COMMONWEALTH NOTES

New Zealand Tablet, 26 May 1921, Page 30

COMMONWEALTH NOTES

NEW SOUTH WALES. The Rev. Mr. W. P. Stewart, Presbyterian minister , and chairman of Bathurst district, had some sane advice to give the raving jingoes in connection with the. Union Jack ’hysteria (says the Catholic Press , Sydney). On the Bathurst city flagpole, the Australian flag was placed beneath the Union Jack, and Mr. Stewart protested that it should be on tlje same level. He scored a win. Mr. . Stewart went on to say: “In so far as a considerable section of Australians are concerned, such an exhibition of patriotism as was witnessed on the King’s Parade this afternoon cannot be described in any other terms than an exhibition of blatant jingoism. Personally, I don’t concern myself seriously about a few red-raggers who may exist in the community. A man might burn the bunting of Union Jack, but it is impossible to burn the mighty hope and faith, the blood and sacrifice which are symbolised in that flag, and which have cut into the moral and spiritual fibre of the nation, which lives under that flag. I don’t wish to apologise for the red-ragger, or whatever you might call him, but I do ant to say that he sin- . cerely believes that there is a bigger loyalty than even loyalty to the British Empire, and that is the loyalty of brotherhood. My chief concern is for the men of frozen soul who live in a condition of invincible selfsatisfaction, who manifest a voiceless indifference to the moral and spiritual welfare of the nation, and who apparently have no conscience which can be stabbed into life so far as their responsibility is concerned for the training of the youth of the country in decency and in justice to the rights of the Australian nation that is to be. They have no ears to hear the cry of oppression or the moan of human anguish, no eyes to see the running sores in the body politic and the pitiful degradation and devilish injustice which exist in our own country, even under the • union flag. These men are not Bolshevik in principle or in politics, but they are Bolsheviks in practice. They are the real destroyers of the union flag.” Speaking at the conference of the Hibernian Society, recently held in Sydney (as reported in the Freeman’s Journal), Mr. J. Dooley (Acting Premier) said he did not know any other way to address them other than as fellow landlord shooters. The Government had had a rough time, and he felt sometimes, after a very strenuous day’s work, that he would sell his job for twopence (laughter); but there were too many buyers. The Government was doing its best to develop their great country. There were men returned from the —officers, majors, and one a general —who were not prepared to do honest work, but tried to set men and women against each other. If he saw any man of the same belief as himself doing the same thing, he would fight him as long as he could, and he hoped Australia, would not be cursed with the bitter feelings of * hundreds- of years. There was great work to be accomplished, and all must be tolerant of the views of others. (Applause). At the same gathering, replying to the toast of his health, Lord Mayor Lambert, in the course of his reply, - said he regarded the society as an organisation of great strength and work. He was a member of the society a few years, and still regarded himself as a.member if; he ; paid up arrears. It seemed a peculiar thing that, when a person of Catholic Faith and of Irish origin assumed an important position, he found barking dingoes at his , heels and the yellow flag hoisted upon every occasion. Few Catholics descended so low as to raise. up sectarian bitterness, as that accomplishment seemed to be' the sole claim of certain persons who sought Imperialistic aggrandisement. He had been an acute observer of these things during twenty years. As far as he, was concerned, he was loyal to Australia. They were part of the British Empire, and he failed to . see where any of those associated with them had done things untrue to their, fellow citizens. As an Australian he had nothing against people of other countries, and as for those people who were always parading their loyalty, they protested too much. “We have, no reason to protest our loyalty to our country,” continued the Lord Mayor, “and need not around with a flag in our hands.” They knew that in • Ireland there was a racial and sectarian campaign against one of the . finest , nations of the world. They knew of the . ■ atrocities perpetrated there, and that the people were

entitled “ the .right of small nations.” This they fought and died for ; but unfortunately the reactionary forces were gathered up, and they were . turned loose on to Irish people. / • •

VICTORIA. The Bishop of Sale (Most Rev. v Dr. Phelan), accompanied by . the- Very Rev. P. Curran, are passengers by the Orvieto for Europe. A number of -friends, clerical and lay, including the Most Rev. Dr. McCarthy (Bishop of Sandhurst), were at the pier at Adelaide to see the voyagers and wish them God-speed and safe return. During the short time the boat had to delay at Adelaide the Bishop, and Father Curran were the guests of his Grace the Most Rev. Dr, Spence (says the Southern Cross). At a well-attended meeting of the clergy of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, which was held at St. Patrick’s recently, it was decided to entertain the Very Rev. Dean Hegarty, P.P., V.F., D.D., at dinner, and present him with an address next month, when he will celebrate his golden sacerdotal jubilee. The Dean, who is a native of Cork, Ireland, studied at St. Vincent’s Seminary and All Hallow s, and was ordained on June 24, 1871 — years ago next month. He came to Melbourne on November 16, 1871. His first mission was at St. Francis’; subsequently he labored with much success in the following parishes; Geelong (1872), Meredith (1875), Sale, including Gippsland, now a diocese.

QUEENSLAND. His Grace the Archbishop of Brisbane, in an interesting address on the occasion recently of the blessing and opening of a convent at Taroom, pointed out that the Sisters of St. Joseph were a purely Australian Order, founded in South Australia in 1867, for the education of the young, and particularly for the instruction of those children of the bush, whose religious training might otherwise be neglected. It had been his privilege to know the foundress of the Order (the late Mother Mary McKillop). That her undertaking had been blessed abundantly was proved by the fact that at the present time there were 160 convents of the Order in Australia and 21 in New Zealand, with altogether 1200 Sisters engaged in teaching and in industrial and charitable work. The efficiency of the education imparted by these Sisters was unquestionable. Recently they had paid to them the high compliment of being invited to establish a branch of their Order in the United States of America. This they had declined for the present, as they considered their first duty was to the children of Australia. His Grace predicted that the coming of the Sisters to Taroom would do much for the advancement of the district. He heartily welcomed them and wished them God’s blessing on their labors. The Lieutenant-Governor of Queensland has been on an unofficial visit to Western Australia, where he has been the guest of honor at a meeting of the Celtic Club in Perth (writes the Brisbane correspondent of the Catholic Press). Mr. Lennon is an Irishman, who came to Australia at an early age, and he has long been a conspicuous figure in Irish and Catholic circles. Years ago, when Mr. John Dillon, the veteran Nationalist, came to Queensland, the cause of Home Rule was none too popular. The then Mayor of Toowoomba, declined to preside at the gathering which Mr. Dillon addressed, but the chair was taken by Mr. William Lennon. For many years Mr. Lennon represented the electors of Herbert (North Queensland) in Parliament, and for about five years preceding his appointment as Lieutenant-Governor he held the portfolio of Minister for Agriculture and Stock. His association with Mr. Fihelly-when the latter delivered his famous speech against “the cant, humbug, and hypocrisy” of the governing classes in England linked him with that gentleman when the speech was the, subject of debate in Parliament. Both he and Mr. Fihelly sadly disconcerted their critics, and achieved a triumph over narrow-minded opposition and specious, loyalty. Mr. Lennon and Mr. Fihelly were the official hosts of the Prince of Wales when he came to Queensland, , and both these fearless Irishmen dispensed hospitality with such dignity and ease that the Prince’s stay in this State was made so enjoyable that would-be critics were confounded, and became mute in their disappointment. The wife of the Lieutenant-Gov-ernor is a cultured lady, whose charming nature has won for her golden opinions. . .' ■ (.*