CATHOLIC FEDERATION

New Zealand Tablet, 4 March 1915, Page 27

CATHOLIC FEDERATION

REPORT OF THE DOMINION EXECUTIVE. The half-yearly meeting of the Dominion Council of the N.Z. Catholic Federation took place at the Federation offices, Wellington, on Wednesday, February 24. The session was attended by representatives from each' of the Diocesan Councils, and was continued until a late hour in the evening. A full report of the proceedings will appear in our next issue. The halfyearly report of the Dominion Executive, which was adopted by the Council, was as follows: During the past six months twelve meetings have been held and the operations of the Executive have been attended with considerable success. The Rev. Father O Connell, having ascertained that the rules contained no provision for the appointment of a chaplain to the executive, could not see his way to accept the position which he was asked to fill, as mentioned in the last report. However, due notice of motion has been given for the amendment of the rules in this direction, and the executive trusts shortly to have the benefit of the services and advice of a Rev. Father in this capacity. The success of the enormous meeting of protest against the proposals contained in the Bible in State Schools Referendum Bill, which was held in the great Town Hall on the evening prior to the council’s last meeting, will long be remembered by all- who were privileged to be present. The attendance was so great that long prior to the time for commencing every seat was occupied and hundreds were unable to gain admittance. The attendance included delegates from every parish in the Wellington archdiocese, and representatives from all parts of the Dominion from Auckland to Invercargill. The executive tenders its grateful thanks to all who assisted, especially to the speakers whose efforts aroused so great an enthusiasm, and to Mr. Isidor Mount, who played the grand organ during the waiting period. During the period under review the most important work has necessarily been the provision of a properly organised opposition within Parliament, and throughout the Dominion to the proposals of the Bible-in-Schools League to force upon Parliament a Bill of a most unjust and iniquitous nature so far as the Catholic Church is concerned. Your executive was singularly fortunate in having at the head of this movement his Lordship Dr. Cleary, Bishop of Auckland, of whose literary and forensic efforts it would be difficult to speak in too high terms. Owing to his magnificent work as a writer your executive has been enabled to circulate very many thousands of pamphlets, leaflets, etc., which have been eagerly sought for, not only by Catholics, but by those outside our communion who are opposed to tyranny and injustice. The favorable results of the efforts of the Federation under its distinguished leader is a matter of universal knowledge, and Catholics throughout the Dominion are to be congratulated thereon. As will be readily understood, this happy result was not achieved without a very large amount of work, the details of which are not apparent on the surface. As the Parliamentary reporter of the N .Z. Tablet , the organiser had the press privileges of the Houses of Parliament, and was thereby enabled to Come into close personal contact with members of both branches of the Legislature, and to explain the position taken up by your Federation more fully than could have been done by lengthy correspondence. Such necessary operations required your Executive to postpone the further organising visits of the secretary to the districts of Canterbury, Westland, Nelson, Marlborough, and elsewhere until a later date. This is greatly regretted, but under the existing urgent circumstances it was unavoidable. As showing the earnestness and vigor of the clergy and laity alike in this matter,'it may be mentioned that it was decided to present a further local petition to the House praying that the alleged petition of the Bible-in-Schools League, said to have heap signed by 140,000

electors, be laid before the House in order that' our representatives might : be heard thereon. The forms of petition were received from the printers on Saturday, signed by his Grace Archbishop O'Shea, Bishop Cleary, and ' 2485 other electors on Sunday, and presented to Parliament on its first sitting day (Tuesday) thereafter. The earnest wish of our people generally to return to Parliament only those who would oppose the Referendum _ Bill in. regard to religion in State schools has materially assisted in the election of a very substantial majority of members pledged to resist the passage of any such measure. Members will learn with pleasure that the crusade against impure and anti-Catholic literature has been vigorously prosecuted, and that success has attended the efforts of your Federation in this regard. The prompt action taken in respect to an obnoxious article in the magazine Success produced an ample and complete apology, which was published in the columns of the Tablet. In another case, the details of which have been also published in the same journal, the drastic action of your executive practically forced the authorities to prosecute the author and publisher of a most disgusting and loathsome leaflet known as ‘ The Restorationist.’ The result of this < prosecution was the infliction of fines and costs amounting in all ..to some ,£l7. Your Executive has received warm congratulations alike from non-Catholics and our own people upon the successful stand taken in this matter. Federation officers in all the towns have evidenced great care in regard to the bookshops and libraries in their respective districts and the result of their tactful representations has been very marked. In fact it is now a rare event to find obnoxious or anti-Catholic works exposed for sale, save in such shops as especially cater for the dirty class of trade, and to which no respectable person would be likely to go. The Literature Committees of the Auckland and Dunedin diocese have continued to do most effectual work and have given very useful hints and advice as to suitable works of an educational nature. Your executive has been in communication with the Catholic Federation of Westminster, England, with reference to the circulation within the Dominion of impure and anti-Catholic books published in England, and has been assured of the sympathy and co-operation of that body. The English Federation is, during this month, to have a lecture by Mr. Hilaire Belloc on the necessity of an International Press Agency, of which the British Colonies, Commonwealth, and Dominions so greatly feel the need. Mr. W. P. Mara, secretary of the Westminster Federation, states that after the lecture it is hoped that the agency will be established in London, and that your executive will give the project every assistance. The bureaux at the head office have been very much in request, but the usefulness of the accommodation bureau has been hampered by the fact that the demand for middle-class accommodation in board and lodging, both as regards visitors and permanent, particularly in the case of cadets coming to Wellington to join the Government service is far in excess of the supply. Many employers have been supplied with employees by the employment bureau, and there is always a large demand for domestic assistants, and in a. lesser degree ,for farm hands, both boys and men, which demand cannot at present be supplied. The immigration bureau has had a very successful term. All oversea steamers have been met by the Immigration Committee, and the new arrivals desiring employment have been .speedily placed in good situations. The thanks of the executive are tendered to the ladies in all parts of the Dominion who have, in response to telegrams of advice, met the oversea girls and looked after them on their arrival from Wellington. The Catholic Immigration Committees have also been engaged in looking after the spiritual and temporal welfare of many young girls arriving from other parts of the Doy minion, but are hampered by the lack of accommodation. It is understood that the Auckland and Christchurch committees are contemplating the establishment

of hostels under efficient charge, and the Wellington committee has instituted enquiries ' as to the provision of such an institution. The initial expense need not necessarily be very large, but it is feared that unless some of our well-to-do girl’friends will lend their aid this most desirable project must be deferred until the financial outlook is brighter, but it is certainly a serious position that Catholic girls should be obliged to enter the hostels provided by other institutions. ‘ Your executive is deeply thankful for the good work done by Very Rev. Dean Regnault, S.M., who, on his recent visit to England and Ireland called on a number of clergy and laity interested in immigration, and put the needs of Catholics coming to this country before them, with a scheme whereby the organisations under their controle.g., Federation, Catholic Women’s League, Hibernian Society, etc., could co-operate„with our Catholic Immigration Committee in New Zealand in the work of caring for emigrants. : Samples of the leaflets and pamphlets by the English Catholic Truth Society referred to in last report have now arrived and are of a most serviceable nature. The price is very low, ranging from sixpence, to three and sixpence per hundred, and it is hoped that parish committees will see the desirability of expending portion of their funds on the purchase for free distribution at the church doors of a number of the leaflets, which are most instructive and educational on matters respecting which questions are often asked by the non-Catholics. Parish and branch secretaries have been communicated with and samples forwarded with a recommendation that supplies should be obtained through the Dominion Executive. It is hoped that a large order can be sent to Britain, and that thereafter regular supplies will be required for distribution. Since last report the disastrous war in Europe has broken out, and it is very pleasant to learn that our Catholic young men have risen right royally to the call of the Empire for fighting men. The quota of our young men who 'have volunteered and have left on active service is very high; indeed, considering that we can only claim one-seventh of the population, the proportion of Catholic soldiers in the Advance Guard of the first and second Expeditionary Forces, and now in the reinforcement detachments is most gratifying, and is a very satisfactory practical reply to the bigots who question the loyalty of our community. The executive recommends that the subscriptions of all members of the Federation on active service be considered as paid, in order that their membership may continue unbroken. It will no doubt be a comforting thought alike to the parents of our lads and the boys themselves that they are held in daily remembrance by thousands of their fellow Federationists throughout New Zealand. It may be mentioned that a liberal supply of religious literature was provided by the Federation for the use of our men while on the troopships, while the kindness of many friends enabled plentiful supplies of good secular books, magazines, and periodicals also to be put on board for their benefit. Regular supplies have also been sent to Samoa. The executive undertook to defray the cost of the necessary ecclesiastical outfit for the chaplains who were selected to accompany the forces, and with the assistance of grants from the Wellington clergy and from each of the Diocesan Councils (which are gratefully acknowledged), the priests have been adequately supplied with all necessaries in this regard. The executive desires to acknowledge the courtesy and consideration of the Minister of Customs, who directed that the vestments and other requirements for our chaplains were to be admitted free of duty. In connection with our schools, matters have been improved (by the 1914 Act) in respect to scholarships, and given a fair-minded Minister of Education our boys and girls will be able to take out any scholarships they may win at a Catholic secondary school, for our colleges and convent high schools must surely be approved by the Minister as equivalent of any secondary school in the Dominion. The Minister, declined to allow the winners of ‘ free places ’ to take them out at Catholic secondary schools, and also ‘could not see his way to

, " ■' , ; , ' . * the free issue of the School Journal for the use of our children.' The education of each one of such children at our cost saves the State, nearly £7 annually, the School- Journal (free to State schools) sells at Id per copy. ; In regard to instruction, of our teachers in physical training the position is not yet satisfactory, but with renewed efforts it is anticipated that a fair and equitable arrangement, will yet be arrived at. ;C Your executive desires 'an expression of opinion as to the wisdom and desirability of the councils requesting the hierarchy-to set aside a convenient Sunday early in each year for observing a ‘ Federation Sunday, ’ in every church in the Dominion. On such a day committees could make a special effort to reach those not already enrolled, the clergy to be asked to give addresses at each Mass and Vespers encouraging their congregations to join and remain members of our organisation. Should this suggestion be adopted your executive recommends that on that day a Mass should be offered in each church, at the instance of the parish committee, for the continued welfare and prosperity of every member of the Federation. Your executive desires to acknowledge, with gratitude the gratuitous services of several of the Catholic solicitors of Wellington who have placed their valuable services at the disposal of the Federation, and whose advice has been of considerable service. A suggestion has been thrown out that prizes should be offered to the children of our schools for the best essay upon the aims, objects, and work of the Federation. This, it is suggested, will arouse and keep alive an active and practical interest . amongst the children in the work. The executive desires again to express its gratitude to his Grace Archbishop O’Shea, and to his Lordship Bishop Cleary and the other members of the hierarchy for their continued interest in the Federation work. To the clergy throughout the Dominion earnest thanks are due for their unfailing interest and support. It is with great pleasure your Executive acknowledges the zealous and efficient services of the lion, secretaries of each of the Diocesan Councils, whose duties in the stressful period prior to the elections have been very arduous. In conclusion, your Executive desires to thank parish and branch committee officers, and members or committees who have taken so keen an interest in the welfare of the Federation, which has been aptly termed by one of our prelates as 1 the greatest movement for the benefit of the Church that has ever been inaugurated in New Zealand.’