A Slanderer Nailed

New Zealand Tablet, 1 November 1906, Page 22

A Slanderer Nailed

Even a clerical notoriety-seeker' may get moire notoi> _iety than he bargains for. We rather think" that this is the case with the reverend enthusiast -who so grossly outraged sacred truth, and public decency in his attacks upon the South Melbourne Catholic- Orphanage. His - declaration that he was throwing his" whole soul into" the work reminds us of what Theodore Hook said .to a gushing crackbrain who* told, him "that she threw her soul into her singing. • Madam,' said the candid Hook, « for my part, I think' there is more of the -flounder than of the sole about it.' As already sufficiently detailed in our news columns, the, calumniator floundered badly in his charges— even going so fair as to flatly contradict himself ; and one by one and in every detail his envenomed stories, have been proved to be' without the shadow of justification in fact. It 'was indeed a deadly exposure, such as - should wring ' the withers of even a notoriety-seeker. The final kick has been" given to the calumniator by the report of the Government State School inspector, Assistant Chief , Inspector Mr. W. Hamilton (a non-Catholic). At the Archbishop's request, the Government sent their inpsector to the Orphanage. 'My visit,' says he in his published report, ' was made without notice.'. He found the school well furnished,. ' exceedingly well lighted and ventilated,' up-to-date, • adequately staffed,' and ,' the staff judiciously distributed.' 'Although^ said. he, 'the pupils have, been but five months in..- their classes, they were examined on the full programme in composition, grammar, and arithmetic.' 'They have,' says the report, ' made good "progress during* their school life. 1 And in the matter of proficiency, ,he does not compare them with other similar institutes for orphaned or neglected children, nor "even with State schools in general, but places them on a level with 'a" good State school.' Would any State orphanage, either in Australia or New ' Zealand, we wonder^ come", with equal ' credit out of such a test?. And thus another piece 'of Orange-clerical mendacity is reduced, to smithereens. -. - - - ~ ' i '-•-.". z