CATHOLIC FEDERATION

New Zealand Tablet, 9 July 1914, Page 41

CATHOLIC FEDERATION

ANNUAL MEETINGS, WELLINGTON,

, July 4. The annual meeting of the Catholic Federation was held in St. Mary of the Angels’ Church last evening, the Rev. Father O’Connell, S.M., being in the chair. The church was packed, and the proceedings throughout were characterised by much enthusiasm. Catholics were not organising to bring dissension in the land, but —peace to the hearts and peace to the homes of all good people. They were organising to uphold the best, the noblest, and the most glorious traditions of Catholicity. Every member of the Federation stood for good citizenship. The Catholic Federation aimed for all that was good in man. It was their desire to band together all the Catholics under the Southern Cross to protect their threatened interests. They had been asleep too long. Now was the awakening, and all would know Catholicity in its strength. Mr. H. F. O 'Leary moved —‘ That this meeting of St. Mary of the Angels’ branch of the Catholic Federation, representing 2500 Catholics of this parish, whilst thoroughly appreciating the efforts of non-Cath-olics to provide moral teaching in schools based upon religious principles, nevertheless must emphatically protest against the introduction of .Bible reading into the State schools and against the proposed referendum on the question, as a violation of the rights of conscience of a large section of the citizens, an injustice to teachers, and an iniquitous proposal to tax all the people to pay for the teaching of a religion acceptable to certain denominations only, and utterly obnoxious to others; and further resolves that copies of this resolution be forwarded to the Right Hon. the Prime Minister, the leader of the Opposition, and the members for the districts of Wellington Central, Wellington North, and Wellington Suburbs.’ (The three constituencies mentioned are in the St. Mary of the Angels’ parish.) ' ° Mr. O’Leary said that in putting forward the motion he would impress upon the gathering the need of instant combination. During the week the fear that the Government, despite its assurance to the contrary, would bring in a Referendum Bill, had unfortunately been realised. So far the Catholics had been apathetic and indifferent, but this news would put an end to the apathy. They would wake up and fight this question which threatened their religious freedom. His Grace Archbishop O’Shea, who was received with loud applause, referred to the financial side as it affected Catholics. According to a Presbyterian, Mr. Caughley, a gentleman thoroughly conversant with this aspect of the question, every Catholic man, woman, and child in the Dominion would have to pay 2s a head annually for the propagation of a religion with which they did not agree. This would press hardly upon their poorer people. It was a cunning move bn the part of Canon Garland and his friends to put their hands into the pockets of the Catholic people. It was an injustice. It had been said that there was going to be a conscience clause. Would the Bible-in-schools people give the Catholics a conscience clause from the paying of this .£15,000 ? If they wanted to be fair, as they said they do, would they do this ? It was not likely. Rather there would be a howl of indignation from them. Catholics were, now living in peace with their fellow-citizens, but unfortunately there were a number of people who were willing to stir up sectarian strife by narrow, bigoted methods. -Canon Garland appealed to these people who were against the Catholics. One gentleman .had said that the main reason why he joined the Bible-in-schools movement was because the Catholics were opposed to it. The large majority of their fellowcitizens were broad-minded, but there were a number of others who were willing to listen to anything bad against the Catholics. If the Catholics wanted anything, they opposed it if the Catholics opposed anything, they supported it. It was to the bigotry and narrow-mindedness of these unfortunate -people that

Canon Garland appealed. It was they who were spreading religious dissension among an otherwise happy community. They (the Catholics) would oppose the efforts of a weak Government to pander to a noisy minority. He had felt so strongly upon this question that he had cancelled his proposal to visit Fiji to fight for their secular freedom. There were 80,000 Catholic voters in the Dominion. They were organised, and they would vote to a man against the Government which, would introduce this iniquitous measure. There were also a large number of fair-minded people who would see that their Catholic friends would not have to submit to this injustice. Mr. G. Girling-Butcher, the organiser of the Federation, said that in the Catholic schools they were training 15£)00 children. -Worked out on the State basis of teaching, they were saving the Government £IOO,OOO a year. Add this to the £IOO,OOO direct taxation, the Catholics were paying annually, and it would be seen that one-seventh of the people of the Dominion were saving the Government a quarter of a million of money yearly. If the proposals of Canon Garland were carried, they would be a grave injustice to teachers. The teachers would not have a conscience clause. The motion was carried unanimously, the audience rising spontaneously, and singing ‘ Faith of our fathers.’ The following parish committee was elected for the ensuing year;— Messrs. Martin Kennedy, David Dalton, A. A. Corrigan, D. R. Lawlor, T. P. Hatpin, and T. O’Brien. ' ST. ANNE’S BRANCH. The annual meeting of the St. Anne’s branch of the New Zealand Catholic Federation was held in St. Anne’s Church, Newtown, last evening, the building being crowded to the doors. The meeting was presided over by the Yen. Archdeacon Devoy, S.M., who in his opening address outlined the progress of the Federation and the need for its existence, especially in combating the Referendum Bill for the Bible-in-schools question. The report and balance sheet, which were read by the secretary (Mr. T. J. McCosker), disclosed a very satisfactory position, both as regards membership and finance. The adoption of the report was moved by Mr. Paul Hoskins, who appealed to those present who were not already enrolled to do so at once, so that they, in conjunction with their co-religionists throughout the Dominion, would make a combination the claims of which would be irresistible. The motion was seconded by Mr. J. J. L. Burke, who also appealed to those present to take up the Federation movement enthusiastically. The Rev. Father Hickson advocated the claims of the Federation and touched upon the proposal of the Government to introduce the Bible-in-schools referendum. Mr. E. J. Fitzgibbon, LL.B., proposed, and Mr. J. E. Gamble seconded, a strong resolution of emphatic protest against the Government’s introduction of the Bible-in-Schools Referendum Bill. The resolution emphasised the disabilities and injustices under which Catholics, and other objectors, would labor were the proposed Bill carried into law. Copies were forwarded to the Prime Minister, and Wellington Members of Parliament. Mr. Fitzgibbon, in a stirring address, read the proposed Bill, and criticised its effect upon the minority and the teachers, 80 per cent, of whom were totally opposed to the introduction of the Bible in State schools. He paid a glowing tribute, which was heartily applauded, to the hierarchy and clergy, whom he likened to the watch dogs and sentinels, whose duty it was to sound the alarm when danger was near. They (the laity) were the garrison, and, when the alarm was sounded, it was their duty to rise up and defend themselves against the threatened attack. He urged all to join the Catholic Federation, so that their combination may be strengthened. The following parishioners were elected to the Catholic Federation committee for the ensuing year: -Messrs. Gamble, Guise, Wickliffe, MeLachlan, Flanaghan, and Power.