THE CATHOLIC FEDERATION

New Zealand Tablet, 3 April 1913, Page 35

THE CATHOLIC FEDERATION

WELLINGTON. , v ' (From our own correspondent.) The provisional Dominion Executive of the Catholic Federation met last Thursday evening under the pre- : sidency of Mr. Girling Butcher. Excellent reports ; of. the progress of the Federation are still coming .to handdaily. Some forty branches have now been established. Several branches report heavy enrolling, and' in this; connection the Hibernian Society, St. Vincent de Paul Society, and Catholic clubs and sodalities can do a lot in increasing the membership of the Federation. Our Catholic teachers also are in an excellent position to' extend the Federation by encouraging the children to join, in fact the subscription was fixed at one shilling •per annum to enable every member of each family to be enrolled. There is no age limit. The executive will; shortly consider the advisability of issuing a leaflet explaining the objects of the Federation and appealing to Catholics to join. - ' >/'fa By instructions from the provisional Dominion) Executive of the New Zealand Catholic Federation;) the secretary wrote Messrs. George Marlow, Ltd., the; theatrical firm which is to tour the Dominion with the offensive play, ‘The Monk and the Woman,’ the fol-; lowing letter:—• ‘ Wellington, March 12, 1913. ‘Messrs. George Marlow, Limited. ’ , £ : -;fUO ‘ Gentlemen, —With reference to the production of the play known as ‘The Monk and the Woman,’ which you intend to produce in New Zealand, I have been instructed by the Dominion Executive of the New Zealand Catholic Federation to enter an emphatic protest against its production in New Zealand, and to inform you that Catholics throughout the Dominion have been warned not to attend any of the performances of this drama. . . ■ . ‘ We very much regret that you still persist -in touring the Dominion with this play after so many strong and emphatic objections which our co-religionists in Australia have made against its productions. The play is offensive to Catholics, and it cannot be understood why a theatrical company who should cater, all classes of the community should be so tactless, as to produce a play which is so abominably repugnant to us as Catholics. ... ‘ The grounds of our objections have been placed before you so forcibly and so ably by our co-religionists in Australia that there is no need for me to repeat them here, but simply to again, in conclusion,’,strongly protest on behalf of the Catholics of New Zealand.: ‘I am, gentlemen, yours faithfully, o ‘ P. D. Hoskins, Hon. Secretary.’-

' CHRISTCHURCH. • (From our own correspondent.) The organising committee appointed at the inaugural meeting, and others interested in the move-

Bieht to establish ' the Catholic Federation in Christchurch, 'met On last Sunday afternoon. The Very Rev. Dean Hills,' S.M., V.G., presided, and the Very Rev. Father: Price, D.C., Adm., was present. There was a : good attendance, much interest being taken in the proceedings. A large amount of correspondence was ■ read by the secretary, and dealt with. It was decided that the organising Committee should continue in office as a provisional Diocesan Council, pending the receipt of the remaining names of representatives of parish committees, to enable the formation of the Diocesan Council proper also that all parishes be advised that a meeting of all parish representatives will be held in Christchurch on Thursday, May 8, to establish the Diocesan Council, and elect officers thereon in accordance with the constitution and rules of the Federation. All parishes are urged to expedite the enrolment of members in the Federation, and report the number of members and moneys received to the diocesan secretary and treasurer in accordance with Clause (B) of rules and regulations (11). Attention was called to the reported intention of the Government to subsidise an exclusively denominational organisation in Connection with girl immigrants, and it was unanimously decided to recommend the provisional Dominion Executive at Wellington to "at once enter a strong protest unless the same consideration is shown towards the Catholic associations of ladies that are doing, or are prepared to do, the same work in all. the chief centres in New Zealand. ■, :