PROTESTANT POLITICAL ASSOCIATION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 184, 24 April 1918, Page 7

PROTESTANT POLITICAL ASSOCIATION

DOMINION CONFERENCE

The first Dominion conference of the Protestant Political Association was commenced yesterday morning at the Foresters' Hall, Lambton Quay. The president (Mr. Alex. Donald) occupied., tho chair. There were about ,50 delegates in attendance. A hearty welcome was extended 1o them by tho president, who referred to tho inception of tho movement a.n-d tho important issues .that would demand consideration. , Special committees were sot. up to report this morning on matters arising out of the agenda. Arrangements were made -?or the conference as a irholo to wait upon tho Minister of Justice and the Minister of. Education in-reference* to questions that would be discussed at a later ee6sion, The roport of the Dominion secretary find (he audited balanco-shoet ,wero adopted. Mctions recognising the service rendered to .the association by its legal adviser, Mr.' H. H. Ostler, and Mr. JT. 11. Scubrook. of Auckland, wore passed. A motion sympathising with the reiaiives of the late Mr. W. Richardson, of iA.uckla.nd, in tbo decease of a worker who had rendered conspicuous service in the interests ■ of Protestantism, was agreed to. The conference resumed at 2.15 jesterday afternoon. ■ - ' Consideration of (he constitution oc-

cupic'J ~ome time, and was not completed w. i an adjournment was made to allow the members to wait on Cabinet Minister's. Tho conference will resume at 9 o'clock this morning.

; MEETING AT NEWTON SOME PLAIN SPEAKING. A meeting under the auspices of the Protestant Political Association was held in St. Thomas's Schoolroom, Newtown, last night. Admission vw by ticket only. Tho hall was filled, and the chair was taken by Mr. A. Donald. The Eev. J. M. Iniiis (Timaru) made an appeal to the tiudicuco to join in supporting the religious and political liberties won by past generations, lie said that lie feared ■ many people were too ready to regard lightly encroachments on their liberties. Mr. G. J. Harford (Foilding) said that until recently he had not been convinced that Romanisru was really bo bad as some members of Orango lodges painted it. But his eyes had been opened by a meeting addressed by tho Eev. Howard Elliott. Tho speaker proceeded to condemn Romanism ■in strong language. The Eev. W. J. Miller (F.eilding) said ho had been turned from bias against Mr. Elliott to an ardent belief in tho justice , of Mr. Elliott's cause. Tho Protestant Political Association . was tho necessary reply to "the sinister influence of the Catholic Federation." :

The Kov.-Howard Elliott said thero was sweeping through New Zealand a consciousness that -Protestants must organise for the , protection of their faith and tho development of their heritage. No, man could run in the interests of Eorno and , tho interests of Protestantism and serve both fairly. Ho urged that Protestants should, not. only stand up for their rights, but also support tho business men who stood with them. B-om-anism had called a boycott of somo members of tho P.P.A.; and if that was the case the Protestants should support their Bide. He was glad to hear-that -throughout New Zealand the association had been successful at the school committee elections. The Protestants were going to be masters in their own house in regard to education, and ho hoped that the election of "Protestant tickets" at local elections would continue; Mr. Elliott proceeded to suggest that the Church of Home had proved a factor inimical to British interests in the war. Ho said that Roman Catholic -influences had been used against the most effective prosecution of tho war in Canada, South Africa arid Australia, and now the nation was faced with tho situation in Ireland. The Roman Catholic Ghurch had come out into tho open and declared that Homo Rule or no Homo Rule, no Catholic Irishmen ehould fight for tho Einpiro. A big British force had been maintained, in Ireland throughout the war to keep order, and some hundreds of thousands of eligible Irishmen had stayed in Ireland and refused to take part in the war. Tho los 9to the Empirethrough these two factors had amounted to 600,000 men. Mr. Elliott referred to the "ehaineful bargain," with - reference to tho conscription of Manst brothers, and the "quiet consistent loyalty" of the Protestant community. The Protestants were now going to tell tho Government to ceaso truckling to Rome or else go out of offico, They had sense enough to know- when they were ill danger. 'J'm association liiopsd to have 150,000 votes behind it at the close 'of the -present year, and it would be able then to dictate terms to the Government. JJe jutested against Roman Catholic children being allowed to hold national scholarships in their own schools, and said that encroachments of this kind were threatoning the. wholo education system. If Romanism were not chucked, it would run the whole"country, as it-controlled the State of Queensland. But tho Protestants Wero wnking up in time to stop tho drift. They were going ,to put into Parliament men who would see fair play, check nil favouritism,' and be incorruptible: The association did not assail Roman Catholic doctrines and threaten Roman Catholic freedom of thought and speech. .But it stood for Protestant •rights and Protestnnfc liberties. It made no terms with anybody. Tho public man who wanted tlia P.P.A. endorsement would hate to eign the platform in its entirety. After Mr. Elliott had answered several questions the , proceedings closed with the National Anthem.