COMMONWEALTH NOTES

New Zealand Tablet, 19 June 1919, Page 30

COMMONWEALTH NOTES

VICTORIA. w? - & t ..The first dinner tendered by the members of the Newman College Council to his Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne took place at the college a few weeks ago. That was the first official visit of his Grace to the college since the Very Rev. Father A. Power, S.J., assumed the rectorship of the, college. The Right Rev. Dr. Foley (Bishop of Ballarat) was also present. After dinner the grads, and .undergrads, presented his Grace with an address couched in reverent and affectionate terms. They also gave his Grace a framed group of photographs of the alumni of 1918-19. In the course of a brief address the rector paid a graceful tribute to the Archbishop, laying stress on the opening of Newman College, which would stand out as one of the many striking works of his Grace since his advent to Melbourne. In the course of .his reply, Dr. Mannix said that no one was more interested in establishing Newman College than the late Archbishop Carr, who had great hopes for its future. He was justified in saying that the students at Newman College were as well provided for as any students in any university college throughout the world. He desired to acknowledge his indebtedness to the Jesuit Fathers for their efficient management of the college. His hope for the future of the Catholic body in Victoria was very largely centred upon Newman College, and with the band of students passing through its walls year after year. Father Power had come overseas with a great reputation, and already he had achieved a great deal at the college. (Applause.) His Grace eulogised Dr. A. L. Kenny, C.5.,,K.5.G., for his untiring interest in the welfare of the college. The Protestant Federation as it exists in Ballarat represents the most uninviting side of that Orange cabal (says the Freeman’s Journal So disgusted was even their former president that he resigned rather than lend himself to its bitter anti-Catholic propaganda. The latest exhibition of its mean spirit occurred the other week, when an attempt was made to injure St. Patrick’s College, one of the most flourishing scholastic centres conducted by the Christian Brothers" The Protestant Federation stated that 50 cases of influenza had occurred at the college—and had not been reported—a statement utterly false. The Ballarat Board of Health compelled the Protestant Federation to toe the line in connection with these false charges, that discredited clique coming out with a sorry face. His Lordship Dr. Foley, Bishop of Ballarat, speaking at a concert given in the local school hall the other week, said that during the entertainment he had asked himself what may appear a strange, but in the circumstances a very natural, question. The question was whether there was anything in the evening’s proceedings on which the Orange Federation could fasten and make it the subject of a report to some board or head of some State department. By this time everybody knew that, under the auspices of the Orange Federation, there existed in our midst a sort of vigilance committee, or perhaps it would be better named a private detective agency, which was sending reports about all sorts of things to all sorts of places and persons. Private detective agencies had always been in existence, and some of them are quite reputable, and serve a legitimate purpose, and do work of a useful character. Others are very disreputable, for their aims and methods are suggestive only of the sneak and the snake and ;everything else that is vile. To this latter variety the agency conducted by the Orange Federation would seem to belong. It has been paying the Catholic body a great deal of attention during the past three or four years. During the Empire Fair, not trusting the local police to do their duty, it had ? much to say to the Chief Secretary, 1 and on ! many occasions since—in- fact, whenever the Catholics had anything on hand—there had been! much underground work in r the way of secret deputations and : private reports and letters I to: all sorts of, people in authority. He could not, therefore heln

• _ • vt . • •- •f. tj , t- .1- ' saying that it was to- him, ,as he felt sure it must be to all Catholics, a matter for congratulation that the methods of this agency had been recently exposed in a manner which may bring home ,to the minds of Protestants generally what Catholics have had to endure. He referred to the: secret report' sent to the Central Board of Health alleging bad administration against the local Health Advisory Committee. A local paper had described tins report as a damp squib. Well, the squib did not explode, and did not, as intended, blow up the Advisory Committee, nor especially, very especially, its chief medical officer. The incident had shed considerable light on the doings of the Orange Federation and the spirit which animates it. Lie hoped the eyes of , our civic representatives had been opened, and that they would in future know how to deal with secret representations and reports emanating from that source. ' . ••

QUEENSLAND. On Sunday afternoon, May 25, his Grace Archbishop Duhig blessed and laid, the foundation-stone of a new convent and boarding school at Stuartholme, a picturesque spot near One Tree Hill, which is to be erected for the Sisters of the Sacred Heart (says an exchange). This property was purchased some time ago by bis Grace, and, in addition to the sound commercial judgment he has displayed in all his Church dealings, he exhibited that artistic gift, which he possesses in a remarkable degree, of securing not only valuable bargains in sites, but properties, that are ideally constituted for church and school purposes. The Sisters for whom the convent is being erected belong to that splendid Order which has been established at Rose Ray, Sydney, for a good number of years, and who are renowned for their excellent teaching. Very Rev. Father P. M. Lynch, C.SS.R., has had a busy time in Brisbane lately. In addition to conducting missions at St. Stephen’s Cathedral, retreats were held at Nudgee College, and an interesting lecture was given to the students of St. Leo’s College (within the University) on Friday evening, April 25. The subject of the discourse was “The Philippine Islands and Lands of the North Pacific,” where the reverend lecturer was for some years engaged in missionary work. Father Lynch, in replying- to a cordial vote of thanks, said he had a rush to be present that night after finishin a Retreat, and was off to Ipswich Mission on the morrow. He could not say “No” to their esteemed rector’s request to speak a few words to his earnest young men. He had been for many years associated with a Catholic Literary Society in New Zealand. There were about 50 members, and he often wondered what would come out of the society. One of the members was now Commissioner for settling industrial disputes in New Zealand, and he had told him (the speaker) that he attributed his success to the fact that he belonged to the society. Father Lynch paid a tribute of respect to the memory of the late Brother Dowdle, of Nudgee College, who, he said, was one of the best Christian Brothers that ever came to. Australia. He had made a success of every boy under him. He reminded the boys that if they wanted to succeed they must be real men, and thanked them for their kind remarks.