine cabinet photos. Now is the time therefore, for all who dfeire portraits of themselves or tbeir friends.

a French scientist, M. Ragonneau, has just discivered how to make a plant grow from a see i in tiirty minutes as much as it would an er oidioary circumstances in as many dnys. Heretofore nature has sharei this secret with the Yognu of India alone, and the methods pursued by these clever magicians in performing this trick hive often been described. They plan' a seed in the c >rth -in 1 cover it with a cloth. In a few minutes the cloth begins to be pushed upward by \.bii growing plant, which in a short time attains the height of several f"et Various theories ruve b j en advanced as to the modutt operandi of this mir .cle, on • of the la est being that the spocuiors ute hypnotized by the magician. During his travels in India M. Li^g mn.-au saw this trick performed frequently, and noticed tbit tba Hindoos always imbedded the seed in the sjil which they brought with them especially for that purpose. At lasi he learned that th*y obtained this earth from ant bills. Now, as ev^ry ona knows who has inadvertently eaten one of these industrious insects, antscjntain a large proportion of formic acid, with wuich in time the soil cf their habrations becomes charged. This acid bas the p iwer nf quickly dissolving the uitegtnent surrounding a bead and of greatly stimu.a ing ihe growth of the germ within. Alter a little experimenting with this acid the learned Frenchman was able to dup.icate perfectly the Hindoo trick. His further roaea'ctes have led him to believe that this discovery may be profitably applie i to agriculture. By infusing ants in boiling water acid as stioug a 9 vinegar can be obtunea. M. Ragonneau has achieved the best it-suits and most perfect growth by using earth moistened wuh a solution of 5,000 parts of water and one of acid