CATHOLIC FEDERATION

New Zealand Tablet, 16 March 1916, Page 45

CATHOLIC FEDERATION

S - AUCKLAND DIOCESAN COUNCIL. ' / ‘ - - (Concluded.) ' ' ■ - • The second session of: the meeting, of, the Auckland .... ; Diocesan Council was opened in~St. Benedict’s Clubrooms on .Sunday afternoon, February 20. On this occasion, Mr.’ J.-R.. Hayward, of Christchurch, a vice-president of the Dominion Council, who was on a visit to Auckland, was present, and was' warmly welcomed by the president. Mr. Hayward, in a neat speech, acknowledged the compliment/- : Financial Statement. —The treasurer (Mr, F. G. J. Temm) read the financial statement for the past half-year, which showed the finances of tire Council to be . in a flourishing condition. It was resolved that • delegates impress on' their respective branches the urgency of providing funds to provide for the welfare of Catholic soldiers in the various concentration camps, ■ • Immigration Committee.— secretary read . the , report of : the ' C.I.C. • The report was /-received and adopted. ' " * •Literature and Vigilance Committee.— report of this, branch of the council was read by Mr. F. G. j. *Teram, and adopted. : "./- •." Hostel Committee, G. Hansen read a report dealing with the work already accomplished in connection with the r establishing • of . a hostel for . women - in this city. •/ / < Mr. Hayward, of Christchurch, congratulated the Auckland Diocesan, Council on the progress made towards establishing such ah institution" in Auckland, and assured the meeting that such a venture would prove a success. It had done so in Christchurch and Wellington. Mr. Hayward outlined the conditions under which such an institution was carried on in Christchurch. Considerable discussion, relative to the assistance that might be rendered the hostel by the Federation, ensued, and it was finally resolved that the council recommends branches in the diocese .to . heartily support the efforts of the Hostel Committee in any direction such assistance may be required. - _ : THIRD SESSION. -- This session was the most meniQralple of the conference, because of the visit of his Excellency , the Apostolic Delegate. On the departure of the distinguished visitor, the business of the meeting was resumed. ./ Reports ■ were read from parish committees, in : every case these showed that keen interest was being taken in Federation matters. V : - ■ Resolutions. - - A large number of resolutions were dealt with, the following being adopted : * That this council affirms the decision arrived at at the annual meeting of the Dominion Council, authorising diocesan councils to set up in their dioceses sub-diocesan councils to foster and promote the interests of branches in the more remote parts of the diocese, where a difficulty is experienced in sending delegates to diocesan council meetings, and instructs the execu- ■ tive committee to formulate a definite scheme, and submit same to branches prior to-the ; annual meeting •of the council/ / - . •.- ... •/ /* That his Lordship the Bishop / be requested to set aside one Sunday in the year as Federation Sunday, and to instruct parish priests to devote that day to Federation matters.’ . . - /,-*/’/... / . /, , ‘ That the diocesan executive committee should be ' strengthened by the addition of four- extra members/ and’that two of these should be the Brother Director., - of the -Sacred Heart •College ; and Brother Principal of . the primary J school, to assist in matters educational.’ .; .- At/ a. later stage of the proceedings 5; Brothers Benignus and - Calixtus, / representing respectively / the // foregoing institutions, took their seat • on the / council. ■ /, . 5 sßat the * half-yearly meeting , of e : the Dominion ,/Council // of the ,/ New Zealand Catholic Federation

should, for the future, be movable, and be held in rotation in the five -principal centresviz., Auckland, Wellington, Rotorua, - Christchurch, and Dunedin.’ ; ‘ That this council recommends that the Dominion Council /.forthwith /undertake the work of compiling and publishing ; a general New Zealand Catholic direc- .1 tory.’ ' That the ' work of- organising the New Zealand Catholic . Federation in future be carried out by the . respective diocesan councils, the finances for .the carry- / ing out of this proposal to be provided by the Dominion / Council.’ . - /’ ■;/• ~ ‘ That this council recommends, to the Dominion Council that. a sub-committee of ways and? means, be set up to consider the practicability of publishing a -monthy Catholic- Federation magazine in lieu of the “Bulletin’’ at present .issued, each, committee to direct its inquiries particularly -to the question of finance.’ •- // /;V/- ;; / . ’ • ■■/' The conference then adjourned. until 8 p.m. on the " following /(Monday), evening, 'When the president, an- . nounced that.. an address on the education question would be delivered by Brother Benignus, ‘ Director of the Sacred Heart College. ; / FOURTH SESSION. , On resuming, the president announced that he had received a letter , from the Rev. Brother Benignus, regretting that owing to indisposition he was unable to deliver the address on the education question. It was resolved to ask Bro. Benignus to address a public meeting convened by the Federation at a date to be agreed upon. At the invitation of the president,Bro.' Calixtus briefly outlined some of the disabilities under which the Catholics jabor in the/matter of education, and imparted some sound advice on. the question. Mr. Fitzgerald (vice-president),' also spoke on the question, dealing principally- with the treatment of the subject at the last Dominion Council meeting. / A resolution was carried protesting against the injustice of the present, system of education, whereby -Catholics are compelled to contribute taxation towards the maintenance of a system of education they cannot conscientiously accept, and at the same time maintaining, without assistance from the State, their own educational institutions. Consideration of the resolutions, adjourned from the previous session, was then continued/ as follows ‘That in view of the decision recently arrived at by the Council of Education relative to the tenability of scholarships at private secondary schools, this council recommends that the Dominion Council at once set up a deputation to wait'upon the Minister for Education to re'quest him to immediately take action to remove the disabilities under which the Catholic community,, numbering as it does one-seventh of the population of the Dominion, are at the present time laboring, (a) That the time has arrived when the New Zealand Catholic Federation should consider the advisability of securing all available information relative to Catholic ‘ education in the Dominion, making a special feature -of all successes and achievements gained' in Catholic schools, (b) That' a statistical form be prepared and supplied to schools for the foregoing purpose, each Diocesan Council- to be responsible for the schools ■in its particular diocese, and (c) That such information be entered in a register to be kept for reference/when occasion demands/ ‘ That this conference views* with alarm the notable decrease in the ‘birth-rate of the New Zealand, and'recommends that the government be asked to take immediate steps to inquire into the .causes of this-decrease, and that their attention be directed principally to "the exorbitant nursing and medical fees now obtaining, which fees* are quite prohibitive to the working man who is not disposed under . the circumstances to undertake the responsibility of rearing a large family/; ‘That in the opinion of thjs / meeting of the Auckland Diocesan Council, , N.Z.UF. // it is in the true interests of the welfare of the Catholic . people, of this Dominion that the Federation should undertake to /promote/ the /study; of social science on / the principles laid downV by the Catholic Social Study

; Guild, y and That* the various councils of- the Federation in this Dominion be requested by the Dominion Council to forthwith undertake the work.’.' Vjr ■ ''d ■ : :, ‘ That the Dominion Council be requested to undery take the work of caring for the interests and welfare of A our 7 : Catholic soldiers in Egypt and r elsewhere in and behind the'firing line, ,in a manner ■ similar to that so " successfully followed by the Y.M.C.A., and that this ’ council recommends that the assistance of our Catholic chaplains at the front and our various Federations throughout the. Empire be enlisted in order to accomplish the above work.’ r ■ \‘\ ; r ‘That in the opinion of this council the time has arrived when the Federation should take steps to put into. active , operation its rules relating to' the ' assistance of all Catholic clubs and societies, and earnestly recbmmends that steps be forthwith taken to assist* advance," foster, , and promote the Catholic clubs of the Dominion, more especially as such clubs are being unduly embarrassed and impeded in their operations during the present war.,’ - That periodical conferences be held between adjacent country branches, and that city and suburban branches hold quarterly conferences, for the purpose of discussing the best means of assisting; and advancing the interests. of the Federation. ‘ That this conference congratulates all Catholic societies on the good work being done by them in the interests of the Catholics of the Dominion, especially the H. A.C.B. Society, and trusts it will long continue in this direction/ Votes of thanks to the St. Benedict’s Club, which so generously -placed at the disposal of , the conference the- use of its room for the various sessions,. to the • president of the Diocesan Council and* the executive officers for the masterly manner in which they had conducted the affairs of the council during the past term, concluded the business of the conference, the ■ president congratulating and thanking delegates for the successful results achieved by the conference.