WAR BURSARIES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3035, 23 March 1917, Page 6

WAR BURSARIES

CATHOLIC FEDERATION AND MINISTER ACRIMONIOUS CORRESPONDENCE HL,.,.* . . GOVERNMENT'S POLICY • Some correspondence has passed be 'tween the Minister of Education (the Hon. J. A. Hanan) and the Catholic Federation regarding the holding of the new bursaries to be established for the children of soldiers at Catholic schools. Tlie Minister lias declared tho policy of the Education Department, which is that these scholarships, like all other State scholarships, are to be tenable onl.f At Stato secondary schools. Tho Minister conveyed that intimation in these terras: ''It is not the intention to discriminate in- any way between beneficiaries on the grounds of the religious convictions of their parents. As the bursaries will be of tho nature of free places, with boarding allowance in some cases attached to enable tho free places to be held, tho place of tenure iiiiist necessarily be a school or other institution of a public cliaraoter at whioli, under existing regulations, free places may be held." ''Brutal Frankness," To that the federation sent the following reply, dated March G: "The Dominion Executive of the Now Zealand Catholic Federation is in receipt, of your letter .of March 2, on the subject of bursaries for the children of deceased and disabled soldiers. In reply, the federation 1 desires, to acknowledge what it can only characterise the brutal frankness of your language, and the peremptory manner in which you have thought it incumbent upon you to disregard the claims of the Catholics, who constitute at lease one-seven tn of the population. . "There is, however, one point to which we desire to. draw'your attention.' I'ou say: 'It is not the inten-i-ion to discriminate in any way hiv tween beneficiaries on tho ground of the religious convictions of their parent?.' Wno decided that, point? Did you flout the Catholic soldiers' convictions on your own limited responsibility? Did The Council of Education tell you to do eo Or did the National Cabinet, representing all sections of tas public, social, political, and religious, authorise you to make such a

statement? Surely you must understand that- the matter cannot rest here, legating as t.hey r-ro and have done, MtfterirjiT; as are and have done, dyinsc asibfcy are and have died, Catholic soldiers arid their parents sad relatives feel that they have" an equal claim on the State with those of other dtenomin&tras.. If thov '«annot obtain justice for their friends rnd children they will ask, 'Why?' - On their behalf the N«w Zealand Catholic Federation now asks you, 'Why?'" . Minister's Reply. The Minister's reply, dated March IS was as follows:— "In reply to your letter 1 of March 0 I have to state that I have never before' received a communication on public business'couched in such extraordinary terms as the Fedeiation's letter in question. "My letter of March 2 was a plain, straightforward answer to your request of March.]., in no way lacking in terms of courtesy. ' The fact that the Catholic federation describes my ordinary candour as brutal frankness' seems to indicate a'somewhat singular conception by the federation of what constitutes a proper standard of frankness - in business communications. Though the federation claimß to speak for the Catholics of New Zealand, I am unwilling to believe that onesoventh of the population of the Dominion is so deficient in ordinary training in coutesy as to address a Minister of the Crown in the terms of the federation's letter.

"Referring to the federation's statement 'that, on the grounds of justice, Catholics feel that they have an equal olaim on the State with those of other denominations, I would point out that this is exaotly what the Catholics have —under the very conditions- of whioh the federation complains. They are on exactly the same footing as, all the remaining six-sevenths of the popula-. tion with regard ,to the bursaries, but the federation claims a special privilege and favour for its denomination, that is to say, to have the bursaries tenable at, and the grants therefore paid to, its own denomination or sectarian schools. No other denomination or sect makes that claim. They, too, are nobly doing their duty in the present' oonflict, and making the supreme saorifice. "Catholics are on exactly the same footing, and have tho samo rights as the rest of the community. - "The terms of the reply to whioh exception is taken by the federation are determined by the principles embodied in the reply of the National Government to the representations made by the deputation from the federation in 1916, and by the term's of the existing law with respect to the tenure of free places at secondary' From these principles I am not at liberty to depart in response to any pretext that may be raised. "Though your pretexts come clothed in various forms, they have all one icommon purpose, namely, to secure State grants for denominational schools, the inevitable consequence of whioh would be to undermine ami cause, the downfall of our State system of- education, and this would be a national calamity." The federation has Bent still another letter - to the Minister, insisting that he is disregardng the righteous claims of Catholic'soldiers, and demanding to know whether ho has done this on his own responsibility as an individual Minister, or on the authority of tho National Government.