SCOTTISH WOMEN'S HOSPITAL.
To the Editor. Sir,—On Saturday next, in answer to an appeal to t'lie Mayor, uu effort will be made by the ladies of New Plymouth and district, to raise funds for the , above institution and I would ask the public to respond generously in donations of money or goods for so worthy an object. The S.W.H. has done, and is doing, most noble work in tile countries so devastated by this terrible war, and, being conducted entirely by women, some of whom have given their lives for the cause, should command our active sympathy.—l am, etc., CHAS. H. BURGESS, MayorNeiv "JUSTICE TO ALL AND FAVORS TO NONE." To the Editor, Sir, —Being a persistent trespasser on your valuable space, I beg of you to thank, on behalf of the Catholic Federation of New Zealand and Catholics generally, the Rev. Howard Elliott for the valuable services he has rendered that body. I am a Catholic lifyaelf and also a member of the Federation. I attended the half-yearly meeting of the Federation in Wanganui last month. At this meeting a unanimous vote of thanks to Rev. Howard Elliott was passed for his valuable services to t'he Federation. It is well known that there are a lot of lukewarm and careless Catholics, as there is in every other denomination, especially in the country. Our paid organiser had no effect whatever on this < lass of people, but the Rev. Howard Slliott has with the result that Wanganui district alone ,in the last six months had an increased membership of 1300 souls, chiefly from the c&releßs class, duo entirely to Howard Elliott's campaign. In Mr. Elliott's advertisement announcing his meeting in New Plymouth, he said h?s motto was "Equal justice to all and favors to *one." Well, I am prepared to make the reverend gentleman a sporting offer. If he is prepared to stand to his word of equal justice to all and favors to none, I will guarantee liirn the support of every Catholic in New Zealand, because that is what the Catholics are all their lives working for. But apparently the reverend gentleman wants to cut out the Catholics and workers from this justice of his. But he unconsciously has done something for the Catholics, wliith they have failed in- themselves up to now, and that is to convince the workers that the Catholic Church was their Champion, which it certainly is and always has been, and if the Catholics can convince the worker of this neither will regret it. But the reverend gentleman's chief complaint is that the wretched, wicked Catholics are altogether too much pampered and favored by this too indulgent Government of ours. And «o say I. Please allow me to explain how. First, last year's State education bill amounted to the respectable sum of one. million eight hundred thousand pounds- The Catholic population of New Zealand being one seventh of the whole, consequently contributed one seventh of one millicn eight hundred thousand pounds, from which they get little or no benefit whatever- Th§ Catholics did more. They educated 18,000 Catholic children "last year without one penny of expense to thf) State. They also built their own schools, furnished and maintained them without one cent from the State purse. Now, Sir, there is first extracted from the Catholics of the country in the shape of taxation t'he modest sum of £230,000 a year for education purposes from which they de-rive no benefit whatever. They also educate 18,000 Catholic children without one cent, from the Slate, which at £7. per head is a saving to the State of £126,000 m the year, and I should tl\ink that another £20,000 for buildiDg, furnishing and maintaining their schools would not be reckoned excessive, which would mean a grant of £400,000 to the State from the Catholic people of New Zealand What da they get in return? Nothing. When Catholic schools apply to the Minister of Education for medical examination of their children they are politely told by the Minister that' it cannot be extended to Catholic schools. When they apply for swimming and life-saving capitation they receive a 'blank refusal. When they apply for School Journals to be supplied to Catholic schools they get the same reply. " ?o yon can see, gentle readers, where the favoritism comes hi. So you can see what a heavy tax is placed on the Catholic people of New Zealand for endeavoring to live true Christian lives Where does the equality come in? There is anotlier question, which I have on the best authority, and that is hundreds of our Catholic boys have gone to tlie front describing themselves as Protestants or no religion at all on account of the disabilities from which Catholics suffer Mr- Elliott pavs a tribute to the Catholic and I.W.W. people of Australia, considering that the two parties put together would not amount to one in every five of the population. But the tact is that there is a big percentage of broad-minded intelligent Protestants in Australia.—l am, etc.,
JOHN DIGGINS. Lenperton, February 10.
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Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1918, Page 7
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844SCOTTISH WOMEN'S HOSPITAL. Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1918, Page 7
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