The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1897. GOVERNMENT INSPECTION OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 29, 19 November 1897, Page 17

The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1897. GOVERNMENT INSPECTION OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS.

SHORT time ago the hope was expressed in these columns that during the present session something might be done in the way of securing to Catholics their undoubted rights in the matter of Government inspection of Catholic schools. We pointed out that while the majority of the Boards had acceded to the request of the Catholic hierarchy a number still refused, and we urged that in simple justice to Catholics legislation should be introduced to compel these recalcitrants to fall into line with the other Education Boards of the Colony. Shortly afterwards we received the following letter from an esteemed Christchurch correspondent :—": — " If not too much trouble, I would feel (with a great many others) sincerely obliged should you, convenient, make known through the columns of your valuable journal the names of the various educational districts throughout the Colony whose inspectors examine the Catholic schools. Further, if you would direct those anliost schools have solicited inspection and ha\ c been refused, how to go to work in order to achieve success." 4 n order to be in a position to comply with our correspondent's request we have communicated wilh all the Education Boards as to whose attitude on the question we were in any way doubtful. The result of our correspondence shows that out of the thirteen Education Boards of the Colony foiu 1 ha\e distinctly refused to accede to the Bishops' request, and one has given only a conditional assent. The four who have thus placed themselves on the Catholic "black list " are the Auckland, Taranaki, Wellington, and North Canterbury Boards. The half-and-half Board is that of Ilawke's Bay, who have decided that '' if the Inspector wishes to do so and he has time at his disposal, not interfering with his regular work, this Hoard do not object.'' In the case of the Auckland and Taranaki Boards no reason was given for refusing the request. The reason assigned by the Wellington Board was that •' the Inspectors were unable to inspect the whole of the public schools in this district and consequently were unable to do other work ; " while the views of the enlightened Board of North Canterbury were expressed in a resolution to the effect that " in the opinion of this Board it is not desirable that any portion of the funds voted by Parliament for the support of our national schools should be diverted to the inspection of any denominational schools." Before proceeding to answer our correspondent's second query, we would say just a word with reference to the reasons s'd\anee«l by these two Boards for refusing to comply with so just and reasonable a request. The

excuse of the Wellington Board, thafc their inspectors cannot overtake the work v is altogether inadequate. Catholics claim the benefit of Government inspection of their schools not as a favour bub as a right. They pay in taxation their full share to the fund which pays the inspectors' salaries, and they have therefore, an undoubted right to the services.of these officers, in the direction indicated, when they require them. The fact that the inspectors cannot overtake the work may be a valid reason for increasing the inspectorial staff in the Wellington district but it is no excuse whatever for refusing to give to Catholics their just rights. As a matter of fact it is the simplest thins in the world to overcome the difficulty alleged by the Wellington Board. Tt can be done either by "appointing a permanent assistant-inspector or by utilising for a certain portion of the year the services of one of the teaching staff in the work of inspection and examination. If it be urged that either of these courses involves additional expense the retort is obvious. If the Catholics of the Colony chose to send their children to the State schools to-morrow they would impose a burden of expense upon the board ten times greater than that involved in making the slight increase in staff necessary to carry out the work of inspection and examination of Catholic schools. The excuse of the Wellington Board is, therefore, as we have said, altogether inadequate. For pure and unadulterated bigotry, however, commend us to the North Canterbury Education Board. The members of this body think it an eminently right and proper thing that the taxes contributed by Catholics should be diverted to the inspection and maintenance of any number of secular schools, but their consciences are shocked at the very thought of allowing any portion of the funds voted by Parliament for the support of the so-called national schools to be diverted to the inspection or examination of Catholic schools. In taking up this position they place themselves in plain and palpable opposition to the distinct provisions of the Education Act. Section 08 of the Act provides that " where the teacher or manager of any private school desires to have their school inspected by an inspector, such teacher or manager may apply to the Board to authorise such inspection, and the same when authorised shall be conducted in like manner as the public schools." . This shows that the framers of the Act clearly contemplated | that the funds voted by Parliament should be diverted in the very way that is so obnoxious to the educational skinflints of North Canterbury. Moreover we have distinct evidence, outside of the provisions of the Act, that this was the intention of its framers. The Hon. C. C. Boy, r,N r , the author of the Education Act, in a speech delivered in IK<)4, said: — "He would hail with pleasure every kind of good school, public or private, that might be maintained in these islands, and he would like to sec them so far publicly encouraged as to be allowed to claim as a i iijhl the advantages of State inspection should they pee fit to ask for it, for the Ju/i/n/liou Art ronIpmplaled sur/t cumin ////cinr'n/. 1 " The North Canterbury Board, therefore, stand convicted of going behind both the letter and the spirit of the Act which it is the very object of their existence to fairly and faithfully administer. It is gratifying to think that only one Board was found in the whole Colony so lost to a sen.->e of shame as to thus openly flaunt its bigotry on the public gaze, and the body of men who could act, in their public capacity, from such miserably narrow and sectarian motives can only be regarded with a feeling of contempt. In reply to our correspondent's second query, it appeal's to vis that there is only one course open to Catholics in the districts in which Htate inspection in not yet conceded. What is wanted is legislation which shall make it compulsory on the Boards to comply with the Bishops' request. Kvporience shows that it is useless to expect Catholic or nonCatholic members of the House, of their own motion, to introduce such legislation. If we had a block and tackle in front of them and a goad behkid they might be made to move, but not one of them seems to have the courage or energy to move of themselves. The only course is, therefore to approach the House by petition, and if the Petitions Committee reports favourably, members will soon pluck up courage to mo\e in the matter, in order to give practical help to our correspondent we uivearough outline of the form which the petition nughi take. It might be worded th us :—": — " The memorial of )our petitioners, humbly bheweth : (l.) That several of the Education Boards throughout the Colony have refused to accede to the request of the Catholic

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Hierarchy for State inspection of Catholic schools. (2.) That the Catholic children of the said districts suffer grievous hardship thereby, many avenues of employment being absolutely closed to them through their inability to produce the Government Inspector's certificate of educar tional attainments. (3.) That the Catholic 3of the Colony contribute their full share in taxation to the fund from which the Inspectors' salaries are drawn, and have, therefore, a just right to the services of the Inspectors when they require them. (-1.) That the Education Act clearly contemplates and distinctly provides for Government inspection of private schools. Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that your honourable House will pass such legislation as will absolutely secure to Catholics in every educational district their just right to the benefit of Government inspection of their schools." There is no possibility of legislation being introduced during the present session, but a great deal will have been gained if the petitions be presented and a favourable report obtained. The same course can then be repeated early next session and with satisfactory prospects of success. We hope that our correspondent and those who think with him will consult with their natural leaders, and, if so advised, will proceed to take prompt action in the matter. The longer Catholics in the non-complying districts put up with the present state of things the harder it will be to secure redress.

The Most Rev. Dr. Verdon arrived from Melbourne by the Waikare en Wednesday last, and disembarked at the Bluff. His Lordship proceeded next day to Gore, where he held visitation, and on Sunday administered the sacrament of confirmation to over 80 candidates. His Lordship visits Clinton, Wyndham, and Heriot during the week, and on Sunday next he will solemnly open and bless the new church at Riversdale. Dr. Verdon is expected to return to Dunedin in the early part of next week.

The Rev. Father Quirke, who has for some time been associated with Very Rev. Father O'Donnell, in the Ashburton district, has been removed to Rangiora. — Ashlmrtim Mail.

In order to make room for a complete account of the opening of St. Patrick's Cathedral, we are compelled to hold over some locals, correspondence, and a quantity of general reading matter.

During the past week the following subscription to the South Dunedin Catholic Orphanage Fund has been received : — Mr. Owen Kelly (Gore), £1. Contributions towards the erection of the Orphanage will be thankfully received by the Sisters of Mercy of South Dunedin and by the Catholic clergy of Dunedin, and will be duly acknowledged in the columns of the Tablet.

Duitixr; the week we have received parcels of stamps for Father Ivreyinborg's mission from the following : — Ellen Danahy, Charleston ; Mary E. Boyle, Heddon Bush ; Miss Janet Graham, Fairfax (who also sends Is. subscription) ; Ellen Carney, Staveley ; and Eily Twoniey, Temuka.

The many Dunedin friends of Mr. Michael O'llalloran will hear with regret that he has boon transferred from Dunedin to Ashburton. During the many years that Mr. O'Halloran has done police duty in Dunedin he has made himself popular with all classes of the community. Though very strict in the performance of his duty, hin good nature and obliging manners always gained the respect of those he came in contact with. Ashburtonhas gained a good police officer and a first-class citizen, and the Church has also gained a strict adherent and a very generous benefactor to all works in connection with it. "We wish Mr. O'Halloran every success in his new sphere.

With its issue of October 30 — just prior to the great opening ceremonies — the Melbourne Adcoratc publishel a very large supplement giving a complete history of the Catholic Church in Victoria and containing admirably executed views, not only of the cathedral but of all the larger church, convent, and school buildings in the diocese. Both the views and letterpress were excellent, and we heartily congratulate our contemporary on having produced a memorial so entirely worthy of the great occasion.

We give elsewhere a complete though condensed account of thel great religious festival in connection with the opening of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne. It will be noted that the Most Hey. Dr. Verdon sang Pontifical Vespers on the Sunday evening, and his Grace Archbishop Redwood was the preacher on the occasion. Dr. Verdon also celebrated Pontifical High Mass at the Cathedral on All Saints' Day. We hope to publish next week the full text of Archbishop Redwood's sermon, which is described by our Melbourne and Sydney exchanges as a very eloquent discourse

We have been requested to intimate that a grand bazaar will be held at the Athenseum at Miller's Flat on the 9th, 10th, and 11th of December next for the purpose of raising funds to build a new church for that locality. Friends and well-wishers are cordially invited to co-operate by sending gifts or other contributions to the presbytery, Lawrence. The smallest help will be thankfully received by the Lawrence priests. It may not be out of place to remind the people of other districts that though promoters of artunions have for years been generously patronised by the Catholics of Tuapeka, they have never been appealed to to help the people cf Tuapeka. The Catholics of the district have therefore good ground fo r hoping that this first appeal for the Miller's Flat bazaar will meet with a generous response from their friends in other districts and that readers of the Tablet will heartily co-opera,te in making the affair a complete success.

Constable Hastings, who has been stationed at Waitati for naarly nine years, having been transferred to Lawrence, left for his new station yesterday (says Saturday's Times'), whe.i quite a crowd of young and old assembled at the railway station to oee him off. Daring his stay at Waitati he gained the esteem of all with whom he came into contact, but as under the rules of the department no txngible expression could be given to the feelings of the residents so far as he was concerned, Mrs. Hastings was on Thursday evening presented with a watch, and silver teapot. The presentation was made by Mr. Kilpatrick in the presence of some JO residents. The whole thing had to be done on the spur of the moment, but for which the attendance would have been larger. Our best wishes are with Mr. and Mrs. Hastings for their future happiness in their new home.