THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 41, 12 October 1899, Page 19

THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

TO THE EDITOR,

Sib,— Your leader of the 28th ult. must have been welcomed by the great majority of the Catholics of New Zealand as both timely and appropriate. Never before was there more need for strong and active measures to keep before the public mind the injustice which the Catholic body are oompelled to suffer for conscience sake in this matter of education — an injustice which is not alone monetary, but which places the Catholic body in a position of apparent perpetual opposition to the laws of the country in which they live. It has been truly stated by you for the thousandth time that 'in self-help lies the only hope of suocess : God helps those who help themselves.' It is also known to everyone who has given this matter the least consideration that to the Catholic body all political questions must appear insignificant in the light of the question of their right to receive from the taxes contributed by them an equitable grant for the education of their own children in accordance with the dictates of their own conscience. The principle of religious liberty demands this as an inalienable right. The only question that remains to be settled is tbifl : What is the beat and most efficacious means to be adopted by Catholics to bring their grievances before the public and before Parliament in such a way as will give hope of a successful and final settlement of the education difficulty ? I need hardly say that the first and most essential means to that end is thorough organisation of the Catholic forces in the Colony, which organisation will secure unity of action from Auckland to the Bluff. To secure this thorough organisation and through it perfect unity of the Catholic forces to press the lever of the ballot-boxes, I should like, with your kind permission, to indicate a scheme which to my mind would go far towards attaining the object near to the heart of every Catholic. In each parish a local centre of unity should be established which might be called an Educational League, or by some other appropriate name. To form this League on an intelligent and representative basis a public meeting should be called of all the Catholics in the various districts included in th ; parish, to which also non-Catholics and the Press might be invited. At this meeting an address or two dealing with the subject in its political aspeot and in its relation to the present school system should be given and a short discussion allowed. By this means valuable information would be brought by the Press to the homes of the people, which may be expected in time at least to favourably affect the ideas of many who now, because they do not understand —or worse, misunderstand— the question, use their vots and influenoe against us on all occasions, and especially in the heat of election times. This Parish League, in addition to spreading information locally, should appoint representatives consisting of the priest in charge and a competent lay man or two to meet the representatives of the other various parishes at a Diocesan Council to be held in the Cathedral parishrof each diocese. This Diocesan Council should hold private meetings (to arrange the details as to plan of action, etc.) and one public meeting or more, if thought necessary, to which the Press and general public should be invited, and at which addresses should be given by authorised persons. These addresses, when reported, would help to spread information and create a public interest in the question which must have a wholesome effect upon the public mind. The Diocesan Council would also appoint delegates, both lay and clerical, who should meet the delegates of the other dioceses similarly appointed, say at Wellington, where, under the Presidency of his Grace the Archbishop, they would form themselves into a Central Executive for the purpose of coming co an united and final conclusion as to the plan of action for the Catholic body in educational matters generally, but particularly as to the line of action to be adopted at the coming elections. The Central Executive so appointed could discuss the question with the perfect consciousness that the conclusion they come to would meet the approval of the vast majority of right-minded Catholics throughout the country, as well as the sympathy of not a small number of non-Catholics who, from the information received from the addresses given at the various meetings as reported by the Press, would have come to look with a sympathetic eye upon our cause. The conclusions arrived at by the Central Executive, composed of the representatives freely chosen from the different dioceses, should ring throughout New Zealand as the battle-cry of those who are fighting for freedom, and freedom in the most glorious sense of that great word — viz., freedom to have their own children taught without State-made restrictions after a mannei approved of by their conscience. All minor points of possible dispute should fade from vision. Differences of opinion should be laid aside. One united clarion-note should be heard from Catholic lips : ' We must receive from the money contributed by ourselves towards the cost of public education in the Colony, an equitable portion for the education of our own ohildren.' And : 'We demand the injustice to cease which compels ub to contribute to a system of education of which our conscience disapproves — an injustice to which we object on the same general principle as if we were compelled in New Zealand (as the fathers of many of us were in Ireland) to contribute a like sum of money to support an alien religion.' Of coarse the Archbishop and the Bishops would be ex-officio members of the Central Executive, and when a Bishop is absent his Aministrator would take his place. Then there will be an equal proportion of clergy and laity — or, if an unequal number, the majority might be on the side of the laity. This would prevent our enemies from saying that the movement was dominated by the

clergr, though why this should be said, in the face of such irrefragable proofs to the contrary, it is hard to understand. Re ways and means : I may suggest that a small collection be made in each parish to defray the expenses of the pariah representatives to the Diocesan Council, and a collection be made in the cities to defray the expenses of the Diocesan delegates to the meetings of the Central Executive. A portion of the amount so received, if not required for the purposes mentioned, might be put to good use in i spreading information as to our claims in leaflet and pamphlet form. This is the mere outline of a movement which, if adopted throughout the country, must materially help the cause which Catholics have at heart, and which, if obtained, will make New Zealand one of the freest and happiest countries in the world for a Catholic to live in. There is no reason why the means can not be adopted, nor is there any insuperable reason why such a just and reasonable object cannot be obtained. I should be glad, and I am sure you, Sir, would be glad if any of your numerous readers have a different and better scheme of organisation to put forth. I am sure you will give them every opportunity to do so through the columns of your valuable paper. The more light thrown on the subject the better for the cause. Nor must we delay. We must be up and doing if we wish to move at the coming elections. Meetings should be called in the principal cities at once, and the country parishes be asked to join by calling their meetings and appointing their delegates to meet at the Diocesan Councils on dates to be named. With the hope that the Catholic body throughout New Zealand will be true to the best instincts and traditions of their brethren throughout the world, and that they will prove that they are true by now uniting to strike a strong blow for the liberty to educate their children in accordance with the dictates of their consciences — I am, Sir. yours, etc., James Coffey. St. Patrick's, South Dunedin.