THE P.P.A.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10296, 3 June 1919, Page 8

THE P.P.A.

“ REVIVE THE TEST ACT” REV.. HOWARD ELLIOTT ON CATHOLICS IN CIVIL SERVICE. A meeting of the Protestant Political Association was held at Island Bay last evening. Ur G. Estall presided. There was an attendance of about forty people, who were addressed by the association’s oicaniser, the Rev. Howard Elliott. Mr Euiott said chat concessions were given to Catholics respecting senoois, and its institutions were freed from rates, although rates had to be pam bv other cnurches. The people oi ilus country were really concriouaug alld.UX) yearly to the Catholic Churcn turn, mev had no ngnt to so contribute. The Catholic Church was the laigest ofooeny-hoiaer in New Zealand, and uccuuse that property was non-ievemie picuuciuc the burden of taxation on Irotestauts was increased. The Catholic Church in the last thirty years had gradually been accumulating priviiegt* aftor privilege and now they came on top of that and wanted AHUi.oOO per annum. "We make the answer," .said Mr. Elliott, “that not omj are you not going to get that A'ltl.dbO. but you are going to lose every privilege vou have got. Catholics held positions in the ClvU Service quite out oi proportion to their numbers. There was dissatisfaction it* the Postal and Railway services, not because of the classification, but because of the influences at work within. Mauj of the good positions that were offering went to Catholics who had the influence of the Church behind them. It was ditficnlt for a Protestant boy or girl to get a position in the Civil Service. It was the policy ot the Catholic Church to. get as many of her people as possible into the public services in order to influence the administration of the law’s. Ilus influence was not to the benefit or the advantage of Protestants. The Catholics were entitled to proportionate representation in the Civil Service —one-seventh— but if this could not be ensured the old Test Act would have to be resorted to. Under this Act in other years every Catholic was cleared out of .the Civil Service because thev could not take an oath that thev would bo loyal to the Kine before tHev were loyal to their Chinch. Many would hot take the oath and went out of the service. A woman in the audience: Hoar, hear; it's a good iob thev wore honest. Mr Elliott said that a greater proportion of Catholics than others were criminals and that the public schools turned; out better children than the religions schools did. . Convents and all religious Institutions should he thrown open to Government inspection. Light should be let in upon the doings within tingates of these places Finally, Mr Elliott asked the audience to throw all their political considerations aside and vote at the next general election purely as Protestants.