The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 1911 AN EXCELLENT PRECEDENT

New Zealand Tablet, 19 January 1911, Page 111

The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 1911 AN EXCELLENT PRECEDENT

tIS Eminence Cardinal Moran—easily the strongest and most commanding figure in New South Wales — one of the standing wonders of Catholic x life in Australasia. Now entering on his eighty-first year, his Eminence is NifegpM' physically and mentally as active and alert ) artWwjfc as ie lu, g est °f his priests. With his f, y ™ Eminence increase of power and vigor seems to accompany the gathering years, and Wordsworth's lines have been most truly and happily applied to him. ' The monumental pomp of age Is with this goodly personage; A stature undepressed in size, Unbent, which rather seems to rise, In open victory o'er the weight Of seventy years to loftier height,'

The lines were never more aptly fulfilled in the Cardinal’s career than in the manifold and marvellous activity of these latter days. Not long —at a time when most men of his age would be dreaming of hours of slippered ease—his Eminence inaugurated and set in motion a great scheme for the liquidation of the debt on St. Mary’s Cathedral. A little later he initiated a most, important movement for enabling Catholic religious to sit for University degrees without having to attend the intra-mural lectures of the local college—a movement which, notwithstanding difficulties already encountered, he is determined to persist in until complete success is achieved. And now, like a skilful general and true representative of the Church militant, he is rallying the Catholic forces and focussing public attention on the ever-important subject of education.

The immediate factor in leading the Cardinal to adopt his present plan of. action has been the vacillating and uncertain— not actually unfriendly—attitude towards Catholics shown by the New South Wales Government on what is known as the scholarships question. We have already referred at some length in these columns—in an article on 'The Limpness of Politicians'—to the weak and wobbling course pursued by the New South Wales Minister. A few weeks ago the Cardinal sounded a note of warning on the subject. ' If the Labor Government persists,' said his Eminence, ' in the same course of injustice to Catholic schools as the Wade Government followed, they will certainly bid good-bye to their official positions at the next election. We are waiting to see what Mr. Beeby's intentions are. It is too soon to judge him yet, but Catholics generally are watching his policy with a great deal of interest.' The public are still left in uncertainty as to the precise intentions of the Government in respect to scholarships and secondary schools; and the Cardinal has taken the important step of convening a conference to discuss and review the whole subject of education in all its phases. The conference, will be held in the Cathedral Chapter House this week, and the Cardinal will preside The whole of the Bishops of the State have been invited to confer with the Cardinal, and there will also be present representatives of the clergy of the various dioceses of the State, and duly accredited representatives of the teaching Orders of the Catholic Church. * The Right Rev. Monsignor O'Haran has given a general indication of the scope and purpose of the conference in an interview with the Sydney Daily Telegraph. A suggestion had been made in the daily papers that some members of the present Government had made some proposal to the effect that Catholic secondary schools should be registered and the primary schools inspected. 'lt is proposed to review such an idea,' said Monsignor O'Haran, 'and at the same time examine our existing system with a view to providing against any danger that might arise from such changes. The Labor Government may be friendly in its attitude, or it may be seeking to introduce the thin edge of the wedge by suggesting a more infidel system in keeping with many of their other principles. Whatever their intentions, it behoves Catholics to examine the existing methods in their schools, and to ascertain if any of the country schools are lacking either in material or buildings, or any of the up-to-date methods they should be possessed of. If any such condition of things were found to prevail, it would be the duty, of those in authority to bring them abreast of the times. This might put us in the position of being able to present to this and any other Government the opportunity of righting the wrongs under which Catholics believe they have labored in the past' And to a Herald reporter Dr. O'Haran said: 'The conference has been called to consider our position, and to take steps to strengthen and fortify it. It will deal with the whole question of education, and particularly with respect to secondary education.' * It is obvious that such a conference is capable of rendering incalculable service to the Catholic body both in respect to the actual work of Catholic education and in regard to the equally important matter of watching over the political interests of the Catholic cause. (1) It will serve to bring Catholic educationists into closer touch with one another, and to bring about in Catholic secondary

schools that uniformity of syllabus and of method which already obtains in the primary schools. (2) It will place the Church authorities in the position of being able to say precisely what the Catholic secondary schools desire in regard to the tenure of scholarships and bursaries, and what conditions they are prepared to accept and work under. The final decision on such matters will, of course, remain with the head of the Church in the archdiocese; but by means of the proposed conference he will have the benefit of the practical judgment,, mature experience, and special knowledge of those who are actually engaged in teaching work. (3) The members of the conference will naturally follow closely all legislative proposals directly or indirectly affecting Catholic schools, and—as it is understood that the gathering is to be an annual onethe conference will form a sort of Standing Committee for the purpose of promoting, safeguarding, and conserving Catholic educational interests in every possible way. (4) If there should be question at any time of conferring with other religions bodies on the subject of religious education, or with the representatives of other private schools, the Church has ready to hand the members of this Catholic Education Conference —a body of men fully equipped and in every way admirably suited to represent her at such gatherings. That the idea of mutual arrangement and discussion amongst those friendly to religious education has been by no means excluded from contemplation is shown by the whole spirit of Dr. O'Haran's interview. 'We are ready at all times,' lie said, 'to accede to any proposal that will be equitable and just to all.' It would seem, therefore, that his Eminencein setting up this important conference on the Education Questionhas established an altogether excellent precedent, and one which it is safe to anticipate will be widely followed.