COMMONWEALTH NOTES

New Zealand Tablet, 30 January 1919, Page 30

COMMONWEALTH NOTES

NEW SOUTH WALES. / Addressing the gathering at the laying of* the foundation stone of a new presbytery at Camden, on Sunday, January 5, his Grace Archbishop Kelly, who was enthusiastically greeted, dealt with the Peace Conference, and deplored the exclusion from it of the one man who had at heart the peace of the world—the Pope. The Archbishop then referred to the question of the necessity of a complete education for the children, so that they would not only be thoroughly prepared on secular matters, but they would be able, through the influence of religion, to gain eternal glory hereafter. In the matter of the injustice under which, the Catholic community labored in not only providing a system of education for their own children, but had to contribute towards the public school system, his Grace the Archbishop hoped that members of other denominations would, as in the quarantine case, lend their support in order that this kind of penalisation would ba remedied. Our quarantine authorities (says the Freeman's Journal) are patting themselves on the back for having successfully held up the pneumonic-influenza, and no one will begrudge them praise and thanks for devoted and successful labors. But it might be just as well to point out that it was Providence that saved Australia and not the quarantine doctors. For a time there was absolutely no barrier between the scourge and the Australian people. Although England was stricken, and troopships from English ports were arriving in the Commonwealth almost every week, no steps were taken in the direction of quarantining them. The Freeman's Journal, when it called for drastic action on the part of the authorities, had noted with dismay the indifference to the deadly peril. Fortunately we did not speak too late, and a week afterwards the quarantine staffs properly awakened. And they were just in time. However, we recall with thankfulness the old saying, that "All's well that ends well." But no matter how well the quarantine authorities finish up, they will never live down the sad circumstances that surrounded the death of that martyr to duty, Nurse Egan, and their attack on the most sacred sentiments of a Christian people. To insist that patients should die like dogs, without the religious consolations for which they yearned in their last hours, was cruelty and paganism of such a barbarous character that to this day we find it hard to believe that educated men were behind the policy. And then the Federal Government's indifference to the cries of the patients until Archbishop Kelly forced its hand, and the whole country practically rose against it. We have heard Little Australians babble of many things of which this country should be ashamed, but nothing in our whole history could be worse than this attempt to divide man from his Maker by official red tape. Father R. Peoples, of St. Mary's Cathedral (Sydney) staff, was still engaged in his devoted labors at the Quarantine Station (according to our latest Australian exchanges). Happily, the condition of the patients has improved 60 much that all are looking forward to the official declaration that the State is safe from this dreadful disease. In regard to the outbreak, the Archbishop of Sydney and the staff of St. Mary's were inoculated recently. The Premier of Queensland (Mr. T. J. Ryan), 'accompanied by Mrs. Ryan, called on the Archbishop of Sydney on Christmas morning at St. Mary's Cathedral Presbytery, Sydney. They were on the following Friday the guests of the Archbishop of Sydney at the Palace, Manly.

VICTORIA. The Very Rev. Albert Power, S.J., M.A., Rector of Newman College, within the University of Melbourne, arrived in Melbourne by the Sydney express on Tuesday, December 31. He relinquished an important post in the Old World to take up the Rectorship of

Newman College. Having an , intimate acquaintance with the-educational systems of various lands, Father Power, who is in the forefront of Jesuit scholars, will be in a position to introduce the latest ideas into the curriculum of Newman, which, under his rectorship, promises to become one of the most noted educational establishments in the land of the Southern Cross. - His career fits him peculiarly for his new position. After a brilliant university course, in which he gained first places in first-class honors, besides scholarships and exhibitions, he was professor and director of studies at Riverview College, Sydney, and during his six years there he gained an insight into the character of Australian youth and into Australian educational problems. After leaving Australia Father Power studied philosophy and literature in Holland and Ireland. He became attached to the professorial staff of Milltown Park College, Dublin, where he lectured in theology, Scripture, and ecclesiastical history for ten years, and for eight years of that period was Rector of the college. It was this position he relinquished to come to Victoria. Mr. Charles J O’Driscoll, in the thirtieth report on the Catholic primary schools of the archdiocese of Melbourne for the year ended September 30, 1918, states that the number of primary schools in operation was 123 and of high schools and colleges 40, making a total of 163 schools. Three new schools were opened during the year. The inspector points out that he examined 107 primary schools in secular subjects, and in the great majority of cases the results were excellent. A uniform system of secular instruction is adopted from the course of study in State elementary schools. The pupils in the senior grade are examined each year in the State schools for the merit certificate. Mi. O Driscoll says that the success of the present year’s endeavors marks a triumph for the Catholic system of education. The total number of pupils in the 123 primary schools was 30,475, and in the 40 high schools and colleges 5061, making a grand total of 35,536, compared with 34,222 in the previous year. The number of teachers also increased from 561 to 604, The number of pupils in Catholic schools in Victoria for the year was 46,565. New schools were erected during the year at a cost of £IB,IOO, and additions to schools absorbed £3947. During the past five years £39,677 has been expended on new schools, with additions and alterations. The report states that the Catholic schools won 35 out of 38 scholarships offered by the Government for competition among the registered schools of Victoria; in the archdiocese 554 pupils from the Catholic schools received their merit certificate during the year. Mr. O’Driscoll says : “The growing strength of our educational system is due to the fact that it expresses the intensely earnest convictions of the Catholic people of Victoria to give to their children a sound Christian education. A flourishing Catholic school is the pride of every parish.”

QUEENSLAND. His Grace Archbishop Duhig at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Brisbane, referred recently to the number of brilliant boys who were wasting their time working as servants, cither civil or commercial. He strongly advised parents to place their children in avenues of employment which would ultimately make them their own masters, and considered that our boys should go more on the land, and not seek so many jobs in the public service, etc. During the coming year he intended starting on the Darling Downs an agricultural college, on the lines of those same institutions in the United States, which had proved so successful and the Brothers in America, who have so sedulously and scientifically devoted their lives to this particular phase of missionary life, would soon be amongst us, willing to do for our Australian youth what they had instilled into the minds of the young Catholic farming element in America. Judging by his Grace's remarks, the Catholic schools for boys will specialise in the future on encouraging the lads who have the inclination for country life to aim for instruction from the new college, and, no doubt, the results will be substantially bene-

ficial to Catholic youth in the State. His Grace also announced that the home for Catholic pioneers would be soon ready at Wynnura, and he felt that ?these old veterans, who had borne the burden of the day, would be happy, free, and independent as guests amongst the Sisters of Mercy, who had undertaken the responsibility of their care and protection. Dunwich and pauperisation would thus be avoided.