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Registered at the G.P.O., Perth, for transmission by post as a newspaper.
Official organ of the Archdiocese of Perth.
Established 1874.
NO. 2,480
PHONE BA2837 (2 Lines)
THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 1951 Seventy -Seventh Year
450 Hay Street, Perth. Box R1279, G.P.O., Perth.
Price Fourpence.
Mundaring Road Board Members Attempt To Block Catholic School Despite the fact that it is to Board's Delegation Of be constructed of local stone (which is not in demand for Power Is Plain Abuse We learn, on the authority of home building) and would be the most handsome public build- Mr. H. Robinson, chairman of ing in the district, the applica- the board, that it is quite usual tion for a permit to build a for the secretary to make such convent school in Mundaring is reports. And since the Board being opposed by the Mundar- acquiesces in such an extraordinary delegation of authority, ing Road Board. it seems clear that Mr. Moore If the Board's reasons were is the master and not the paid well-founded, there would be servant of Board and ratepayer no cause of complaint. But since alike. they rest on the most tenuous surely is bureaucracy grounds it is interesting to runThat mad, a situation at utter seek out the motives behind variance with the normal con their opposition.
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The history of the matter is the Rev. briefly as follows: priest of T. Linnane, parish Mundaring, having purchased a well-built, roomy house for a convent and the three blocks of 11 acres between it and the church as a site for a school, applied in the usual manner for a building permit from the State Housing commission. The practice in such cases is for the Commission to call for a report from the local authorities and from the Education department on the application. Quite by chance the text of the report submitted by Mr. J. Moore, secretary of the Mundaring Road board, has come into our hands. It makes singularly unpleasant reading, for so far from confining itself to factual information, it launches out into speculations and personal opinions which can only be described as sectarian. The text of Mr. Moore's report follows:
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Mr. Moore alleges that child- the bill for the erection and heaped insult upon injury. In ren of the primary school group maintainence of their own a letter to Father Linnane, are adequately catered for by school surely goes to prove dated Dec. 20, 1950, the chairdistrict state schools. It is that in their eyes this type of man (Mr. H. Robinson) informs scarcely credible that a man in education has advantages which him that the Board, at its meet-' the secretary's position has not the schools of the State do not ing on Dec. 14, passed the folfound out that Catholics have offer. lowing resolution: "that if conscientious reasons why they and while there is sufficient cannot accept State school edu- Question of Allegiance State School accommodation cation as adequate. It is in Misfires Rather available, no private schools Badly defence of the right of parents be build while people Mr. Moore's parting shot should are so badly in to have their children educated of housing about our numerical strength and material andneed labour .are in religiously that the Catholic and the allegiance which Cath- such short supply." If we subsChurch in this country has olic give their church is likeas we may fairly do, the maintained its own school wise a damp squib. In point of titute, words "Catholic school" for system for the past 60 years at fact the Catholics in the Road "private school," it is readily recognised that the scales are heavily weighed against the Catholic ratepayers of the Mundaring districts. The tender solicitude for the housing needs of the people was not in such great evidence when the Mundaring Road Board built an elaborate house for its secretary during the war when he already had a home in Perth. Doubtless it was with streaming eyes that they spent considerable money enlarging the Road Board offices, not to mention the amount of material that went into the construction of a large shelter shed for machinery (with extensive cavity wall in brick,) which they recently built. Meanwhile permits are granted for business premises. But a Catholic school is of no importance whatever despite the consideration that the bulk of the building material will not deprive any home builder of a brick.
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Secretary's Letter Is Biased and Sectarian
Road Board's Blatant Support for Secularism Mrs. Leo Larney and Mrs. F. Stirk, joint owners of Azennis, reReporting on the application The pith of our argument, from the R.C. Church for per- ceive the gold Perth cup from Governor Sir James Mitchell. Shown in the however, centres on the prinmission to construct a new picture, left to right, are Mr. Leo Larney, Sir James, Mr. A.L.B. Lefroy, ciple that parents have a naschool at lot 42
Mundaring. tural right to choose the kind I find that there are 21 child- president of the Turf club; daring parish. Mrs. F. Stirk is a of which Mr. Larney is licensee, of education they wish their ren of this fold enrolled at Mrs. Leo Larney, Mrs. F. Stirk, parishioner of Highgate. pending the renovation of the children to receive. That right Mundaring State school, but it Mr. 'A, Smith, trainer; and is inalienable and cannot justly Mr. and Larney Mrs. were jockey house which was purchased as be abrogated. Peter Knuckey. is most unlikely that all of T. Linnane those children would transfer hosts Rev. to the a who presbytery when the MundarMr. and Mrs. Larney are well What the motion passed by to an R.C. school if built. known benefactors of the Mun- stayed at the Mundaring hotel, ing parish was opened. the Mundaring Road Board on It is unlikely that children Dec. 14, amounts to is a flagcould be drawn from any of the cept of local government, and a cost of over 50 million pounds Board area are in the same nu- rant denial and obstruction of secondary schools because of one which the ratepayers can- and at the sacrifice of double merical strength as throughout this right and an attempt to lack of transport. coerce a minority of the ratenot conceivably accept unless taxation. the State at large. Children of the primary they are willing to be trampled As for practical church -going payers to use the godless State school group are adequately into the dust. schools against their conscience. we the are only religious When denoObjectivity Dies catered for by district State Mr. Moore therefore acted, mination which has cause for Such petty tyranny cannot and schools, and of the post -primary not as a private citizen, but in Prejudice Is Begotten complaint on the score of lack will not be tolerated. group by Midland High School. his official capacity and his Up to this point Mr. Moore of accommodation. Mr. Moore If the Catholic parents of the You are probably aware that action in impeding the progress has concerned himself with a may verify this fact by driving hills districts chose to build, a large school is in course of of the town and district has factual review, which though past the Mundaring Church on equip and maintain a school at erection at Mt. Helena at which been officially approved by the erroneous, may have been writ- any Sunday morning when he an annual loss, that is entirely post -primary education will he Mundaring Road board in a ten in good faith. In his two will scarcely fail to notice the their own business, The Road available when completed. letter dated Dec. 20, 1950. concluding paragraphs, how- overflow in the porch. Father Board is guilty of downright I understand that R.C. schools ever, Mr. Moore goes out of his Linnane hopes shortly to apply impertinence in expressing the will accept pupils at a lower Is Mr. Moore Unaware way to launch an inferential for permission to extend the views it has put forth. age than the minimum fixed for Of Catholic Objections? attack upon the Catholic school church at Mundaring to twice Their attitude in symptomaState schools, but again, there Let us consider the subs- system as such and a direct slur its present size and for the erecis no certainty that the propos- tance of Mr. Moore's objections. upon the Catholic community of tion of a new church at Chidlow. tic of men who think that preferential of secular ed school would enrol all those He states that there are only 21 Mundaring in particular. If in the face of these facts Mr. education treatment is, religiously, a who could be enrolled because Catholic children in the MunIn his opinion, "the education Moore regards the attendance neutral attitude. It is nothing of the general opinion that the daring State school. It is quite offered in State schools is of two boys at, the youth club not education offered in State clear that no one could make bettered in sectarian schools." conducted by the Anglican rec- of the kind, for it infers that schools is not bettered in sec- a school pay on such an enrol- The reports on our schools from tor as significant we are somew- education without religion is to be preferred above education tarian schools. ment. the inspectors of the Education hat puzzled at the cause of his integrated with religion. Is not There is not a large R.C. poThe convent school would Department clearly indicate that concern, that precisely the argument pulation in the district and in obviously need to cater for the our standards are every bit as Mr. Moore's report w a s proof of the fact that there is needs of the Road Board dis- good as those of the State openly biased and will, we feel, with which international Comnot a rigid adherence to this trict, and in fact 100 children schools. But in any case, this cut' no ice with the State Hous- munism is annihilating the Christian churches of Eastern Church I can name two families from Darlington, Glen Forrest, aspect of the question obvious- ing commission. Europe? It is passing strange to whose boys are members of a Stoneville, Mundaring a n d ly lies within the competence of Housing find such an anti-Christian Concern Proves Boys' Club managed by the Mundaring Weir are awaiting the Education Department bias among the men appointed local Anglican Rector. admission. Transport does not rather than with Mr. Moore. Hypocritical, Unfounded to govern the district in acYours, etc. present an insuperable obs- That the Catholic parents of the But the Road Board members cordance with the raSepsyers' John Moore tacle. hills districts are willing to foot in endorsing his action have wishes.