N.Z. CATHOLIC FEDERATION

New Zealand Tablet, 18 August 1921, Page 19

N.Z. CATHOLIC FEDERATION

DUNEDIN DIOCESAN COUNCIL. The annual meeting of the Dunedin Diocesan Council of the Catholic Federation was held at St.. Joseph's Hall, Rattray Street, on last Thursday evening. The president (Very Rev. Father. Coffey) presided. His Lordship the Bishop was present, and manifested a keen interest in the proceedings. The official list of representatives of branches contained the names of Very Rev. J. O'Neill (Waikiwi), Rev. Father Buckley (Riverton), Messrs. Martin Reddington (St. Joseph's, Dunedin), J. J. Harlow (South Dunedin), and D. L. Poppelwell (Gore). Branches represented by proxy were—Milton (Mr. J. Dunne), Invercargill (Mr. W. Kennedy), and Queenstown (Mr. J. Hally). Mr. T. J. Hussey (diocesan treasurer) was also present. An apology was received for the absence of the Very Rev. Father O'Donnell (Gore). In opening the meeting the Very Rev. President urged the necessity for renewed and sustained interest on the part of Catholics generally to keep the Federation in the very forefront of parochial activities. Organisation on these lines was forced upon us in defence of our just rights, and at no time in its history did it strive for or expect special privileges. This Dominion was not alone in having to adopt measures to defend the interests of our Faith, the same movement as the Federation here being a strong factor in safeguarding our Church and its social and educational institutions in England and throughout the Empire, as well as in foreign countries. Our primary concern at the present time in New Zealand was the question of the refusal of the State to pay the scholarships honestly won in open competition by our Catholic boys and girls if taken out in Catholic secondary schools, despite & the fact that these scholarships in the majority of cases are mainly gained in our Catholic primary schools. Although our secondary schools for a brief period enjoyed, during the regime of a Government with a wider and juster vision than the present one, the rights to which they are undoubtedly entitled—and unjust penalties were not exacted of our talented boys and girls— rights, at the behest of a noisy, narrow-minded, and bigoted section of the community (and a very small one at that) by which the Government has allowed itself to be dominated, have now been withdrawn. In the face of the opposition thus shown (said Father Coffey) the efforts of the Federation must be concentrated in providing the sum for scholarships on the. same terms as those provided by the State, and, through the meanness of the Government, withheld from the Catholic secondary schools.. So far-as the diocese of Dunedin is concerned, the sum required will probably total £2OO annually. The decision arrived at by the Diocesan Council Executive provides that any Catholic pupil throughout the diocese winning a scholarship' shall Be entitled to take the same out in a Catholic secondary school on exactly the same terms as are granted by ( the Government in State schools, even boarding allowance being granted where necessary. We are determined (Father Coffey said in conclusion) to provide for "Catholic pupils continuing their education from the primary schools right through to the university. He was very pleased to have the opportunity of assuring his Lordship the' Bishop that the Federation would support the Catholic Hierarchy in any stand taken on the ; education question, as it would, also, in all their undertakings.^' The' Catholic

Federation was out to assist any organisation' in any other work for the benefit of the general community. With the new responsibilities forced upon it, Father Coffey expressed the iiope that new life would bo instilled into the Federation movement throughout the diocese, and that no parish would be without a branch. Much has been done already for our Catholic schools by the Federation, but much more could and would be done were the means available.

His Lordship Dr. Whyte (who was very enthusiastically received) said ; '

Gentlemen,

As I have been a reader of the N.Z. Tablet for the past five years, I am acquainted with much of the good work achieved by the Catholic Federation tlnonghout the Dominion, Your present activities, I am glad to see, are concentrated upon educational problems that have been created for Catholics by a most misguided and deplorable step taken by the present Parliament. The men responsible for the hardship recently imposed upon talented Catholic children have forfeited the respect of every true lover of New Zealand’s national welfare. How they could have been chloroformed into adopting a policy so Retrogressive and obscurantist, it is impossible to explain without casting a slur upon their intelligence or their independence. Our boys and girls who have won scholarships in competitive examinations cannot enjoy those scholarships in the Catholic schools nor under their Catholic teachers! The Christian Brothers, for example, may be good enough to train their pupils to defeat State school pupils in public competitions, but they are not good enough to carry their pupils through the higher grades! Or, do our Members of Parliament maintain that all our brainy youths must be educated alike and be marked with the same educational brand and be turned out of high schools as much like one another as biscuits out of the same 'tin ? It. is greatly to be •deplored that the Government took this retrograde step. They took it, however, not that they loved education, but that they hated Rome.

Whoever prevents children of character and talent from developing to the full the gifts with which they are endowed is an enemy to his country. If Catholic boys and girls are to be penalised by a government elected to protect them, the representatives of the people fail in their most obvious duty. The claims of conscience and the claims of country should compel our members to wipe out the injury they have recently done to their own sense of duty and to the well-being of New Zealand;, and this they can do by reversing their foolish decision in regard to scholarships.

If our schools and our teachers are unable to cater for the keener intellectual appetites of their scholarship winners, subsequent examinations will disclose their unfitness for the task. And if it be shown that advanced Catholic pupils suffer any intellectual loss at religious schools, the Government can then, and only then, reasonably and fairly sanction the policy that at present stands condemned.

A wise Government should at all times, and particularly in times of peril, utilise the best brains in the community. In spite of the optimism that has been preached to us, this country it at present a land of pessimists. He would be no true patriot who would reject the help of Catholic brains to drag it out of the mire. One is not accustomed to refuse proffered assistance in a difficult situation until one examines the disc of the volunteer who offers to help, ,

If a country is to prosper or deserves to prosper, it must use all its resources, intellectual as well as others. To discourage our Catholic boys in their educational career amounts to a desire to carry on the higher affairs of this country without our co-operation. A country deserves to be. envied that can dispense with the assistance of such a considerable number of its people If the Government blindly persists in its policy of excluding our Catholic pupils from the benefits of higher education, it is cheering to know that the Catholic Federation will step in and take a hand. You have already determined to take charge of the successful pupils— you have already taken charge of someand to ' give them at their, own secondary schools the advanced course that our

legislators thought should be reserved for the State schools. If the Catholic Federation never did anything but that, it would richly deserve the respect and support of Catholics and of every patriotic non-Catholic in this country.

New Zealand could profitably study the attitude of European countries to education. In Holland, for example, where the Catholics are about one-fourth of the population, facilities are given for Catholic education that fully satisfy the demands of religion and arouse no cry of Rome’s domination. The spirit of fair play in that country is so strong that even a Catholic prelate could be invited to take supreme control of the Government. Progress is the natural result of such a large-minded and big-hearted policy. The commercial superiority of Germany could scarcely have been achieved had she cut up the roads by which any of her boys or girls could obtain access to high schools.

I trust that every parish in this diocese will throw itself heart and soul into the present objective of the Federation. You have a well-defined, sharply-cut, heaven-sent purpose in view. Every parishioner should enter heartily into the movement and contribute to its success. With that Celtic love for learning, our people in every part of the diocese will rejoice to see the best educational opportunities given to our promising boys and girls. If our religious teachers are the competent teachers that I think them to be and if they are able to educate their primary school pupils to win scholarships, they will be able also to give them such a secondary education as will fit them for a still higher course. To me it has often seemed a tragedy that boys and girls who received their earlier education at our schools should later on go to State schools and win applause for their masters and mistresses, while most of the credit should be given to the pale-faced Sisters of the convent school.

High schools and universities should be open to the worthy poor as well as to the rich. Talents and character ought to be the sole qualifications for admittance. The Church has been the patron, of learning through 1 all the centuries of the Christian era. Upwards of twenty Popes were taken from humble positions in life. Sometimes a poor shepherd boy showed the way through difficult country to a friar who could see in the alert manner of the lad material for a learned priest, more than one such boy finishing their careers as'the successors of St. Peter. Some of the world’s greatest artists have owed their celebrity to generous patrons who held the ladder for them and enabled them to rise from their obscurity.

Our Catholic people will gladly fall in with the Federation in its laudable scheme of not allowing our talented children to suffer from the educational disadvantages that their parents’ faith imposes upon them. If the children refuse the' gilded bait so artfully laid for them by their paid misrepresentatives, the Catholics will see to it that an education be given them quite as advanced as the education their conscience forbids them to accept.

Our national anthem, “God Defend New Zealand,” which ought to be sung in every school throughout the Dominion, expresses sentiments which I now commend to the attention of those legislators who remember that Catholics have duties to perform but who forget that they have rights to maintain —

From dissension, envy, hate And corruption guard our State. Make our country good and great.

God defend New Zealand.

The annual report was read as follows:

. Your executive has pleasure in presenting to delegates the annual report and financial statement for year ended June 30, 1921.

Membership.—The membership returns of branchtes in this diocese shoAV that the membership for the year is quite up to the average of past years. This in itself is gratifying to all concerned and goes to shoAv that the people of Otago and Southland are alive to and interested in the affairs of the Federation. Your executive would like to remind delegates of the necessity of forwarding completed returns before the close of the financial year.

Scholarships.—The chief activity of your executive has

been in connection with the scholarships granted by the Diocesan Council. The inauguration of this splendid scheme by the Federation is only one of the many activities undertaken by the Federation, and if it had nothing more to its credit than the establishment of such scholarships its existence would be fully justified.

At a meeting of the executive held early in the year it was decided to circularise all Catholic schools in this diocese to the effect that this Diocesan Council of the Federation would guarantee to make good any Government scholarships won by Catholic children pupils of either Government of Catholic schools. This, as you will understand, involves the payment of the same amount of money as paid to successful candidates by the Government before the right to hold a scholarship was taken from Catholic schools, the chief conditions being that scholarships be taken,out in Catholic schools. ' Scholarships for this year have been won by W. Beaumont and W. McElevey, winners of Government scholarships; and W. Meade and J. Lynch, Federation scholarships.

Press. 'Your committee welcome this opportunity of acknowledging their indebtedness to the editor and staff of the N.Z. Tablet for the great assistance rendered the Federation throughout the- diocese. _ .

In conclusion,, your executive wishes to impress upon all Catholics the necessity of becoming members of the Federation and , thereby give their co-operation and support to the affairs of the Federation. Recent events have proved the necessity for organisation among Catholics, and never, was the need for unity so great as at the present time.

Your executive desires to tender to one and all officers their sincere congratulations on the satisfactory results as achieved during the past year.

Supporting the adoption of the report and statement of accounts as. moved by the president, Mr. Poppelwell took the opportunity of endorsing the president’s welcome to the Right Rev. Dr. Whyte to the first meeting of the Diocesan Council of the Federation his Lordship had had the opportunity of*attending, and to most cordially thank him, in the name of the organisation throughout the Dominion for the timely and encouraging sentiments expressed in his address. His Lordship had very graciously recognised the Federation’s determination to stand by the clergy in all matters where Catholic interests were concerned, and had laid down lines along which the Federation could work to advance not alone religious, but in some instances civic and social projects. His Lordship had indicated that he will be found a true friend of the Federation, and with his kindly assistance it will prove a much more vigorous organisation. It may be anticipated, too, that something definite and effective will be accomplished in the defence and conservation of our rights as loyal Catholic citizens. In responding the Bishop said it would be well if the sympathy of the people could be aroused on the scholarship question.

Mr. Reddington congratulated the executive on the excellent work done during the past year. Speaking generally, however, a good deal of apathy was apparent, and this needed remedying by whatever means could be devised. With the splendid objective now before the Federation in this diocese an incentive to renewed effort was offered, and the results during the present year should leave no doubt that our Catholic people realise their duty and are determined to effectually discharge it. Mr. Poppelwell was of opinion that more could be done in the matter of organisation than had yet been done in the diocese.

. Very Rev. Father O’Neill said that his Lordship the Bishop s presence at the present meeting, and his advocacy of Federation pursuits when visiting the parishes, would accomplish all that was required to establish matters on a sound footing. Father Coffey said the executive was prepared to send speakers to any parish that expressed a desire in that direction and made the necessary local arrangements. Election of office-bearers.. The election of office-bearers for the ensuing year, with his Lordship the Bishop as patron and Very Rev J. Coffey as president, resulted in Rev, J. Del any (South Dunedin) and. Mr. D. L. Poppel-

well (Gore) being appointed vice-presidents; Mr. T. J. Hussey, treasurer; Mr. A. Tarleton, secretary; and Very Rev. J. Coffey, Messrs, D. L. Poppelwell and T. J. Hussey, delegates to the Dominion Council (with power to appoint substitutes in the event of inability to attend). The diocesan executive is to consist of the office-bearers, and the representative of the council on the Dominion Executive is to be appointed by the delegates to the Dominion Council meeting.

Remits to Dominion Council—Mr. Reddington moved —“That it is desirable to arrange a uniform date for the holding of branch meetings, so that visitors to any given centre may have an opportunity of attending a meeting of the Federation in any such centre should his visit bo so timed.” — Carried.

Mr. T. J. Hussey moved— “ That it be a recommendation to the Dominion Council to permit diocesan councils to make a levy for scholarship purposes of fid per -adult member of the Federation, or as an alternative Is fid per member be the minimum yearly adult subscription.” — Carried.

Air. D. L. Poppelwell moved— " That it be a recommendation to the Dominion Executive to have all printed matt el- and Dominion Executive correspondence addressed direct to the respective branches, instead of, at at present, sending such tp diocesan secretaries, and thus occasioning double handling and expense.” — Carried.