NEW ZEALAND CATHOLIC FEDERATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1189, 27 December 1913, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND CATHOLIC FEDERATION.

ITS AIMS AND OBJECTS. ADDRESS BY THE ORGANISER. On Monday evening last, a lecture was delivered by Mr Girling Butcher, Organising Secretary of the Catholic Federation, upon the aims and objects of this organisation, a strong branch of which has been formed in this district. In the course of his address it was explained that the New Zealand Catholic Federation is an organisation for the purpose of advancing the religious, civil and social interests of Catholics throughout New Zealand. It is not a political parly organisation, and does not seek to toucli politics except where politics touch re ligiou or where the civil rights and liberties of Catholics are affec'ed. It stands for the Christian life of the nation ; for the Christian education of youth ; for the repression of intemperance; for the sanctity and indissolubility of Christian marriage ; for the safeguarding of the Christian home, and of Catholic institutions ; and for the suppression of indecent, objectionable, and autiCatholic literature, pictures, films, theatricals, and advertisements. It is willing to co-operate with all citizens and all civil and social agencies working for truth and virtue. The Federation has a very large membership in every part of the world. In Germany there are no less than twenty-four million (24,000,000) members, and, in the United States fifteen million members are enrolled. In the various States of the Commonwealth of Australia branches have been formed in nearly every city and town, and the membership is daily increasing in large numbers. The headquarters are in Wellington, where the executive and staff are engaged in carrying on several activities lor the benefit of the Catholic community. Amongst these is an Emigration Bureau, through which settlers in the Dominion are enabled to afrange passages to New Zealand for their friends and relatives in Europe. Catholic emigrants are met on the arrival of the steamers at Hobart and directed to look for the welcoming committee at Wellington. The newcomers are there met by the Federation Ladies’ and Men’s Committee, and their needs are attended to; they are given all information and speeded on their way to their destinations in the various parts of New Zealand. There is also an Employment Bureau, which is bringing Catholic employers and employees of every description into communication with each other, and very many satisfactory engagements have already been entered into. An Accommodation Register is also open, and Catholics from all parts of the Dominion visiting the Empire City are thus enabled to secure comfortable temporary or permanent board and lodging with people of their own denomination. Close attention is given at headquarters to the safeguarding of the general interests of the Catholic section of the community, and the matters affecting the education question are dealt with. The question of clean and moral literature, and the suppression, so far as is possible, of questionable and objectionable books, pictures, films, etc,, also engages serious attention, and the results have been eminently satisfactory. The Rev. Father Dore presided. At the conclusion of his address a hearty vote of thanks was on the motion of Mr P. Hennessy accorded the lecturer.