CATHOLICS CONFER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2394, 25 February 1915, Page 7

CATHOLICS CONFER

THE FEDERATION ! EXECUTIVE HALF-YEARLY REPORT The. half-yearly meetiilg of the Dominion Executive of the New Zealand Catholic Federation commenced yesterday morning at the head offices in : Lower Cuba Street. Mr. D. L. Poppelwell (president) was in the chair.. ■ .ThS report df-ttis executive referred at length to the success which had attended the efforts of the federation in its opposition, led by . His Lordship Bishop Oleafy, to the Bible-in-Schoole agitation of last year, and this particular reference Concludes with the following remark:—"The earnest wish of our people generally to. return to i Parliament only those who would oppose the Referendum Bill in regard_to religion in State schools has materially assisted in the election of a very Substantial majority of members pledged to resist the passage of any such measuie." The report goes on to say that the crusade against impure and anti-Catholic literature has been vigorously "prosecuted, and that success has. attended the efforts of the federation in this re-' gard, : and federation officers in all the towns and evidenced great care in regard to the bookshoja and libraries in tneir respective districts, and the result of their tactful represeiitatioas had been very marked, The executive has been in communication ivith the. Catholic Federation Of Westminster, England, .with reference to. the circulation within the Dominion of impure and anti-Catholic hooks published in 'England, and has been assured.of the sympathy and cooperation of that body. The English Federation is, . during. this month, to have a lecture by Hilaire Belloc on the necessity of.. an : International Press Agency;- of ' which the .British Colonies, Commonwealth/and Dominions so greatly feel the need. . Under the heading of immigrants and employment, the report states:—"The bureaux at the liead office have been very much in request) but the usefulness of the accommodation bureau has been hampered' by the- fact that the Remand for middle-cla&s acconimodation in board and lodging,- both as . regards visitors and permanent; particularly in the case of caxfets coming to Wellington to join the Government service, is far in (excess of the supply. 1 Many employers have been supplied 'with employees by ' the employment bureau, and there is always a, large demand for , domestic assistants,; and in a.lesßer degree for farm Lands, both boys .aid men, which demand can- . not'at-present be supplied. Tho immigration bureau has tad a verj successful term; • : All ovefsea steaiiiers have been - met % the Immigration _ Committee, and-the new arrivals desiring.em' ploymeht iave been speedily placed in gcod situations. Tho Catholic immigration Committees have also beeil engaged in looking after the spiritual aid temporal welfare of many young girls arriving from other parts of tho Dominion, but are hampered by the lack of, accommodation. It is understood that the Auckland and Christchurch committees ' are contemplating the establishment of hostels 1 under efficient chaise, and the Wellington committee has instituted inquiries as to the provision of such, an institution." . ' ■ . . The executive expresses , its deep thanks for the good work done by the Very Rev, Dean Regnault,, S.M., -who, on his recent visit to England and Ir&- ' land, called on a number of clergy and laity interested ihf and put the needs of Catholics coming to this country before them. . ' _ Referring to .tlid wari vtK© repoii says ifc ia very ploasaflt to learn that our OathoUc youiig inen have rieen right loyally to the call of the Empire for fighting vT&>:quota •of-our-yonng men who iav6 Volunteered and have lert on Active'service isvvery high: indeed, considering that we can only Claim oneseventh of the population, the proportion of Catholic soldiers in the Advance Forces, and now in th 6 Reinforcement: - detachment, is moet gratifying. The executive recommende that; the 'subecriptions of all members of the Federation on active service be considered as paid,' in order that -their membership may continue unbroken, ,