Excerpt from Secular Thought, Vol. 32: A Fortnightly Journal of Rational Criticism in Politics, Science and Religion; Jan. 6, 1906

In the religious world, France has finally severed her Concordat with Rome, and her State support of the clergy will cease in a few years. In Canada, there has been a distinct gain of power by the Catholic Church, especially in the establishment of the two new Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan and, though as the provinces progress the evil work of legalizing religious schools may be reversed, it will only be through a series of bitter sectarian quarrels. In Britain, the temporizing policy of the Balfour Government has recoiled upon itself, the disgruntled Nonconformists being a' large factor in' its defeat. What the program of the new Government will be it is impossible to say; but, though it numbers at least two pronounced Freethinkers, the fact that it is still at the mercy of the Irish Catholic vote as well as the religious vote of Britain renders it almost a certainty that priestly interference in public education in Britain will not be seriously disturbed.

In all the nominally democratic countries except France - that is, in the United States, Britain, and Canada - the Catholic hierarchy is se quiring a dominating influence in political affairs that must sooner or later lead to serious strife. In the meantime, education is suffering badly over a large part of Canada, and strenuous efforts are needed to save it from entire control by the priests.

Probably the departments of human energy which promise most for human advancement are those upon which depend so intimately the immense modern improvement in the transport of both passengers and freight by sea and land, as well as telegraphic intercommunication. The past year has witnessed the advent in the Atlantic trade of the two large turbine steamships Virginian and Victorian, and these are to be followed by two ships both much larger and much faster. Increased speed has been gained by a large number of improvements in ships and engines, both in quality of materials and in design and workmanship; the turbine engine promises to be the largest and most important single factor in the improvement of steam navigation that has yet been introduced.

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