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New Zealand Tablet, 10 April 1913, Page 15

therefore, in their welcome a pledge of loyalty to the Father of all the Faithful, who had sent him to Melbourne, and also to their own Archbishop, whose strength they properly desired now to husband. The Archbishop's conspicuous ability had raised the Melbourne archdiocese to an undisputed pride of place among the dioceses of the world. 'lt is not without reason, 5 he said, 'that you have touched upon the education system in your pregnant and stimulating addresses. That question is always before you. I know its urgency, and how it presses upon you, and hampers you in your progress. From the Catholic standpoint the unequal treatment meted out to you in the schools is, so far as I- can judge, the one great stain on the statute books of this free and progressive land. Long before I even thought that the education question of Australia would have the interest for me that it now has I wondered that a problem, which had been solved with greater or less success in many of the old countries, had found no satisfactory solutionno attempt even at a solution— any of the States of this great democratic land, in which freedom and fair play for every good citizen are claimed to be the very life and breath of the constitution.' Continuing, he said he was proud of the heroic sacrifices made by the teaching Sisters and Brothers, which had enabled their pastors to meet a situation that would otherwise have been intolerable. He was proud to be associated with such workers. But the heroic sacrifices of the Catholic body were no palliation for a crying public wrong. From that day he claimed to be— he hoped to justify his claim to be considereda good Australian. But as a citizen of Victoria and the Commonwealth it would be a source of genuine regret that the Catholic body—and patriotic citizens—should suffer for conscience sake, and should be forced to buy twice over the right to educate their children according to the dictates of their own consciences. Catholics did not expect the impossible. They only asked fair play from any statesman or party who would come out to meet them on the borderland of reason and just concession. He congratulated Australians upon the equipment and status of their universities. It must inevitably be that, where religious interests were at variance, and educational ideals conflicted, Catholics could not always secure the type of university education which they should desire. There must be always a certain adjustment of rival claims. But in a progressive country, such as this, it would be the very greatest danger if Catholics held aloof, and contributed nothing to the atmosphere which the coming men of Australia were breathing in the formative period of their lives—to exercise no influence upon the shaping.", of the thought and ideals of the university; to accept the status of an inferior caste in their own land. The leaders in every department of public life would come from the universities, and the university should profit by the leavening of live and active Catholicism. The Catholic Church would unobtrusively obtain a hearing in the seats of learning, and Catholics might justly hope to secure, without fear or favor, their due and proportionate share of the good things which Australia had to offer in private and public life. Under the wise guidance of the Archbishop, he could assure both the clergv and the laity no effort on his part would be spared to bring the highest available university training within the reach of Catholics, and under conditions which would not expose their faith nor their spiritual interests to needless risks. His Grace concluded his address by statin* that he would be at the services of his people in the causes of temperance and education, and all spiritual work. L